Edited by GVPC Michael Nelson

e-CommunicatorPHI DELTA CHI PHARMACY FRATERNITY

August 2011

GRAND PRESIDENTAmy Valdez (Beta Iota)12663 SW Springwood DriveTigard, OR 97223503.704.4783gp@phideltachi.org

GRAND PAST PRESIDENTBrandon Sucher (Beta Rho)3333 Regis Blvd, H-28Denver, CO 80221303.625.1282gpp@phideltachi.org

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR COLLEGIATE AFFAIRSLexie Turner (Alpha Iota)255 Patroon Creek Blvd #1109 Albany, NY 12206678.982.2276gvpca@phideltachi.org

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRSLindsay Watson (Beta Nu)1160 N. Quincy St. Apt #207Arlington, VA 22201gvpaa@phideltachi.org

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONSMichael Nelson (Theta)3333 Regis Blvd, H-28Denver, CO 80221303.625.1265gvpc@phideltachi.org

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRSRyan Costantino (Eta)23A Smith St.Boston MA, 02120518.366.1023gvpsa@phideltachi.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORKenny Walkup (Alpha Upsilon)116 N Lafayette, Suite BSouth Lyon, MI 48178800.PDC.1883execdir@phideltachi.org

In This Issue...

MEET OUR NEW GRAND OFFICERS!• GrandPresidentAmy Valdez (Beta Iota)

• GrandPastPresidentBrandon Sucher (Beta Rho)

• GrandVicePresidentforCollegiateAffairsLexie Turner (Alpha Iota)

• GrandVicePresidentforAlumniAffairsLindsay Watson (Beta Nu)

• GrandVicePresidentforStudentAffairsRyan Costantino (Eta)

• GrandVicePresidentforCommunicationsMichael Nelson (Theta)

•PhiDeltaChiwebsite

•RegisterforGrandCouncil

•PhiDeltaChimerchandise

•PhiDeltaChijewelry

•Payalumniduesonline

•Linkstochapters

•Nationaloffice

•Sendcontentfore-Communicator

•AlumniFoundationsProgram

•PhiDeltaChiFlickrPhotostream

Fraternity Links

Upcoming Events

Event Date Contact

Great Lakes Regional Conference March 23 – 25, 2012 Mu Chapter

Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference March 30 – April 1, 2012 Gamma Delta Chapter

Midwest Regional Conference April 13 – 15, 2012 Psi Chapter

Mountain Regional Conference March 30 – April 1, 2012 Gamma Alpha Chapter

Northeast Regional Conference TBA Alpha Theta Chapter

Pacific Regional Conference Febrary 3 – 5, 2012 Gamma Beta Chapter

Southcentral Regional Conference March 23 – 25, 2012 Alpha Tau Chapter

Southeast Regional Conference March 30 – April 1, 2012 Gamma Lambda Chapter

14th Leader Development Seminar (LDS), Hyatt Regency Lexington, KY

August 1 – 5, 2012 office@phideltachi.org

69th Grand Council, Embassy Suites Hotel, Omaha, NE August 8 – 11, 2013 office@phideltachi.org

Please send major Chapter or Region events to gvpc@phideltachi.org

e-Communicator August 2011Page 2www.PhiDeltaChi.org

GRAND PRESIDENT AMY VALDEZgp@phideltachi.org

As Grand Vice President for Collegiate Affairs, I have had the pleasure to visit many schools and expand my family of collegiate and alumni Brothers. If I have not yet had the chance to meet you, let me tell you about myself!

I am a native of Southern Oregon, growing up in a coastal town near the Oregon/California border. I got my first taste of pharmacy working in a small independent in my hometown of Brookings, OR and realized that pharmacy was the career path for me. I accepted early admission to Oregon State University and pledged Phi Delta Chi Beta Iota Chapter in the Fall of 1995 as a pre-pharmacy student. I was initiated in January 1996 and that Fall was accepted into the professional pharmacy program.

During my collegiate years, I served as Beta Iota WMA, WVC, and WCC. I attended my first Regional Meeting in Denver in 1996 and my first Grand Council in Fort Lauderdale in 1997. These experiences bonded me forever with Phi Delta Chi and my Brothers.

This yearly opportunity to see my Brothers from near and far is something I look forward to and will not miss! I am one of the founding members of the Beta Iota Alumni Chapter and have continued to attend chapter events and regional and national meetings serving as my chapter’s alumni delegate whenever possible. I have previously served the fraternity as Western Regional Director for Alumni Affairs from 2005-2009 before being elected to my current position of Grand Vice President for Collegiate Affairs at the 67th Grand Council in Phoenix, AZ.

After graduation in 1999, I began working for Safeway Inc., a large grocery/pharmacy chain. I am currently working as Division Pharmacy Care Manager for Safeway in Portland, OR. I manage all pharmacy care activities at 102 pharmacies in both Oregon and Washington, including an extensive year-round immunization program, teaching immunization and CPR training, MTM, biometric screenings, travel health, and overseeing the intern training program and experiential

placements. I am a member of APhA, Oregon State Pharmacy Association, and participate in the Oregon Pharmacy Coalition, a group that monitors legislative activity related to the practice of pharmacy in our state. I am a preceptor for Oregon State University and Pacific University and enjoy teaching and mentoring pharmacy students. I try whenever possible to attend local formal meetings to remind myself of my alumni obligation and renew my passion for Phi Delta Chi. I am lucky to have two chapters, Beta Iota and Gamma Beta nearby to interact with. In my free time, I like to read, go wine tasting, spend time at the beach, travel, and hang out with my son Aidan, who is about to turn 5.

I pledge to continue to serve the fraternity to the best of my ability as Phi Delta Chi and my Brothers are very near and dear to my heart!

Amy Valdez, R.Ph.

Beta Iota #247

I am Phi Delta Chi!

GRAND PAST PRESIDENT BRANDON SUCHERgpp@phideltachi.org

Brandon joined a team of founding faculty members at Regis University School of Pharmacy as an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice in 2009. Prior to joining the Regis team, he began his teaching debut with Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy in 2002. His primary

responsibilities at PBA included serving as the preceptor of senior pharmacy students in Ambulatory Care and Advanced Ambulatory Care clinical rotations at the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he specialized in managing therapy for patients with diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. In addition to

serving as clinical pharmacist, he has also developed and precepted a PBA Academia elective rotation for pharmacy practice residents at the West Palm Beach VA. He coordinated and taught in the Pharmacotherapy course sequence, Pharmacy Calculations, and Case Studies in Therapeutics courses. Brandon’s passion for teaching and

e-Communicator August 2011Page 3www.PhiDeltaChi.org

leader-development, coupled with guidance from his mentors, led him to develop and teach an elective course titled Applied Leadership in Pharmacy Practice.

He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Texas Tech University School of Pharmacy in 2001 and subsequently completed a primary care specialty residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2002.

Brandon is an alumnus of the Phi Delta Chi Beta Rho Chapter. He was one

of the 14 founding Brothers and led a team, as their charter Worthy Chief Counselor, as they established a sound foundation from which the Chapter could grow and prosper. He enjoyed continued collegiate involvement in Phi Delta Chi as one of the Chapter Advisors for Beta Phi at Palm Beach Atlantic University and guided them through the chartering of a new Chapter of Phi Delta Chi. He continued serving Phi Delta Chi as Grand President, Grand Vice President for Collegiate Affairs, Southcentral Regional

Correspondent, and as a facilitator at Regional Conferences, Grand Councils, and Leader-Development Seminars.

His honors and recognition include induction as a charter member of the Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Honor Society at Texas Tech University School of Pharmacy and honorary membership in the Rho Chi Academic Honor Society at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

I currently reside in Albany, New York but have two other places I call home. I grew up in Northern Nevada in the small mining town of Battle Mountain. My parents still live there and I love returning home to the beautiful mountains for a visit with them. My second home is anywhere near the Alpha Iota Chapter or the University of Georgia, Go Dawgs! I enjoy spending time outdoors near lakes and ocean with my boyfriend Josh and our golden retriever Erin. I love the sunshine, quoting movies with my brother Clint, and going to live sporting events!

I currently practice pharmacy at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany. Half of my day is spent as a decentralized clinician on cardiac or surgical floors and the other as a clean room iv pharmacist. I also serve as a preceptor to pharmacy students on professional and pre-professional rotations at St. Peter’s. Having the privilege to foster and teach students is one of the most rewarding accomplishments of my career.

My day-to-day duties at the hospital are only part of my continued service to

pharmacy. I am a dues paying member of APhA, AMCP, and contribute to the PLEI. The most fulfilling part of giving back to the profession is through Phi Delta Chi! I currently serve our Fraternity as the NERDCA. I have kept especially busy the last two years in collegiate affairs working with regional and national teams to help strengthen the region’s quality, growth, communication, and fraternal pride. I have also held the offices of ERDCA, SERC, WCC, WMA, and worked on various national and local committees. I continue to stay active with the Alumni and Collegiate Chapters at Alpha Iota and Alpha Theta.

I feel incomplete unless I stay involved in Phi Delta Chi and often find myself amongst my family of Brothers all across the country. Whether it was for business or not, it was all my pleasure to have: traveled Beta Chi and Epsilon as team leader on Chapter Visits, been on a ChEQ Visit at Alpha Lambda, made personal chapter visits and interviewed the Deans of Pharmacy and Advisors to Mu, Beta Gamma, Beta

Kappa, Beta Tau, and Gamma Zeta Chapters, facilitated and helped plan the Eastern Regional Conference 2010 and Southeast Regional Conference 2008, help plan the founding and beta initiations of Gamma Gamma and Gamma Zeta, and recently the founding of Gamma Mu, helped organize the1st Annual Southeast Region Founder’s Day with Alpha Rho Chapter 2007, attended the Southeast Regional Conference in 2006, participated in the Fraternity’s Strategic Planning Retreats in 2007 and 2009, been on the Gatlinburg Ski Trip 2006, traveled to enjoy Brotherhood events at Chi, Eta, Omega, Alpha Theta, and Beta Omega Chapters, enjoyed a special historical visit to a Phi Chi Chapter at the University of Tennessee, and participated in every Grand Council since the 65th in San Antonio, Texas!

AAAE,

Lexie Turner, Pharm.D., R.Ph.

Alpha Iota 866

“I am Phi Delta Chi”

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR COLLEGIATE AFFAIRS LEXIE TURNERgvpca@phideltachi.org

e-Communicator August 2011Page 4www.PhiDeltaChi.org

I have been serving as the GVPAA since December 2010. It has been an outstanding learning experience and has prepared me to accelerate the progress that could be made if I am elected to a 2-year term.

I am originally from New Jersey and attended Rutgers University for my pharmacy education. During my P1 year, I pledged Phi Delta Chi and immediately began to see the power of our Brotherhood. I served on the Rush Committee, as Worthy Keeper of Records of Seals, and –most proudly- as Worthy Alumni Liaison. As WAL, I worked to organize the many active alumni from my chapter to form our Beta Nu Alumni Chapter in 2009. As a P4 student, I served as Eastern Regional Correspondent, which gave me insight into the varying structures and activities of different Phi Delta Chi chapters.

As a Brother and through these leadership roles, I have had the opportunity to travel around the country to many Phi Delta Chi events including: 66th Grand Council 2007, Eastern Regional Conference 2008,

Leadership Development Seminar 2008, 67th Grand Council 2009, Executive Council Strategic Planning Retreat 2009, Eastern Regional Conference 2010, Chapter Visits at Beta Chi and Beta Pi, ChEQ visit at Beta Tau, and 7 Alpha Theta Wing Dings. Additionally, I have had the chance to interact with collegiate and alumni Brothers during APhA and ASHP meetings at receptions and the Phi Delta Chi booths. Each of these events has taught me more about Phi Delta Chi and our Brothers.

In 2010, I graduated from Rutgers and moved to the Washington DC area to be the Executive Resident for APhA and the APhA Foundation. Following my residency, I have transitioned into a permanent position as the Project Management Specialist for the APhA Foundation where I help to create and manage the projects that demonstrate innovative practice models that optimize the role of pharmacists.

While enjoying my post-grad life in DC (trying new restaurants, watching reality TV, and spending time with family and friends), I learned about the opening

of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of Collegiate Affairs position and

knew that I could not stay away from service to Phi Delta Chi. I was given the opportunity to fill this role and enjoyed learning about this new region. However, my heart was stuck in alumni affairs. When the GVPAA vacancy opened in November, I knew I had to share my ideas for the position by submitting an application.

These past 8 months as GVPAA have been one of the biggest learning experiences of my life. As a member of the Executive Council, I was able to implement the Brothers for Life Campaign, the 2011 Graduation Coins, and attend the 2011 Executive Council Retreat and chapter activations of Gamma Nu and Gamma Omicron. I more fully understand the demands of the position, the types of goals that are attainable, and the strengths and weaknesses I possess and must manage to do this job well. I have a strong vision for our Fraternity’s alumni affairs, and I look forward to sharing it with each of you.

AAAE,

Lindsay Watson

Beta Nu #164

I am Phi Delta Chi.

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRS LINDSAY WATSONgvpaa@phideltachi.org

Collegiate Dues

Alumni Dues

17.3%

82.7%

Attention Alumni Brothers

Approximately 90% of our 43,000 Brothers are alumni......yet, over 80% of dues are received from collegiate Brothers.

Total Dues Collected 2009-2010

Declare that you are a Brother for Life.Support our collegiate chapters by paying your annual Alumni Dues online.

www.thepdcstore.com

Chapter Websites

PleasesendyourcurrentchapterwebsiteURLtogvpc@phideltachi.orgtoupdateournationalwebsite. Click hereifyouareunsureastowhetheryourchapter’slinkiscurrent.

e-Communicator August 2011Page 5www.PhiDeltaChi.org

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS RYAN COSTANTINOgvpsa@phideltachi.org

Brothers,

I am currently in my final year at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, Massachusetts. I was initiated into the Eta chapter of Phi Delta Chi in the spring of 2009. As a brother, I have served as the Worthy Correspondent and also chaired a variety of different projects relating to fundraising, recruiting, and chapter image on campus.

At my College, I have also held a variety of different leadership roles including serving as President-Elect, and President of the Student Government Association, Vice-President of Phi Lambda Sigma,

Co-President of ASHP, and as the Marketing/Advertising Manager for the College Newspaper.

As a brother I have attended the following fraternity events: Regionals 2010 in Boston, LDS 2010 in Madison, Beta Pi chapter visit in 2010, Epsilon chapter visit in 2011, 2010/2011 Fall/Spring Alpha Theta Wing Ding, the Alpha Lambda ChEQ visit in 2011, and most recently the 68th Grand Council in Buffalo, NY.

I recently finished my term as the Northeast Regional Correspondent and am extremely excited to have been elected as the Grand Vice President of Student Affairs! Currently, you will find

me either on rotations, working at the Franciscan Hospital for Children or wrapping up research related to post-graduate interests of pharmacy students.

What I look forward to most this year is working closely with every chapter in the fraternity to ensure that all chapters successfully complete the Achievement Award Program. Sticking with the motto of our fraternity, I encourage all of you to contact me, day or night if you ever have any questions or concerns about pretty much anything!

AAAE,

Ryan Costantino

ETA #1789

GRAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS MICHAEL NELSONgvpc@phideltachi.org

Michael received a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Washington in 1993 and continued to graduate school, receiving a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Michael began a career in pharmacy education in 1999 at Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy. In 2004 he transitioned to the Wingate University School of Pharmacy in Wingate, NC, where he remained on faculty until 2008. Since that time, Michael has served as Department Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions School of Pharmacy at Regis University in Denver, CO.

As a pharmacy student, Michael did not have the opportunity to become of Brother of Phi Delta Chi at the University of Washington; however, he did have the unique experience of pledging Phi Delta Chi as a pharmacist and graduate student teaching assistant at the Theta Chapter at the University of Minnesota. Participating in the same pledge activities as some of his students remains a career highlight. At Southwestern Oklahoma State University Michael served as a co-advisor for the Alpha Omega Chapter. At Wingate University, Michael helped found, along with Chris Dolder (Alpha Psi), Beta Omega Chapter. Beta Omega would go on to win the Thurston Cup just two years after their founding, becoming yet another career highlight for Michael.

Michael served as the Southeastern Regional Director for Collegiate Affairs from 2005-2008 and was elected Grand Vice President for Communications at the 67th Grand Council. He was relected at the 68th Grand Council.

Fraternity communications have been enhanced during Michael’s first term at GVPC by the establishment of: 1) thrice yearly publication of The Communicator, 2) monthly publication of the online e-Communicator, and 3) updated website service and functionality. Now it is time to further develop these three areas of communication. Due to experience gained during his first term as GVPC, Michael feels uniquely positioned to fulfill these goals during his second term.