Chris' Consultant Story
When I arrived at Delta Tau Delta in June 1997 I had no idea what was in store for me or the life-long friendships I was about to develop. The program was critical for me in developing soft skills, leading through questions, effective meetings, setting agendas, public speaking, facilitation with large groups and communications strategy.
I also had the good fortune of meeting some of the best friends in my life. The brothers who joined me on my chapter consultant journey were in my wedding and they've been there in good times and personally challenging times. The one piece most Delts don't understand is the unique access this job provides to successful alumni who also happen to be big supporters of Delta Tau Delta.
I've met and maintained relationships with CEOs, innovators, politicians and various other successful Delts who genuinely serve and want to help you succeed. I still communicate with many of these successful Delts and they have formed one of the most valuable mentor networks I could have imagined.
While you give two years of your life to Delta Tau Delta, you get so much more in terms of relationships, perspective and experience. While this all sounds great, if you're not self-motivated in the execution of the role, you won't realize the benefits. By the time I had completed my role in 1999, I had traveled all 50 states, four Canadian provinces and more than 100 college campuses across the U.S. and Canada.
I was personally responsible for recruiting more than 100 new Delts and helped establish eight new chapters. I’ve continued my relationships with alumni and members who were undergraduates during my travels and it’s great to see how they progress and develop in their own lives. Professionally I am a professional services executive leading an organization of over 300 people at GE Healthcare and every day I use some skill I learned while serving the Fraternity. I have worked remotely for over 20 years and I developed the self-motivation while being a chapter consultant.
The chapter visits helped me develop skills that allow me to meet with challenging clients and drive positive outcomes, drive change in change-resistant environments and be accountable for the successes and failures that fall under my responsibility. I cannot imagine how I would have turned out had Delta Tau Delta not been a critical part of my early development both as an undergraduate and as a member of the staff. I suspect if most Delts knew the opportunities in the chapter consultant program, brothers would apply in droves. Do not dismiss this opportunity without careful consideration.