Convention Information:

The experience of attending a National Convention is much more than the business meetings of the society.  Participants – delegates, Faculty Secretaries/Advisers, and any other attending Circle members – have the opportunity to learn about resources to improve their local Circles, receive advice and perspectives from our Alumni and Student Leader Panels, and network with OΔK members from all over the nation.  The 2010 Leadership Summit and Convention will be focused on Equipping the Leaders of our Society and will include sessions on personal leadership development, improving Circle effectiveness on campus, resources and tools for Circle Officers, as well as the opportunity to discuss with and learn from other Circle leaders.  We hope that this experience will provide the necessary orientation and training for our new and existing Circle Officers to continue to develop successful Circles on their campuses.

Keynote Speaker: W. Fanchon “Chon” Glover received her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Presbyterian College in 1990. She received her Masters of Higher Education Administration from the College of William and Mary in 1999 and her doctorate in Educational Planning, Policy and Leadership from the College of William and Mary in 2006. Glover has spent the past 19 years doing work with progressive leadership through her many roles in Higher Education Administration. To start her career she served as Director of Minority Affairs and Volunteer Services at Presbyterian College for six years. Then she served as Assistant Director of Student Services Multicultural Affairs and eventually Director of Student Services Multicultural Affairs at the College of William and Mary. In 2004 her role expanded at the College of William and Mary to incorporate serving as Assistant to the President of the institution, in which role she advises the President on issues of diversity. Recently, Glover has taken on the responsibility of Assistant to the President for Diversity and Community Initiatives. In this role she provides leadership and coordination for the University’s efforts to achieve inclusive excellence. She also serves as the college representative in facilitating positive interactions with the local community.

Glover has extensive experience in working with issues of diversity and pluralism and she shows commitment to issues of women in higher education through her participation in HERS—Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration, the National Women’s Leadership Forum, and the Association of Black Women in Education. Even with her busy schedule she makes time for civic and community leadership through her work with the Williamsburg Community Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., as Faculty Adviser for Omicron Delta Kappa at W&M, and the York-Williamsburg-James City County Branch of NAACP Education Committee. It is not surprising that her efforts have earned her numerous awards, including the Stuart Educational Leadership Group’s Greer Dawson Wilson Diversity Award, The College of William and Mary’s Chambers-Reid Award for Professional Excellence, and the Golden Key Mid-Atlantic Region Advisor of the Year Award.

Host Circles: Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Houston- Clear Lake will be the host Circles for the 2010 National Leadership Summit and Convention.  They will provide volunteers to staff registration as well as act as ushers and moderators at events and meetings. 

Role of a delegate: The main role of the delegate at the convention is to represent your Circle in the business that will occur at the two plenary sessions on Friday and Saturday. You will have a voice and official vote on proposed constitutional amendments and for the National Officer elections. You will also represent your Circle at a designated committee meeting. Additionally, the official Circle delegate will need to attend the Regional Meetings.

Dress: Houston will certainly be warm in the summer, so plan accordingly. Please dress casually and comfortably for your travel and arrival on Thursday, as well as during your attendance at the Early Bird Hospitality that evening. Attire for official sessions on Friday and Saturday will be business casual. The T-Shirt Swap and Ice Cream Social will be casual in nature.The Awards Banquet on Saturday Evening requires dressy-business attire - a jacket or cocktail attire is requested if available.
 
Activities: The JW Marriott is located directly across the street from the Galleria, the exclusive upscale mall and retail development in Houston.  Shopping, restaurants, and ice skating are all available at the Galleria, head to http://http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=805 to check out the choices. 

T-Shirt Swap: Every year we encourage Circle participants to bring a t-shirt or other apparel from their College or University for the T-Shirt Swap.  This is a fun way to mingle with students from other schools all over the country and get a cool souvenir from the event.  Be sure to bring your college gear!

Leader of the Year Panel: This panel, which is always a highlight of the Summit, will feature 2008 National Leader of the Year Christina Martin from Flordia Southern College and 2009 National Leader of the Year Becca Frazier from the University of Richmond.