2023 Academy

2023 Academy

The 2023 Academy was held January 6-8, 2023, bringing undergraduate and gradu ate leaders back to the historic St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. This annual leadership training prepared our brothers to “Lead with Courage” so they may make a positive impact on their campus and community.

By the Numbers

2023 had a strong showing, with 524 brothers and guests in attendance. This included:

◆ Undergraduates: 393 from 125 chapters and provisional chapters

◆ Chapters/Provisional Chapters with 3+ Delegates: 27 (with 15 brothers from Rose-Hulman)

◆ Graduates: 85 (including 31 Purple Legionnaires and 27 Section Leaders)

Pursuing Excellence

The 2023 Academy kicked off with the Pursuing Excellence sessions, providing early arrivals with an opportunity to attend sessions about important topics facing our chapters across North America. Brothers attended these sessions on topics such as hazing prevention; sexual assault prevention; mental health; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; relearning the Ritual; and supporting brothers’ academics. Concurrent with these sessions, new Purple Legionnaires gathered to learn about their new role.

Opening Banquet

The event’s first large group opportunity was the Opening Banquet on Friday evening. Longtime Academy emcee Towner Blackstock (Davidson 1994) returned to the stage and opened the evening recounting Academy history. The program included a panel on Authentic Leadership facilitated by Executive Director Rob Caudill (Akron 2004). Brothers on the panel shared lessons they have learned through various leadership experiences. Thank you to Section Leaders Chris Kurtz (Ball State 2006) and George Norman (RPI 1987) and Archon Councilors Robert Siedell (Mississippi State 1974), Jon Yates (Texas A&M 1991) and J.T. Stoll (Western Kentucky 2023) for sharing their experiences with the Academy attendees!

Opening Session

The Academy featured several guest speakers and presenters, including James Robilotta, a well-known speaker on college campuses. During the Opening Session, on Saturday morning, James presented Authentic Leadership At Testing Points, which acknowledges that leadership can be challenging. During these challenging situations, leaders face lots of uncertainty and ambiguity. James has a background in improv and stand-up comedy, so he wove comedy and humor into his presentation, keeping attendees engaged throughout the thoughtful and relevant topics presented.

Foundation Luncheon

Saturday's luncheon, sponsored by the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation, began with Chairman Glenn Moor (Texas Tech 1984) presenting the Ed Gulewitz (Texas Christian 1989) Award for the Promotion of Organ Donation. This year, Alpha Omicron at Akron received the award for their efforts encouraging others to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.

Additionally, Educational Foundation Executive Director Ben Robinson (HampdenSydney 1986) provided a brief update on educational programming and scholarships funded by the Educational Foundation.

Pig Dinner

The Academy concluded with a model Frank Norris Pig Dinner. Brothers from our oldest chapter in attendance, Epsilon at the University of North Carolina, had the honor of bringing in the pig. Former Ritualist and Archon President Bill Miller (Indiana 1962, Purdue GA 1996) and Tyler Orr (Rose-Hulman 2026) shared the honor of kissing the pig as the eldest brother and youngest brother in attendance, respectively. Section Leader Bill Roberts (Arizona State 1975) concluded the Norris-related activities with a rendition of "An Exile’s Toast."

The evening’s program included the President’s Perspective keynote by Archon President Bill Hunnicutt (Texas Arlington 1981). Bill provided an update on the Fraternity’s strategic objectives and the reasons fraternity is relevant to today’s college student.

Courageous Leader Award

Pig Dinner concluded with the presentation of this year’s Courageous Leader Award, presented by Archon Vice President Tim Kilduff (Kent State 1968). This year, two brothers received the award.

Ryan Groel (Embry-Riddle 2024) embraces the value of service in his daily life as a lifeguard and member of the campus Emergency Response Team. Beyond his everyday efforts, Ryan recently faced two significant testing points where he stayed true to his values.

Displaying friendship at the testing point, Ryan took charge following an incident at his chapter’s formal where one of his brothers drank too much and ultimately needed to be transported to the hospital. When others were ready to call it a night, he stayed at the hospital all night with his brother to ensure he received the medical attention needed.

Additionally, in late 2021, on a flight from Orlando to Las Vegas, Ryan’s EMT training and instincts kicked in when he saw a flight attendant rushing down the aisle with a medical bag in one hand and an automated external defibrillator in the other. He joined flight attendants to find a man unconscious and without a pulse in the aisle near the back of the plane. He started chest compressions with the help of a nurse onboard until the man started to respond – likely saving his life.

Ryan's nominator said, “In a situation of life or death, Ryan clung onto his values of morality and friendship to all and saved another's life without hesitation. Ryan is Epsilon Rho's hero.”

Chanpreet Singh (Alberta 2023) is a student leader on campus who always aims to create a positive impact. He believes in making a difference –whether as a member of the Student Council or as President of the International Students Association (ISA) at the University of Alberta (UA).

Staying firm in his beliefs, Chanpreet saw an opportunity to make a difference on campus when faced with Asian racism. As ISA President, he organized a campus-wide Asian Community Leaders Summit to create a safe space for Asian students and campus leaders to meet and discuss their challenges. The summit led to the creation of ISA's six-point advocacy plan. UA President Bill Flanagan mentioned ISA's plan in his report to the Board of Governors and he directed UA departments to work with ISA toward the six action items.

Chanpreet also recognized safety concerns with the campus Light Rail Transit following several acts of violence against students. After meeting with victims, he learned there was a lack of security presence on the platforms. Chanpreet used his role to advocate for an increased security presence. Despite significant pressure from students to stop his efforts, he stood his ground and joined a delegation formed by the Edmonton City Council to advocate for and ultimately pass a proposal to increase security and improve safety for UA students.

We look forward to returning to the Union Station Hotel in 2024 as Phi Gamma Delta continues to Build Courageous Leaders.