NORTHERN PROVINCE
most about your job?
my first internship during college because two of my Sands, who were older than me, helped me to craft my first real resume. Their mentorship during that time was so important. That’s why Kappa at the undergraduate level is so important. There are young men, like I was over 30 years ago, that need the leader- ship training ground that Kappa provides. I often think, where would I have been if not for Kappa. If not for the relationships that I have de- veloped over the years and the many Brothers that have helped me along my life’s journey. Journal: How do you administer the role as Province Polemarch? Kyles: I am very honored and humbled to be the 24 th Polemarch of
being an undergraduate fraternity. This was the intent of our Found- ers as demonstrated in the excerpts shared from the 1928 Handbook of KAY and the Kappa Journal Oct 1933. It is our duty as Alumni Members to do everything we can to mentor, nurture and preserve the Undergraduate experience within the guidelines of the Code of Kappa Conduct. Because of this belief, one of our key initiatives is support- ing our undergraduate brothers, working with them to excel academi- cally and building the right rela- tionships with them to encourage immediate transition to the Alumni ranks after graduation.
Kyles: As a manager at BCBSM, I enjoy that my job is different every single day. There is no day that is the same. The projects that my team manages are enterprise wide and complex, so they challenge myself and my employees to be engaged and on top of each is- sue. We manage all aspects of the project which include information technology development, human resources, business readiness and budget conformance. What I enjoy most about teaching, is being able to share my many years of experience with another person that is willing to learn. Seeing my students excel in my classes and show real engage- ment is very rewarding.
Journal: Why is your province the best in Kappa Alpha Psi ® ?
'Everything starts in the NORTH!' I truly believe that our Brotherhood is second to none and we are able to manage the business of the fraternity with minimal conflict or disagreement.
Journal: How has Kappa Alpha Psi ® played a role in your profes- sional or educational career? Kyles: Kappa Alpha Psi ® is a major contributor to the success I have enjoyed in my career. Kappa trained me for leadership. The skills I learned attending C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conferences as an Undergraduate, having to preside over meetings using Robert Rules of Order and the organization skills developed planning Kappa events have been invaluable to me. Kappa helped me to develop critical inter- personal skills and the confidence needed to compete in Corporate America where the playing field is often uneven. I was able to get
the Northern Province. I have tried to pattern myself after a brother who I consider my father in Kappa, the 18 th Polemarch of the Northern Province and Elder Watson Diggs Awardee the late Brother Charles C. Smith (Xi 1942). Unbeknownst to me, “Charlie” (what the Under- graduates in the 1980s affectionately called him) began preparing me for this role in the late 1980’s as an undergraduate. Charlie taught me what it means to be a Kappa Man, to be respectful of the Bond and respectful of its governance. Charlie was “hard but fair” and that’s how I pattern my philosophy.
Kyles: I think every Chapter and every Province believes that they are the best, and it’s all in the good- natured fun we have in Kappa. I tease my colleagues all the time with the saying “Everything starts in the NORTH!”, a phrase coined by my predecessor, and of course a chorus of heckling begins. So instead of stating what makes us the best, I will just state what makes me proud to be a member of the Northern Prov- ince. I truly believe that our Broth- erhood is second to none and we are able to manage the business of the fraternity with minimal conflict or disagreement. This has been my experience in the Northern Province for my 33 years in the Bond, and I am very proud of how our chapters
I also believe in the concept of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
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THE JOURNAL SUMMER 2017 | 99
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