Kappa Delta Pi The First One Hundred Years : Page 6
1990 New Directions With the departure of Hostetler as executive secretary, the Executive Council saw an opportunity for the Society to reconsider its direction. Former KDP President Dr. Jerry Robbins was appointed chair of the search committee for a new executive secretary. Devising the job description was the first task, “a lengthy process that involved a lot of back-and-forth,” recalled Robbins. The search process revealed, Robbins noted, two emerging camps within the Society regarding its future: one that favored a continuation of the conservative growth pattern of previous leaders and one that argued, “in order to survive and, more importantly, thrive, KDP needed to become something substantially different than what it had been before and that this change needed to occur as rapidly as possible.” After a lengthy search, and despite the variance in views among KDP leaders involved in the search process, the search committee recommended Dr. Michael P. Wolfe. In 1990, Wolfe was named Kappa Delta Pi’s first executive director (reflecting a slightly updated title for this role). Michael P. Wolfe, Executive Director, 1990–2006 “I first learned about KDP from Dr. Barbara Day and Dr. Marcy Kysilka,” recalled Wolfe. “When I learned about the opening, I thought the role seemed almost built for me. The job description fit who I wanted to be.” Upon his arrival, Wolfe made a strong and persuasive case for change, while acknowledging that the best of the Society’s traditions must be maintained and built upon. In consultation with Robbins and Dr. Bruce Jorgensen, Wolfe moved quickly, initiating a strategic-planning process that could provide continuity between biennia, establishing area representatives to coordinate regional chapter activities, and taking steps to build the headquarters staff. During Wolfe’s initial year, Dr. Frank Marsh was named chair of the KDP Educational Foundation. 1991 A year later, in 1991, KDP initiated a Society-wide strategic planning process reflecting Wolfe’s deliberative approach. “I came to KDP to build a staff, to create a vision for the organization. I believed we could add some vitality to both the Society and the professional honor society community.” —Dr. Michael P. Wolfe, KDP Executive Director, 1990–2006
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