2020 Ruth Pretty Palmer Panhellenic Award Collegiate Recipients

The Ruth Pretty Palmer Panhellenic Award was established in 1996 to honor individual collegiate and alumnae members for leadership and exceptional service to college and alumnae Panhellenics. This award is named in memory of Ruth Pretty Palmer, Sigma—Illinois, who served on the Alpha Delta Pi National Panhellenic Conference Delegation for sixteen years.

The Ruth Pretty Palmer Panhellenic Award is given annually to individual members who are involved with their local Panhellenic and have displayed outstanding leadership in their local Panhellenic, Greek Council, or regional Greek Conference.

• Michelle Ashby, Eta Pi – Virginia Tech
• Claire Canestrino, Theta Tau - Penn
• Madalyn Cleer, Epsilon Zeta – Texas State
• Faith Fallon, Zeta Omicron – Georgia Tech
• Madison Lockrem, Kappa – Samford
• Katelyn Neely, Alpha Iota – Pittsburgh
• Genevieve Pritchard, Alpha Theta – Washington
• Josephine Sandoval, Alpha Epsilon – Nebraska

2020 Emerging Leader Award Recipients

The Collegiate Emerging Leader Award is presented annually to members who demonstrate a commitment to leadership in Alpha Delta Pi, on her campus, and in her community. This award honors the spirit of our young, innovative founders who had the foresight and propensity to create our beloved sorority.

The award is presented to sisters who are a first- or second-year member and have shown great leadership ability or potential. They must have earned a minimum 3.14 cumulative college GPA and have a recommendation from a chapter officer, advisor, or campus professional demonstrating how the member lives our Creed and has impacted her chapter.

• Allison Ball, Alpha Iota – Pittsburgh
• Blythe Best, Theta Epsilon – Methodist
• Emily Brown, Gamma Phi – East Tennessee
• Danielle Burton, Epsilon Pi – Georgia Southern
• Brynn Carlson, Alpha Eta – Kansas State
• Addison Cottone, Beta Epsilon – South Carolina
• Maya Dalton, Eta Upsilon – Wake Forest
• Chelsea Dunleavy, Zeta Pi – San Diego
• Virginia Felton, Theta Epsilon – Methodist
• Morgan Fritz, Pi – Iowa State
• Laura Goines, Eta Gamma – Austin Peay
• Desiree Green, Zeta Zeta – Augusta
• Hope Heilmann, Theta Xi – Central Oklahoma
• Kyra Higgins, Theta Nu – Christopher Newport
• Katherine Hodges, Theta Nu – Christopher Newport
• Casey Keller, Eta Epsilon – Miami, Ohio
• Delaney Lloyd, Gamma Iota – Florida
• Crosby Loftin, Beta Omega – Auburn
• Phoebe Love, Epsilon Rho – UNLV
• Natalie Morris, Theta Beta – Coastal Carolina
• Kylie Noe, Delta Nu – Southeast Missouri
• Haley Marie Palmer, Epsilon Eta – Mississippi State
• Caitlin Personale, Gamma Rho – Arizona State
• Camille Pon, Iota Gamma – UC, Davis
• Meghana Sharma, Beta Psi – Kentucky
• Meghan Spears, Upsilon – Washington State
• Michaela Stavropoulos, Zeta Lambda – Texas A&M
• Rebecca Sternberg, Beta Epsilon – South Carolina
• Jennifer Thorpe, Zeta Omicron – Georgia Tech
• Elizabeth Upchurch, Zeta Psi – UNC, Greensboro
• Justice Williams, Epsilon Rho – UNLV
• Elizabeth Wright, Zeta Omicron – Georgia Tech

Press Release

[Atlanta, GA] – With great sadness, Alpha Delta Pi grieves the death of Linda Welch Ablard, Alpha Omicron—Oklahoma State University. After a brief battle with pneumonia, Linda passed on Sunday morning, January 5, 2020, in Tampa, Florida.

Linda’s Alpha Delta Pi legacy is unparalleled. In 2018 she retired from the position of Executive Director after 15 years in that capacity. She served during a time of great growth for the sorority and implemented many new projects that propelled Alpha Delta Pi into the 21^st century, including our highly successful internship program. In 2019, the Executive Director’s office was officially named in her honor at a special event celebrating her accomplishments. Her successor, Amanda Sloan, Alpha Beta—Iowa, noted, “Linda was a mentor to many Alpha Delta Pi staff and Greek friends in her role as Executive Director. She took time to learn the business and advocate for Greek women and our organizations. Her leadership and influence run deep and our industry is indebted to her.”

Prior to her role on staff, Linda served in numerous capacities, including International Secretary, Adelphean Editor, Traveling Chapter Secretary, and several committee positions. Past Grand President Virginia Rosenberg Stafford, Alpha Beta—Iowa, remarked upon learning of Linda’s passing, “She was an Alpha Delta Pi who loved and understood the sorority and knew how to write about it and express it, too.” Indeed, Linda’s words will live on forever through her many Adelphean articles and our two beautiful history books, Sisters and More Sisters.

Linda’s impact on the fraternity and sorority world was not limited to Alpha Delta Pi. She served as President of the Fraternity Executives Association and in 2012 received the Evin C. Varner, Jr. Fraternal Communications Award presented by the Fraternity Communications Association. At Alpha Delta Pi’s 2019 Convention in Las Vegas, Linda received the Joan Perry Boatright Alumnae Loyalty Award for her years of dedicated service. “Linda’s impact is deep and wide, not only within Alpha Delta Pi but also in our Greek community,” noted International President Emily Erkel, Zeta Chi—Baylor. “Most importantly, Linda impacted the lives of individual sisters and friends with her passion for the Greek experience, love of ADPi history, faith in God, and belief in the potential of others. I personally cherished Linda’s ability to both learn from and teach others through her many roles. She made a difference in my life as a young consultant and again as President.”

Updated Information On Linda's Service

May 2020:
At this time, Linda's memorial service has been postponed. We will continue to share updates on this page.

March 2020:
Linda's service and impact was deep and wide in the Greek Community. Her life will be celebrated at the following gatherings to allow people from many areas of her life to participate.

Fraternal Executive Association (FEA) will recognize Linda during their annual Executive meeting on May 28, 2020, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Linda's family will celebrate her life with a memorial service at Russell Baptist Church, about 25 miles from Altus, Oklahoma, on the morning of Saturday, May 23, 2020. All are invited to be part of this service. The church is about 25 miles from Altus, which is about 160 miles from the closest airport in Oklahoma City. Hotel accommodations are available in Altus at the Holiday Inn Express or at the Hampton Inn; they are also available in Oklahoma City at a number of hotels. If you are planning to attend, please let Amanda Sloan know so we can share logistical plans as they are finalized and keep the family current on expected ADPi guests.

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) will recognize Linda during their annual educational conference and meeting on October 29, 2020, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Alpha Delta Pi will recognize Linda during our biennial Convention on June 24, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. Linda's impact will be celebrated during our memorial service.

Donations in Linda's memory can be made to the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation, 1386 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30306 for the Alpha Omicron Housing Fund to construct a new chapter house at Linda's home chapter at Oklahoma State University.

Linda's Obituary

Read Linda's obituary. A full obituary will also be shared in the spring 2020 Adelphean. Read more about Linda’s service to Alpha Delta Pi in the fall 2018 Adelphean article celebrating her retirement.

Press Release

[Atlanta, GA] - Alpha Delta Pi Sorority is pleased to announce the women selected to serve as 2020-2021 Leadership Consultants (LCs).

LCs spend the academic year supporting Alpha Delta Pi’s 159 active chapters across the United States and Canada. During their time with a chapter, LCs provide support to chapter officers, members, and advisors in the areas of recruitment, membership experience, risk management, team building, chapter planning, and more.

Through the interview process, nine LCs were selected. Ginny-Beth Joiner, Director of Collegiate Services, said this about the candidates, “We are so excited for the nine women who will be joining our team for next year at the beginning of their professional journey.  The leadership experience and strengths that these new LCs possess will benefit our chapters and organization greatly. They were selected from a highly competitive group of applicants that were all phenomenal representatives of Alpha Delta Pi’s highest ideals.”

The 2020-2021 LCs are:

• Janet Ashworth—Alpha Omicron, Oklahoma State University
• Haley Crews—Gamma Theta, University of Mount Union
• Brielle Hadley—Iota Gamma, University of California, Davis
• Emily Hamby—Epsilon Tau, Middle Tennessee State University
• Deleigha Hodges—Pi, Iowa State University
• Allison Jones—Epsilon Zeta, Texas State University
• Arianna Lynch—Gamma Omicron, Susquehanna University
• Carson McCormack—Beta Omega, Auburn University

About Alpha Delta Pi Founded at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Ga., on May 15, 1851, Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society established for college women. Its principles of scholarship, leadership, sisterhood and service guide more than 265,000 women in 159 active collegiate chapters and 155 alumnae associations of Alpha Delta Pi.

###

The Texas State Alumnae Association Board will be meeting in Waco, TX to plan for the 84th Texas State Convention in 2021.