Leadership and Risk Management Key Focus for Greek Summit

Zachary Littrell

Fraternity and sorority leaders pose with keynote speaker Helena Gadison at the 2022 Greek Summit.

This past weekend, the Whiteside Greek Life Leadership Center hosted their annual Greek Summit event, and it was attended by over 200 student leaders across all four Greek governing councils. Officers, ranging from presidents to social chairs and guided by guest speakers, had conversations about leadership, risk management, civic engagement and current issues that fraternity and sorority members across the country are facing.

Dave Westol of Limberlost Consulting spoke with the community about risk management and risk prevention with a focus on real-world examples. Westol, who is nationally known for his risk prevention, said, "As always, I was impressed with the University of Arkansas F/S Life community and the willingness of chapter and council leaders to give up a large chunk of a Saturday to attend leadership sessions. They were engaged and interactive in discussions regarding health and safety and managing risks. We had some fun moments but also thoughtful discussions about accountability and watching out for each other."

For Westol's presentation, student interaction was incredibly important. Three volunteers were brought up to discuss how they would respond in real-life situations that happened around the country. Jarron Gray, National Pan-Hellenic Council secretary, was one of the three and said, "to be able to serve in an interactive role with speaker, David Westol, was truly an unforgettable experience, as it allowed me to wholeheartedly engage with fellow Greek Life students, peers and our leadership to continually develop personally, professionally and within the University of Arkansas Greek Life community."

With leadership being the other main focus of the event, Helena Gadison was brought in to speak with the community. Gadison, a community favorite, said, "It is an honor to return to engage with dynamic student leaders eager to sharpen their iron on the topics of personal branding and leadership. Witnessing how each participant engages with the thought-provoking content is a rewarding experience in itself. Thank you, once again, University of Arkansas, Zach Littrell and Parice S. Bowser."

"It was a joy to see our community's leadership gathered together for a day of reflection and learning," said Zachary Clonch, Interfraternity Council president. "I'm excited to see our community grow together this year and be stronger as one."

While Greek Summit might be the first program of the calendar year, it will not be the last, as the Whiteside Greek Life Leadership Center will continue to host educational and interactive programming for the fraternity/sorority community throughout the year.