#MeetTheMus: Trustee Jean Morgan, Eta Beta
We’re launching a multi-part series this summer called #MeetTheMus, where we’ll introduce one of our Phi Mu Foundation Trustees each week, and give you an inside peek at what drives their passion for the lifetime development of Phi Mu women!
Our Trustee spotlight for this week is Jean Morgan!
What made your collegiate Phi Mu experience special?
The Creed and my sisters at Eta Beta. The Creed gave me something that I could live by and fall back on when I was struggling – remembering the ideas and meaning of what it meant to be a Phi Mu. My sisters kept me grounded and kept me involved in school and Phi Mu. Phi Mu gave me a sense of family of being a part of something bigger.
What (or who) influenced you to give back to Phi Mu as an alumnae volunteer?
As a collegiate the person who influenced me most was Betty Bonnett. She was an advisor and the first woman I meet from the South. To me she was a true example of a Phi Mu lady and a role model that I aspired to be like as an adult. As alumnae, Lisa Dart-Nakon, a sorority sister from my pledge class was the person who got me back involved with Phi Mu back in 2006, when she contacted me and asked me to be a member of the corporation board for Eta Beta. We did not have an active chapter then, but owned the house and were running it as a boarding house. It was because she called and said that they needed help and I said yes – that I have been involved at first just on the corporation board, but that was just the beginning.
How has your journey in Phi Mu impacted the woman that you are today?
By allowing me to be involved with college age woman and helping make a difference in their lives by setting an example, showing them what it means to be a Phi Mu for life and that there is much more to Phi Mu than just your days in college.
What legacy do you hope to leave for Phi Mu through your work with the Foundation?
To make the Foundation known for whom they are and what they do to the alumnae on the west coast, who sometimes feel isolated and that they are not as much a part of Phi Mu – due to the distance from our headquarters in Peachtree City. Putting a face with a name for our alumnae and collegians. This helps when I talk about the great things that the Foundation does, all the scholarships that are given, grants and assistance to both collegians and alumnae.
What would you tell a young alumna about why she should invest with the Foundation?
That investing with the Foundation helps to keep Phi Mu growing and promoting strong women leaders, women who will be our future leaders, in business, politics and in every walk of life. We are investing in ourselves and our future and the future of our children.
What is your favorite song on the radio right now?
All of Me by John Legend
What book is on your summer reading list?
Mysteries with women characters and recipes!
What is your favorite Phi Mu tradition?
Initiation – I love being a part of welcoming new members into Phi Mu.
A fun fact about Jean: after working on the plans for the remodel of the Eta Beta house for a few years and overseeing the construction of the remodel, she found out that while her dad was attending the University of Washington, he lived in a rooming house on the property where the Eta Beta house now stands and had to find a new place to live when the rooming house was torn down to build the Phi Mu house in 1951. They both lived in the same location while attending the college!
Jean has a daughter who also attended the University of Washington – but was there before Phi Mu was back on campus – and three cats, Minnie, Bonnie & Clyde. For fun, she likes to travel and spend time with family.
