2021 Psi Upsilon Leadership Institute‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌

Matt Mattson,

President & Co-Founder Phired Up

A Great Marketing Strategy Matters Now More Than Ever Sidewalk chalk, t-shirts, tables covered in trophies and letters, fliers, Instagram profiles with not enough followers, random TikToks or flashy videos that don’t make much sense. Let’s be honest. The way fraternities and sororities do marketing doesn’t make much sense (especially in today’s world). It’s time to step up our marketing game. Psi Upsilon can be the marketing leader (even if you don’t really know what you’re doing!). Phired Up is the industry leader in fraternity/sorority marketing strategy and education. This session provides core marketing principles alongside practical and specific marketing tactic recommendations to get growth results for your chapter.

Matt Mattson has spent nearly 20 years helping sororities and fraternities grow as the president and co-founder of Phired Up and TechniPhi. Matt believes he was put on this planet to help people gather together to talk about the important stuff of life, and this work with fraternities and sororities is that life purpose in action. Matt is a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, he has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations, and a master’s degree in Education. He’s authored a couple of books on fraternity/sorority growth, he’s hosted a podcast, he’s delivered two TEDx talks you can find online, and he’s grateful to have gotten to work in this fraternity/sorority industry for two decades with his best friends.

New Programs and Directions (10-11 a.m.)

Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ’00 (Georgia Tech), Director of Engagement; Thomas Fox, Omicron ’00 (Illinois), Executive Director and Alex Senchak, Eta ’08 (Lehigh)

A lot has changed and has been developed since we last had a convention, we’ll review the new opportunities for engagement and support in Psi Upsilon and how you can best utilize them – regardless of your level of involvement.

Defining Social Fraternity Life: Psi Upsilon Members Exude Social Excellence (11 – noon)

Matt Mattson,

President & Co-Founder Phired Up

As members of a social organization rooted in human connection, this past year has been a difficult period of time to lead a fraternity. How were we supposed to build real, meaningful sibling-level relationships while having a Zoom meeting six feet apart and wearing a mask? How were we supposed to attract, engage, empower, love, support and inspire others when we couldn’t even meet together? This upcoming year is our chance to shine as SOCIAL leaders. Our world is begging for leaders that choose to fill every moment with humanity. Our world is desperate for leaders who can see through the abstractions and the chaos and notice the true individuals who are hurting, who are filled with potential, and who need true connection. It is time for leaders to make a simple and transformative choice: BE MORE HUMAN. Every moment is a choice, and the choices you make about the way you engage with other humans will define you, your college experience, and your life.

From the Archives (2-3 p.m.)

Evan Terry, Epsilon Phi ’93 (McGill) Chair – History and Archives Committee

One of the new programs that was discussed in the morning session is our Archive Project, we want to improve our storytelling: not only sharing the ability to access it online but share pieces of our history at appropriate moments. In this session we will be talking about the founding of the Rho Chapter, the Rho Owl Song, and some other timely discoveries of our Archives Committee.

Risk Management Review (3-3:30 p.m.)

Thomas Fox, Omicron ’00 (Illinois) Executive Director

It’s important that every chapter knows and understands our Risk Management Policy. We’ll review the policy and talk about some best practices that chapters apply to comply with it. We will utilize examples directly from our experiences with chapters during the 2020-21 academic year, as well as discuss trends we’re seeing in Higher Education.

Breakouts (3:30-4:30 p.m.)

Alumni

Alumni Advisory Board

Thomas Fox, Omicron ‘00

This is a time for alumni to give feedback on what needs they have and what they would like to see from the International Office.

Undergraduate:

Recruitment

Matt Mattson, Phired Up

Matt will take some time to talk one on one with chapter members about their plans for the rest of the summer and fall and give some “best practices” and feedback. We encourage everyone who takes part in this session to already be a Phired Up Certified Recruiter and taken the online training program.

Sharing News and Social Media

Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ‘00

One of the goals of the International Office is to share your chapter’s achievements and success stories as well as those of individual brothers. We’re asking that a representative from each chapter join Jonathan for a discussion on how we can better collect this information from you and help ensure we don’t miss recognizing someone’s contribution to their campus or community.

Scholarship Luncheon Keynote, Saturday:

Julia Denniss, Gamma Tau ‘19 Graduate Scholarship Recipient

Julia Denniss (Gamma Tau ’19) is a rising second-year medical student at Duke University School of Medicine with interests in neurology and infectious disease. As an undergraduate, she served as her chapter’s Scholarship Chair for several semesters and received the Griffin Award for Senior Excellence. After graduating from Georgia Tech, she worked as an ORISE Research Fellow in the Chronic Viral Diseases Branch of the CDC for a year, where she studied the effectiveness of various HPV vaccines. As a first year at Duke, she served on the executive board of the Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) and helped administer COVID-19 vaccines to the Durham community. She is currently working on a research project to assess urinary tract infection treatment within the Duke hospital system. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, playing board games, traveling with friends, and keeping up with her Gamma Tau brothers.

Awards Banquet Keynote, Sunday:

Murray Eskenazi, Lambda ’56 (Columbia)

Brother Eskenazi has been active in the life of Psi Upsilon since his initiation as an undergraduate at Columbia. He has served for 52 years as a director and for 17 years as President of the Lambda Alumni Association.

Author of 3 Psi U songs, creator of 11 chapter coats-of-arms, and designer of the Psi U Sesquicentennial Plate and the Psi U Distinguished Alumnus Medal, Brother Eskenazi is a gifted man of diverse talents. He has served on our Foundation Board and, after 19 years on the Executive Council, is now an honorary life member.

Colombia granted him a BA in Mathematics and Engineering; New York University an MBA. He holds 3 U.S. Patents, invented “Super Scrabble”, and is also a published author.

His professional career includes roles as a Sales Engineer with International Trucks, VP of Production for a division of Bobbie Brooks Corp., VP of Centaur Industries (where he invented an electronic slot machine), and an agent to game and toy inventors.

Currently enjoying his retirement in Delray Beach, FL he is a former resident of East Rockaway, NY where Brother Eskenazi devoted over 40 years of service to his community in various appointed, volunteer, or elected positions.