NATIONAL NEWS
The Senior Grand Vice Polemarch is Redefining the Standard of Leadership for our Fraternity’s Leaders!
An Executive Leadership Retreat to Remember!
G athered in a ballroom of a downtown Hartford Con- necticut hotel which over- looked the Connecticut River, were the senior leadership of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. who assembled for three days of intensive leadership training and development. The Council of Province Polemarchs, Council of Senior Province Vice Polemarchs, Council of Junior Province Vice Polemarchs, the Undergraduate Grand Board Membership and the IHQ Executive Staff engaged in an interac- tive series of large group training ses- sions and individual breakout sessions to launch the 2022 calendar year. The winter retreat was hosted and facilitated by the Senior Grand Vice Polemarch, Brother Jimmy McMikle, who leveraged the use of several addi- tional facilitators and speakers over the three day retreat to equip the attendants with leadership tools designed to im- prove their leadership capacity to better serve the fraternity. The title of the retreat was: “To Lead or Not to Lead.” The focus deeply dove into the concept of “Leadership versus Management.” Day one featured exercises and workshops that delved into the leader- ship versus management theme. Day one highlights included a facilitated panel entitled, “The Council: Leader- ship Lessons from a Grand Polemarch’s Perspective.” The panel featured the 27 th Grand Polemarch Robert L. Har- ris, Esq., the 30th Grand Polemarch, Samuel C. Hamilton, the 33 rd Grand Polemarch Thomas L. Battles, Jr., and Grand Polemarch Reuben A. Shelton III, Esq. Moderated by South Cen- tral Senior Province Vice Polemarch, Brother Donald Woolridge, the session’s
A profile in leadership: Senior Grand Vice Polemarch Jimmy McMikle.
ful mark to serve as an example of opera- tional excellence for whomever follows in their respective footsteps. The three day retreat was rounded out with featured presentations by three other presenters. The first presenta- tion was led by the National Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Brother Kevin Kyles regarding the fraternity’s 5 year Strategic Plan. Secondly, Grand Board Member Brother Robert Jenkins, Esq., led a session on Kappa Alpha Psi’s newly-adopted Code of Conduct. Finally, the fraternity’s General Counsel, Brother Cleophus Thomas, led a session pertaining to legal matters currently impacting our organization. We had a chance to talk with the Senior Grand Vice Polemarch, Jimmy McMikle, a Spring 1991 initiate of the Alpha Chapter, Indiana University and a Hartford Connecticut native, about
panel format gave the fraternity’s cur- rent leadership an interactive oppor- tunity to explore and discuss leader- ship topics, issues and methodologies specific to Kappa Alpha Psi by tapping into the knowledge and experience of our past Grand Polemarchs. This aided in gaining a better understanding and functional insight into leadership at the highest levels of our fraternity. The first half of day two of the re- treat was facilitated by Northeastern Se- nior Province Vice Polemarch, Brother Ted Sanchious, who led a deep dive into the subject matter of “Emotional Intelli- gence,” a critical competency needed in the toolbox of today’s leaders. Day two also featured a stirring keynote lunch address by the 27 th Grand Polemarch, Robert L. Harris, Esq. He challenged the leadership to raise the proverbial bar on performance and leave their respect-
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