Regional Officer Candidate Biographical Information

Name : Marlene P. Lewis

Current college: NHCTC at Claremont

Major: Accounting & Liberal Arts

Anticipated date of graduation : 2003 & 2005

Your essay detailing your vision for the New England Region Phi Theta Kappa and what you would do to help achieve that vision. 300-500 words, please:

Continuing to foster communication among all Chapters, the Region, and International is my vision for the New England Region of Phi Theta Kappa. I believe that communication is the key, and I want to put our Yankee Ingenuity to work toward growth as a region by demonstrating how strong and innovative our scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship are.

My wish is to increase Regional exposure at the chapter level and encourage more participation in activities outside of each chapter by communicating with all the chapters in every way possible. We need to let Chapters know they don't have to reinvent the wheel each year - they are not alone - and we are here to help them achieve their individual chapter goals, thereby achieving our Regional goals. We need to help Chapters celebrate their successes and share those with others. We have a wealth of people, ideas, energy, and information to share and I want more chapters to realize that. I want more chapters to benefit from that. We need to share what we do that works, what we have read or discussed with others that has worked for them, and to bring back our experiences with other chapters at International. I want us to acknowledge our successes - build on those successes and share that plethora of knowledge with all of our chapters.

I would like to implement a Chapter Officer Training Program, an Experienced Chapter Advisor Roundtable, and a New Chapter Advisor Training Program at the Regional level similar to the one I attended at Frostburg State in Frostburg, MD in 2001 so that more chapters can begin the year on a better plane. We have access to so much knowledge and training - we need to take advantage of that. Regional officers should be available to disseminate that knowledge and training at a local level so that it becomes available to more Chapters.

Our region covers such a large geographical area that we need to use our Regional officers to visit as many Chapters as possible, letting Chapters know there are real people behind these words and we will come to them and help in whatever way we can. I know we are a phenomenal region! Better communication and visibility can only improve what we have accomplished so far and take us to the next level of greatness. After all, we are Phi Theta Kappans.