In August 2008 the Sigma International Leadership Academy (SILA) Summit was held in Nashville. Under the direction of SILA Director, Brother Bennie L. Harris, Ph.D., brothers convened to create and endorse a blueprint for the early planning stages of the Academy and to endorse the SILA's mission. The mission would be to provide a practical framework that enhances brothers' capacity to think and to engage in critical dialogue and to affect personal, organizational and environmental mandates to meet the diverse societal demands facing today's leaders.
The first phase of the SILA strategic plan was achieved through the convening of the Summit. This month, during the SILA Retreat, again in Nashville, the second phase was completed through the establishment of the SILA faculty. Twenty-six men, through a nationwide call for credentials, have been selected to serve as SILA faculty. These 26 men are a diverse mix of committed, trained and experienced leaders, each with an area of subject matter expertise that will assist in the development of the SILA. Equally important to note is that all 26 men are brothers of Phi Beta Sigma.
According to Harris, "We have been extremely deliberate in evaluating the leadership needs and vision of our great brotherhood. We believe the roles of leaders have changed dramatically over the last 50 years and leaders must become capable of implementing instructional, organizational and cultural change. The Sigma Leadership Academy will bridge the gap."
With that in mind, the Fraternity issued a call for credentials in December of 2008 with a February 2009 deadline. The SILA sought Brothers with training skills to serve as members of the academy's faculty. Brothers were required to: detail their experience in delivering training programs; possess effective communications skills; display a strong positive image; and work well with people, in addition to being available to support the academy's training agenda for state, regional and national meetings.
Brothers submitted cover letters and resumes, including current chapter and initiation information, along with Frat card number, and a summary of involvement in the fraternity and reasons for being considered for a faculty appointment. All Brothers expressing interest were required to be or become financially active with the fraternity.
The following Brothers have been selected for the faculty:
These Brothers will be making a great contribution to the fraternity. International President Paul Griffin agrees, saying "Thanks to the newly assembled faculty of the SILA for taking time out of their schedules to be a part of this innovative and new Phi Beta Sigma initiative. Members of Phi Beta Sigma, the community and future Sigmas will benefit from the efforts these brothers' put forth as together, we continue to make leaders for our Fraternity and the world community."
With the faculty assembled, the next phase for the SILA will be to establish the leadership training tracks that were identified at the 2008 Summit. The first level of SILA programming will be to introduce six leadership tracks, to be made available for regional and local chapter implementation. "We believe the leadership tracks provide a framework for being visionary and managerial, helping redesign chapters and regions through the application of effective practices," says Harris when asked about the focus of the leadership tracks.
For information regarding the SILA, contact the International Headquarters at 202-726-5434 or Dr. Bennie Harris, International Leadership Development Academy Director at 615.973.7668, email: bennieharris2003@yahoo.com or http://www.pbs1914.org .
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