If you were following Phi Mu Foundation on social media on Super Bowl Sunday, then you already know that Trustee Jen Wu is pretty special on and off the field! A graduate of Armstrong State University (now known as Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus), Jen is the Associate Director of Operations –Suites at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and was instrumental in helping the stadium prepare for Super Bowl LIII.

When Jen isn’t making magic happen behind the scenes at Mercedes Benz Stadium, you can find her spending time with her pups Lucy and Mimmy Wu (more to come on that later) and dedicating her time to volunteering with Phi Mu. Jen served as the National Vice President of Collegiate Relations on National Council from 2006-2010 and was elected to the Foundation Board of Trustees at the 2018 National Convention in Las Vegas. Jen’s breadth of Phi Mu experience combined with her storied career in providing premium customer service experiences gives her a unique perspective to her role as Foundation Trustee.

“I view my Phi Mu involvement as *part of* of my career, rather than separate from my professional life. Being a Phi Mu volunteer has taught me many valuable lessons that have crossed over into my career and vice versa. In many ways and in some Karate Kid fashion, many things have come more naturally in my career because of my Phi Mu involvement. Whether trying to recruit the best women for our collegiate chapters or seeking a candidate for a management position – conversational skills, carefully weighing the attributes of a candidate, prioritizing the needs of the company (chapter inventory, anyone?) and so much more are talents that began to develop within Phi Mu first.”

Jen is a member of the 1852 Society, the Foundation’s premier annual Giving Program because she knows first hand how investing in women as leaders can come full circle. After Jen graduated from Armstrong State, she continued her education at the University of Georgia and she served as a Graduate Counselor for nearby Mu Chapter at Brenau University and later for Gamma Gamma Chapter at Queens University of Charlotte. In this role, she helped train chapter leaders to effectively manage their operations and programming, increasing efficiencies and building sisterhood at the same time.

“Phi Mu has provided me with so many opportunities at both the collegiate and alumnae levels – everything from training resources and leadership opportunities to interpersonal skills and professional development. In gratitude, I have always worked to pass those gifts on to other women in my Phi Mu volunteer roles. I view my role on the Foundation Board of Trustees as the ultimate way to create opportunities for other women. As direct support to the mission and ideals of the Fraternity, it is our privilege to be able to provide some means to transform vision into reality.”

While Phi Mu has grown leaps and bounds over the last few decades, Jen enjoys the small but meaningful ways we’re able to connect as a sisterhood. One of her favorite traditions is sending Caring Carnations at National Convention and other leadership conferences where sisters come together to learn and support one and other. In fact, when her collegiate chapter at Armstrong State was recolonized in 2014, sending Caring Carnations to her Kappa Omicron sisters at the following convention felt pretty amazing.

“I love Caring Carnations! Sending them is such a special way to acknowledge women individually at Convention while at the same time, providing us with a fun opportunity to be connected at large-scale events like Convention. Giving and receiving Caring Carnations puts a smile on everyone’s face; they’re like small symbols of love and friendship that come from the relationships you’ve made in Phi Mu over the years. And it’s great because sending Caring Carnations is an affordable way for everyone to honor our sisterhood and support the Foundation at the same time.”

Speaking of honoring special sisters, did someone mention Lucy and Mimmy Wu? If you know Jen, then chances are you’re already a super fan of her pups Lucy and Mimmy. Adorned in pink collars and bows, Lucy and Mimmy are ‘Insta-famous’ as Phi Mu sisters and friends follow their adventures from Charlotte to Savannah to Atlanta and everywhere in between. Lucy and Mimmy are also unofficial Phi Mu Foundation Social Media Advocates as they played a special part in helping to spread the word about the Foundation’s 18 Hours & 52 Minutes of Giving in October. (‘Unofficial’ advocates only because paws make it hard to write your own Instagram posts.)

When the Board of Trustees make their way to Orlando for Phi Mu National Convention in 2020, Jen wants to leave the mark that the Foundation is investing in a future where women are equipped to be thinkers, leaders, doers, and compassionate citizens; a future where young women are empowered and built up and provided with the tools to be successful, influence change, and impact acceptance. And to back that effort, Jen hopes to announce that the Foundation has created opportunities for every collegiate and alumna member to give back and that we’ve hit a record number of donors in the biennium!

In this week’s edition of Trustee Tuesday, we’d like to introduce you to Trustee Danita Morgan, Gamma Lambda. Danita was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees last summer at the 2018 National Convention. Danita is currently president of the Gamma Lambda Chapter Association and a member of the board of directors of the Gamma Lambda House Corporation. She is very active in supporting the chapter at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Danita brings a wealth of professional experience to the Board of Trustees as a lifelong development professional. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, Chris White, and their rescue dog and cat. She is a Director of Development, Major Gifts for UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Danita’s ties to Phi Mu run deep, especially with a strong connection to her chapter and the lifelong friendships she made there. She still keeps in touch with many of her Gamma Lambda sisters, including a special sister who introduced her to the man who is now her husband.

“My decision to pledge Phi Mu was one of the most important decisions of my life, and I am devoted to my chapter and all of my sisters. It is important for me to serve on the Foundation Board of Trustees to give back on a national level to the sisterhood that has influenced my life in myriad positive ways.”

After college graduation, Danita began a successful career in nonprofit leadership and gives back to her alma mater as a mentor to media and journalism students at UNC-Chapel Hill. Over the years, two of her favorite programs have intersected more than a few times, and she’s had the opportunity to help Gamma Lambda women who are pursuing a career in media and journalism.  In fact, she’s even hired a few of her Phi Mu mentees!

“I enjoy mentoring students on their journey to realizing what the future holds for them. It’s such an incredible time in their lives when they are learning and growing every day, and helping to guide them through these formative years is an exceptional experience.”

Danita is passionate about educating Phi Mu members about all of the ways they can give back, and feels like there is truly a way for everyone to make a difference. There’s a common misconception that if you can’t make a major gift, then you can’t make an impact, and that’s simply not true. With four annual giving programs and efforts like the M3 Campaign and 18 Hours & 52 Minutes of Giving, there are a variety of gift options for every member to support the Foundation.

“In my opinion, one of the best ways for everyone to give back to Phi Mu is by making a planned gift to the Foundation. There are multiple planned giving options, and the Foundation staff can assist you in making the best choice for you and your family. A planned gift leaves a beautiful legacy that contributes to the ongoing success of all our Phi Mu sisters.”

Members who document a planned gift with the Foundation become members of the esteemed Fidelity Society and are honored on the Foundation website and each year in the Foundation’s Annual Report. In addition to being a member of the 1852 Society annual giving program, Danita is also a Fidelity Society member.

Over the next biennium, Danita is striving for the Foundation to not only meet all of its fundraising goals but also to elevate Phi Mu Foundation Scholarship Recipients so that our members can learn how their contributions are helping these women change the world through the work they’re doing in their communities.

If you would like to read a few of the Phi Mu Foundation Scholarship Recipient testimonials shared at last year’s convention, you can read them here: Dr. Jennifer Rhatigan, Charlene Collazo Goldfield.

 

We’re back after the holiday break and excited to pick up where we left off with our Trustee Tuesday series! To kick off the New Year, we’re introducing Trustee Jennifer Jardine, Beta Tau. Jennifer is a member of the 1852 Society and has a long-standing history on the Board of Trustees, first being appointed to the board in 2014 while she was a member of National Council, and later elected to serve on the board in 2016. Prior to her roles on National Council and the Board of Trustees, Jennifer volunteered as a Chapter Adviser, Area Membership Coordinator and has been active in many leadership roles with the Tidewater Alumnae Chapter.

Jennifer joined Phi Mu at Drexel University where she was one of just a handful of women pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. Being a member in Phi Mu provided her with the opportunity to meet and become friends with other women on campus and share a common bond of sisterhood.

“Being a member of Phi Mu has provided me with so many opportunities. The friendships I have made with Phi Mus in my own chapter and from other chapters around the country have been wonderful and are life long!”

Following in the footsteps of her own chapter adviser Nancy Campbell, Beta Phi, Jennifer has mentored many collegiate women during her time in Phi Mu. Connecting with collegians and helping them to recognize their full potential is one of the reasons Jennifer enjoys the Foundation’s annual M3 Campaign. In her role as a Trustee, Jennifer travels to collegiate chapters along the East Coast prior to the campaign’s kickoff in March to meet with various collegiate chapters and educate them on the importance of giving back to Phi Mu.

 

“Investing in Phi Mu Foundation is like investing in yourself. With each dollar we raise, we’re empowering Phi Mu women through the Fraternity’s leadership programs, providing undergraduate and graduate scholarships, and granting emergency funds for members who need it the most. I want to make sure that when I visit with collegiate chapters to talk about participating in the M3 Campaign, that they understand that they are making a huge impact on their fellow members with the funds they raise.”

Through her career as an Electrical Engineer for the Department of Navy, Jennifer has come to rely on much of what she’s learned in Phi Mu – using her voice and leading others and leveraging her strong facilitation skills – to work on some of the Navy’s most groundbreaking projects like their newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford.  Throughout her career, Jennifer has traveled the world, visiting different countries and meeting up with Phi Mu sisters in places like Bahrain and Japan.

“One of my favorite pastimes is linking up with Phi Mu sisters in all of the incredible places I get to travel to for my job. The most amazing part of ‘life after college’ in Phi Mu is that through volunteering, I’ve met so many sisters who I would have never crossed paths with otherwise. Now I have friends all over the country – and all over the world – and we all have one thing in common: Phi Mu sisterhood.”

With her demanding career and busy travel schedule, there are many reasons Jennifer could find that would keep her from volunteering with Phi Mu, but she says there is nothing more rewarding than investing in her Phi Mu sisters. When we come together for the 2020 National Convention in Orlando, Jennifer wants the headline of the Foundation Business Session to read that the Foundation is touching the lives of Phi Mu women each and every day!

Next up in this week’s edition of Trustee Tuesday is Trustee Jen Free, Kappa Nu. Jen was appointed to the Phi Mu Foundation Board of Trustees in 2014 and served as Corporate Secretary/Treasurer during her term. She was re-elected to the board in 2018 and currently serves on the Executive and Finance/Investment Committees. Originally hailing from Kentucky, Jen now resides in Jackson, Tennessee, where she is a criminal defense attorney.

Jen joined Phi Mu at Lambuth University where she was a member of the school’s softball team. While she was often busy with practice and on the road with games during the season, her Phi Mu sisters always kept her in the loop and never let her feel out of sync. That feeling of family – an unrelenting sisterhood and commitment to lifting each other up to be their very best – has stayed with Jen long after her years at Lambuth were over.

“My Phi Mu collegiate experience was some of the best years of my life, and I was able to enjoy that time because of the incredibly visionary women who gave of their time and talents before me. Those women continue to inspire me daily, and I work each day to be more like them and the amazing women I serve with on the Board of Trustees. Serving Phi Mu Foundation provides me with a platform to share how Phi Mu had a positive impact on me, and to encourage donors to join me in giving back to the organization that has given us so much.”

One of the many reasons Jen enjoys serving as a Foundation Trustee is being able to hit the road and travel to chapters around the country, meeting women who have benefited from our generous donors. She’s made visits to chapters in Washington, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee and many more states in between! As a member of the 1852 Society, Jen values the opportunity to share with others why she gives back by supporting the Foundation and encourages members of all ages to consider joining her.

“My favorite time of year is when the M3 Campaign kicks off and we’re all working together to inspire each other to give back to Phi Mu in honor of our Founders.  There’s something electrifying about the energy from our collegiate chapters during the month of March, watching them challenge each other to raise funds that will help the women standing next to them. It’s pretty special.”

Jen believes that the Phi Mu experience is unique because of the prominent leadership programs that the Fraternity offers, which are designed to empower women and encourage them to invest in themselves and others. These programs have lasting impacts that far exceed a member’s collegiate years, and Jen believes that the leadership skills she learned in Phi Mu have helped her become a better community member, attorney and friend.

“Each time I talk with a donor about making a gift to the Foundation, the logic is always so clear to me. Phi Mu women are some of the most impressive, outstanding, real women this country has to offer. When I visit chapters and see the outstanding ways our women are leading in their chapters and on their campuses, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to invest in their promising future!”

If you’ve had the chance to meet Jen, there’s no denying her passion for advancing in the lifetime development of Phi Mu women shines through in every conversation. She’s an outspoken advocate for giving back and has her eye on raising the fundraising bar for the Foundation over the next biennium. When we come together for Phi Mu National Convention in 2020, Jen wants to announce that we’ve exceeded our fundraising goals by millions!