The origins of Zeta Psi’s leadership seminars were born out of the vision of Past Phi Alpha Michael Freiman, Maryland ’78, and John Failla, Maryland ’78, at Zeta Psi’s first New Orleans convention in 1980. The annual convention LTI took a further leap in 1998, when Dr. Louis Capozzoli, Jr, NYU ’47, agreed to provide a major annual endowment that helped to form the basis for Zeta Psi’s current leadership training. Since Dr. Capozzoli’s passing in 2011, Brother Alan Rice, Minnesota ’50, has generously provided the annual funding necessary to continue to underwrite each year’s Convention LTI program, which is now called the Alan Rice LTI. As a former collegiate All-American, an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, and a distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Brother Rice has continued to believe strongly in fostering leaders and has provided the financial generosity to sustain the Rice LTI program at each annual convention.
Our Leadership Training Institutes, or LTIs, are large gatherings of students from many universities. The sessions are broad-based interactive discussions that draw on the experiences of guest lecturers from alumni, staff, and Greek-life experts. At regional events, undergraduate members spend a full day learning about issues like organizational finances, risk management, and recruiting — tools which will continue to be applicable to their future careers. Breakout sessions typically offer topics like business-dinner and interviewing etiquette, how to network, how to resolve conflicts, and how to promote teamwork among one’s peers.
These efforts culminate with the Rice LTI Program that takes place each year as part of our Annual Convention. Several presenters, including influential speakers from the Greek community at-large, offer three days of powerful sessions which will change the way students think about college life, and will challenge them to develop to their greatest potential.
Through these seminars, skills are presented to Zeta Psi members to help them better learn how to become more effective leaders, as well as to help develop their future careers, with a good deal of interactive fun thrown in for good measure. We encourage all our student members to take the time to make use of these seminars, as well as to encourage others to do the same.
