Pictured above: Participants at the Atlanta Regional Officer Institute 

Remember the first time you met a brother from another chapter – the joyful feeling of connecting with a new Zeeb. For many undergraduates, this moment happens when they attend a national educational program in their role as a chapter officer.

Traditional ZBT programs like the James E. Greer, Jr. Presidents’ Leadership Academy and Regional Officer Institutes (formerly called conclaves and/or Dover Days) continue to advance the ways in which the Fraternity connects brothers and supports chapter officers in learning operations and leadership. In the past two years, the Fraternity has put the feedback of current undergraduates into action and created more opportunities for in-person trainings and meetings. Attendance at these events has been strong.

Thank you to the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation for supporting these and many other opportunities to maximize personal development and prepare brothers to be leaders of society. Learn more about your Foundation at zbtfoundation.org.

Alongside the in-person experiences, so far in 2025, ZBT continues to supplement with virtual education, like heritage programming through the Israel Now! program, a specific networking opportunity through a virtual Career Fair and more. These opportunities are frequent – keep an eye on your inbox for programs that might interest you.

Alumni always welcome

As part of our Brotherhood for a Lifetime initiatives, ZBT often hosts an alumni event alongside an undergraduate program. It’s a common-sense application to bring together brothers.

If you are an alumnus and you receive an invitation to a program like Regional Officer Institutes, it’s a social opportunity – come and have lunch with the undergraduates, and hear a part of the program.

Regional Officer Institutes (ROI)

ZBT works to connect as many chapter leaders as possible, and hosting regional events around the U.S. allows the chapters to send more delegates with less expense. Connecting brothers in a geographic area is a primary goal as well.

The brothers who attended the spring ROI sessions in Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix Washington, D.C., in January and February had a powerful experience. This program is targeted for those brothers who work in director roles as part of the chapter structure; Chapter leadership roles are a great avenue for students to learn real-life skills that maximize their professional and personal development.

“ROI was a very pressure-free yet very engaging program which left me feeling much more confident about my chapter,” said Zachary Baruch, Beta Zeta Epsilon (University of Maryland), 2027, Operations Director.

Coinciding with the ROI sessions, ZBT hosted a Virtual Officer Institute in early January for all new chapter officers, reaching more than 400 chapter leaders.

James E. Greer, Jr. Presidents’ Leadership Academy

Well-trained and confident leaders can inspire other brothers to reach for excellence, so ZBT is proud to give top chapter leaders an opportunity to shine. The annual James E. Greer, Jr. Presidents’ Leadership Academy (JEGPLA) retreat-style weekend at a camp. The educational lessons challenge brothers to create positive change in their chapters and communities by equipping them with the necessary tools and skills to be servant-leaders and change-makers.

This is one of the most popular and well-received events hosted by ZBT. Participants have an overwhelmingly positive experience.

“It’s going to change my whole approach to leadership. I want to focus on the middle third (of chapter members) using my skills instead of focusing so much on the bottom third, which is what I have been doing,” said James A. Washburn, Alpha Omicron (University of Arizona) 2027, who was among this year’s program participants.

The 2025 program was moved to the Dallas area for the first time, after many years in South Carolina. The 2026 program is slated to return to Texas.

Emerging Leaders Institute

The Emerging Leaders Institute participants have been working in a cohort style-model that culminates in an exclusive track at 2025 International Convention in New Orleans, that is granted at no cost to the participant or the chapter. Sixteen brothers from chapters across the U.S. are engaging in this work this spring. We look forward to hosting them for the capstone experience this summer.

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