2025 Best Professional Development Event/Initiative Award
Each chapter gets two (2) votes, the Chapter Advisor and the Venerable Dean.
Ohio Chapter (Ohio University)
Event/Initiative Name: Alumni/Active Leadership and Mentoring Program
Start Date of Event/Initiative: 3/15/2024
End Date of Event/Initiative: 3/15/2025
Purpose of Event: The purpose of the initiative was (and continues to be) to develop and institute ongoing leadership and mentoring opportunities for undergraduate members by alumni throughout the country.
Event Description: The Ohio University Acacia Alumni Association was reestablished in 2023 to provide support to the chapter advisor and housing corporation in promoting leadership and mentoring opportunities for leaders in the active chapter. We began this work by recreating an alumni association with 16 members with various responsibilities and roles. One primary objective was to assign each of the 16 officers and directors to active chapter members with leadership responsibilities in a mentoring capacity. Our hope is that by building these leadership skills early, it will be beneficial to the actives during their eventual job searches. Each alum works with one or more members of the chapter's executive board and appointed chair positions. Alumni have provided presentations to active members on topics such as "Making the Most of Your Summer Job and Internship," a leadership transition retreat, and the culminating event - Founders Day and Leadership Summit. The Summit provided an opportunity for alumni and active members to work together in leadership and mentoring capacities while also mapping out goals, objectives, and operational plans for recruitment, building brotherhood, community service, campus involvement, and active/alumni events. It has led to multiple connections between actives and alumni and have resulted in job shadows and internship programs.
How Many Undergraduates Participated: 75+ (whole chapter)
How Many Alumni Participated: 20+
What was the Result: This initiative has brought together Ohio Acacia actives and alumni from 18 to 80 years of age for the first time in the chapter's history in a mutual, future-focused set of intentional programs with governing bodies working in parallel to each other and in a manner that will carry the individuals and the chapter as a whole forward for years to come. In short, it brought (and will continue to bring) our groups together for leadership and mentoring while also promoting a genuine brother hood across the ages. This was all done on the heels of Ohio Acacia celebrating their 35-year rechartering and 75-year chartering anniversaries.
Our alumni association is an active and thriving part of Ohio Acacia. The leadership and mentoring components/initiatives of the association are being shared with other chapters who have non-existent or struggling alumni associations.
Our undergraduate active members are reaching out to trusted adults who are willing to help in any manner needed whether it be for chapter or the individual. Actives are better prepared to lead their peers and are better prepared for life after college.
The resulting brotherhood between the groups has changed the Ohio Acacia culture in a positive manner and has created formal and informal communication on a weekly and monthly basis that is invaluable and an important tool in membership recruitment and alumni engagement and fundraising. A new alumni scholarship has now been established and awarded to two undergraduates per year with outstanding academics and leadership qualities.
Additional Comments: This is a new but ongoing initiative for our active and alumni members in the area of mentorship and leadership development.
Supporting Materials:
Purdue Chapter (Purdue University)
Event/Initiative Name: Professional Development Seminars
Start Date of Event/Initiative: 1/10/2025
End Date of Event/Initiative: 5/10/2025
Purpose of Event: We wanted to take our actives through step by step processes with professionals to help update their LinkedIn, their resume, and their overall interview structure to help post college.
Event Description: We had 3 events in order of resume to LinkedIn to interviewing process. Each event was 1.5 hours long in 3-4 concurrent weeks with 20-30 actives attending each one. Jeff powers was our alumni in charge of teaching our actives how to stand out in the corporate world.
How Many Undergraduates Participated: 25
How Many Alumni Participated: 1
What was the Result: We had 3 brothers successfully secure internships for the summer, with 20 actives learning how to bolster their resume and be prepared for the next round of applications. They currently secured jobs for the summer.
Additional Comments: We had actives ask a lot of meaningful questions and then direct message Jeff Powers for one on one mentorship and guidance through the spring semester to help them for the summer.
Wisconsin Chapter (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
Event/Initiative Name: Founder's Day Networking Event
Start Date of Event/Initiative: 3/1/2025
End Date of Event/Initiative: 3/1/2025
Purpose of Event: The purpose was to connect the alumni with the current members especially those in similar backgrounds as those that are pursuing careers.
Event Description: At the house prior to the Founders dinner, the current members were able to openly network with the alumni in order to discuss careers. Was likely around 50 people there in total.
How Many Undergraduates Participated: 30
How Many Alumni Participated: 20
What was the Result: By doing this event it allowed people to create new connections. And through this event, Matt Domingo was able to attain an internship for the summer.
Additional Comments: In the Mummies & Olives newsletter there is mention of the alumni networking event. This event is a great way for the actives to get to know the alumni. Overall an amazing event for the current members and the alumni to discuss their careers.
Supporting Materials: