The Gamma Zeta chapter photo (above) was taken pre-Covid19.
Spring 2021 brought multiple awards to Northern Illinois University’s Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) Gamma Zeta chapter at the Virtual Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) National Convention. PSE is the only national, professional, coeducational fraternity in marketing, sales and management. The organization has established chapters on over 170 campuses nationwide.
Top honors for NIU range from best faculty advisor in the country, the William H. Harris Top Silver Chapter award, to placement in the Mutual of Omaha Interview competition and placement in the National Speakers competition, among other awards.
“I am proud of Chuck Howlett for receiving the Top Faculty Advisor designation. Chuck has been an exemplary director of the Department of Marketing Professional Sales program for several years,” says Rob Peterson, the Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Sales. “This is a meaningful award from PSE’s national organization and reflects Chuck’s stellar and long-standing commitment to our students and to excellence.”
In its national announcement, Pi Sigma Epsilon commended Howlett for his exceptional guidance to NIU’s Gamma Zeta chapter, which enabled them to achieve Silver Standing for the 5th straight year and to earn 2nd place nationally in PSE’s William H. Harris Top Silver Chapter Award category.
This competitive category assesses overall chapter performance and recognizes the chapter that excels in all areas of operations — from programming, membership development, recruitment, and chapter operations — while attaining the Silver Standing in the Chapter Operations Guide.
“I am thrilled to see the Gamma Zeta Chapter recognized at the national level and to see our very own, Chuck Howlett recognized for his tremendous contributions to our chapter,” says Chloe Chaddick, NIU Business student and President of the NIU Gamma Zeta Chapter. Chaddick is double-majoring in marketing and leadership management, with a minor in social entrepreneurship. She is also earning her certificates of study in professional sales as well as in digital marketing.
The 2021 PSE National Convention was 100% online this year and took place from March 31st through April 11th. The event brought students from chapters across the country together to compete in several events, among them the fraternity’s signature competitions —the Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon® and PSE’s National Speakers. In addition, PSE launched two new competitions: the Mutual of Omaha Interview competition and the New York Mets/Milwaukee Bucks Professional Sports Selling competition. For the first time in the fraternity’s 69-year history, alumni were invited to compete. Additionally, finalists for the National Awards Program and for the National Education Foundation Scholarship Program competed. Winners were announced for the 19 different categories, and more than $35,000 in scholarships were awarded.
Students in NIU’s Gamma Zeta chapter competed in several categories. Their strong regional performances in other categories prior to the convention also secured spots for them to compete in elite national level competitions. An overview follows:
- NIU students Chloe Chadwick, Elizabeth Adams, Melanie Bateman, and Nick Bunescu competed in the inaugural Mutual of Omaha Interview Competition, which required each competitor to assume the role of a senior in college interviewing for the sales trainee program at Mutual of Omaha. The interview was conducted with a current Sales Representative/Sales Manager from Mutual of Omaha.
- Nick Bunescu and Melanie Bateman also competed in the National Speakers competition, which recognizes outstanding student members who have mastered skills in the areas of self–presentation and verbal communication. For this event, competitors assumed the role of the Talent Development Manager for Enterprise Holdings. Each delivered a three–five-minute speech to welcome management trainees and provided an overview of the company’s history as well as founding principles and corporate culture, with the goal that their words be crafted to inspire, uplift and bring out the best in this group of newly hired trainees.
- Chloe Chadwick, David Ramirez, and Nick Bunescu competed in PSE’s first ever Professional Sports Selling Competition for the sports industry, which is deeply rooted in connecting with customers on a personal level. The students were required to quickly and effectively establish common ground for the want-based sale and share information with the buyer.
- Chloe Chadwick, Melanie Bateman, and Nick Bunescu also participated in Pi Sigma Epsilon’s yearlong Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon® sales competition, which culminated in a final event at the 2021 virtual national convention. This intensive competition requires students to successfully complete a variety of sales modules developed by Carew International prior to the virtual convention. In total, 73 elite PSE sales students representing 20 universities participated in this yearlong competition, which is sponsored by Carew International, UPS, Citrix, and the National Educational Foundation.
- Nick Bunescu was recognized as a 2021 National Educational Foundation Scholarship finalist. A graduating senior, Nick received PSE’s Perfect Attendance award, which recognizes students who have attended the national convention each year they have been in school. Nick worked tirelessly to bring new information to Gamma Zeta, to further chapter operations, and played a large role in helping Gamma Zeta maintain its high achievement reputation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nick has been one of the most dedicated and eager participants in Pi Sigma Epsilon throughout his collegiate career and has greatly enriched the fraternity.
“I am incredibly proud of how Chuck Howlett, the Gamma Zeta NIU students, and the college’s Professional Sales Program continue to raise the bar, year after year,” says Balaji Rajagopalan, Dean of the NIU College of Business. “The college’s PSE chapter and the Professional Sales Program both have a long history of excellence that continues to shine brightly, now and into the future.”
by M. De Jean, Director of Marketing, NIU Business
