A team without coaches can’t grow, mature, and develop to greatness. That’s why the Chi Omega Fraternity has coaching teams (Advisory Boards) for every collegiate chapter.
Team Chi Omega’s first advisor-coach was Founder Jobelle Holcombe who, immediately after her receiving her undergraduate degree, was asked to advise her young initiating chapter,
Psi at the
University of Arkansas–Fayetteville. Thereafter, a game plan was devised to give each chapter the benefit of mature guidance in the form of an advisory committee, a group of
Sisters charged with maintaining the national purposes of Chi Omega while helping collegiate chapters and undergraduate members grow into mature, responsible, and meaningful entities and individuals.
Today, each advisor-coach specializes in an aspect important to building and maintaining strong and successful chapter teams. Areas of specialty include personnel, forms and records, scholarship, philanthropy, social, campus activities, and Panhellenic. Many chapters have coaches for alumnae relations and ritual, too.
Advisors’ game plans include mentoring individuals, teams, and the entire chapter. Their playbooks contain policies and procedures, reports and checklists. They have a lineup of winning strategies for scoring big in scholastic achievement, philanthropic endeavors, recruitment, and more. Their play calls provide collegians the comfort and refuge they need to develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally while striving to live Chi Omega’s purposes and policies in their day-to-day lives.
Chi Omega coaches are cheerleaders, too. They fire up their team, encouraging mutual cooperation to ensure the success of chapter events and Fraternity purposes. As Yankee baseball great Babe Ruth said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”
The attitude of Sisterhood, mutual support, and friendship demonstrated by an advisory coaching staff stimulates and inspires collegians and other alumnae. Jan Dunn, personnel coach for her initiating chapter,
Pi Alpha at the
University of Cincinnati, says: “Chi Omega means a lot to me, and I serve because I want to continue contributing to the Fraternity. Our coaching staff is made up of devoted Sisters with the same outlook and goals for
Pi Alpha’s team, which makes my job a lot easier. We are fortunate to always find women willing to serve.”
The effectiveness of Chi Omega’s approach to collegiate-chapter coaching is apparent as many on our roster of undergraduate members echo sentiments similar to those of
Phi Beta/University of Pittsburgh G.H. Janeace Slifka: “As a new member, I heard about a wonderful Sister who was universally adored. Everyone said
Phi Beta couldn’t live without her. When I finally met Linda Herrington, I was struck with the fact that she embodied all the reasons I decided to join Chi Omega. Her warm spirit, generous personality, and enduring love for the Fraternity helped me realize the full impact that Chi Omega Sisterhood might have on my life. Now as chapter president, I can’t imagine doing my job without Linda’s support and guidance. She is loved by every
Phi Beta Sister, and her contribution to the chapter is one that will leave a lasting impression on all Sisters who have come to know and love her.”
Interested in coaching a Chi Omega team? For information, contact the personnel advisor for the collegiate chapter in your area. You’ll find her listed at
www.ChiOmega. com/everyday > Find a Chi O > Collegiate/Alumnae Chapter Search. Who knows? One day your name may be on our Coaches Hall of Fame roster.
Chi Omega salutes members who have been serving as advisors and members of house corporations for 20 years and more.
Chapters listed are those currently served by a Sister and may not be the chapter of her initiation or reflect service to other chapters.
36–40 YearsEllie Mellish Adams, Beta Beta/Washington State U
Eleanor Warren Carstens, Beta Beta/Washington State U
Helen Toevs Eskeberg, Beta Beta/Washington State U
Dorothy Polly Thill, Beta Beta/Washington State U
Phyllis Pederson Moll, Alpha Chapter/ U of Washington
Carol DeBard Dickinson, Alpha Chapter/ U of Washington
Jeana Jeckell Hodges, Zeta Alpha/The Ohio State U
Doris Kunkel Daniel, Chi Epsilon/ U of Evansville
31–35 YearsHeidi Edidin Billotto, Theta Gamma/Queens College
Irene Rogers Ehrmin, Xi Delta/U of Toledo
26–30 YearsFrances Nelson Lax, Psi Epsilon/Arizona State U
Anita Kull Schwartz, Omicron/U of Illinois
Sarah Longino Thornton, Tau/U of Mississippi
Barbara Hames, Xi Gamma/Michigan State U
Nancy Dibble, Xi Gamma/Michigan State U
Cassandra Heos, Xi Gamma/Michigan State U
Janet Chegwidden, Xi Gamma/Michigan State U
Dee Schnarr, Xi Gamma/Michigan State U
Cathy Coers Frank/Psi Zeta, U of Houston
Andrea Ice Horton, Theta Chapter/West Virginia U
Rebecca Bird Lofstead, Theta Chapter/West Virginia U
20–25 YearsTerri McKenzie Baxter, Omicron Lambda/Birmingham Southern U
Debbie Tanner Bowlin, Xi Zeta/U of Tennessee–Martin
Jerry Lindsey Caton, Sigma Beta/Montana State U
Jeanne Cranz, Nu Zeta/Emporia State U
Kiki Demetrion-Gordon, Sigma Alpha/Miami U
Jan Clark Dunn, Pi Alpha/U of Cincinnati
Janet Connell Ehlers, Kappa/U of Nebraska–Lincoln
Clarlyn Whitehead Elder, Zeta Beta/U of Arizona
Barbara Nelson Hale, Eta Kappa/Missouri U of Science and Technology
Kay Couger Hamilton, Kappa Zeta/Texas Tech U
Ann Devitt Harris, Psi Beta/U of Iowa
Marilyn Bowell Harvey, Beta Beta/Washington State U
Joyce Couch Havens, Psi Epsilon/Arizona State U
Michele Sacks Hensien, Xi Delta/U of Toledo
Linda Herrington, Phi Beta/U of Pittsburgh
Caryl Pogue James, Mu/U of California–Berkeley
Jemina Nolan Keller, Upsilon Alpha/Syracuse U
Trish Cozart King, Sigma Zeta/Texas A&M U–Commerce
Lynette Pedigo Lancial, Psi Beta/U of Iowa
Robbie Ware LaVern, Phi Zeta/McNeese State U
Cheryl Matchett, Pi Delta/New Mexico State U
Bobbi Sterns Nielsen, Chi Kappa/George Mason U
Nancy Norton, Pi Zeta/Western Michigan U
Debbie Patterson Pappas, Mu Kappa/Duke U
Judith Marshall Pence, Chi Beta/Purdue U
Karen Percy, Chi Kappa/George Mason U
Leigh Constans Pierce, Chi Theta/Western Kentucky U
Paula Ozbun Rowe, Lambda Zeta/U of Missouri–Kansas City
Judy Stautzenbach Skogen, Nu/U of Wisconsin
Joyce Price Trimble, Eta Kappa/Missouri U of Science and Technology
Bev Ferris Thurber, Kappa/U of Nebraska–Lincoln
Jean Watkins Bauer, Zeta Alpha/The Ohio State U
Sue Leatherman Rouda, Zeta Alpha/The Ohio State U
If you are not on this list and are an advisor or member of a house corporation who has been serving 20 years or more, please let us know. Write to
TheEleusis@ChiOmega.com so we may update our records and add your name to our online Hall of Fame.