Earlier this summer, Nu Alpha Kappa (NAK) Fraternity, Inc.’s National Executive Board (NEB) hosted their annual National Leadership Development Conference (NLDC) from July 11-13, 2024 at the California State University, Sacramento campus; NAK’s Iota Chapter. More than 80 members attended this year’s NLDC. NLDC is an annual event that prepares undergraduate chapter officers and emerging leaders for the coming academic year. This year’s theme, “Nu leaders rising,” focused on creating future leaders through brotherhood and networking. 

NAK’s “Nu” leadership campaign kicked off at NLDC, setting the national organization’s goal for the year ahead. NLDC serves as a venue for NAK leaders of all chapters, both undergraduate and alumni, to gather in open forums and discuss important issues. Through workshops and networking events, delegates learn skills relating to their elected positions, gain perspectives on chapter operations from other members, and bond with the brothers from each chapter. NAK brothers were able to discuss how to improve recruitment, programming, brotherhood, networking, cultural awareness and emphasized professional development. 

“We are committed to growing and learning from each other,” said NAK’s Vice President of Chapter Compliance & Chief Compliance Officer Christian Martinez, one of the co-chairs for NLDC. “NLDC allows us to come together and share best practices and lessons learned from each other. As alumni, we lend our leadership to undergraduates that are seeking mentorship and our national programs allow us to do that. At NLDC, we share with our members knowledge and skills that they will one day apply to the workplace. We prepare leaders.” 

“We felt that this year’s NLDC should not only be about defining roles and responsibilities, but also how to tackle issues that many chapters face such as but not limited to: fundraising, philanthropy, marketing, strategic planning, and chapter compliance,” added NAK Secretary & Chief Information Officer Carlos Mendoza, the second co-chair for NLDC. “Our goal was to help set our chapters up for success in this upcoming school year.”

The conference’s theme also lend itself to be NAK’s national recruitment campaign kickoff for the 2024-2025 academic year. ‘Nu leaders rising’ is a play on words, stemming from the fraternity’s name shared Andres Rojo, NAK’s associate vice president of marketing. “We are encouraging our undergraduate brothers to feel empowered with a ‘Nu purpose’ and look towards a ‘Nu future’ with their leadership,” he said. “What they learn at NLDC carries with them as they recruit new members. We want them to find their purpose by building their future and this year’s theme represents that.”

Chapters have full autonomy on creative designs during their recruitment campaigns. The slogan, ‘Nu Purpose, Nu Future,’ is a testament of NAK setting a standard for chapters and has added to sentiment of unity among undergraduate leaders.  

During NLDC, NAK NEB and national chapter presidents also voted on filling vacant board positions. A call for leadership was sent to the NAK brotherhood earlier this spring and many brothers answered. Congratulations to the following brothers who have agreed to serve in their respective roles: 

  • Kaiden Amaya, Associate Vice President of Northern Chapter Development, 2023-2025 
  • Bryan Campos, Associate Vice President of Academic Standards, 2024-2026 
  • Rodrigo Castro, National Northern Regional Manager, 2024-2025 
  • Brandon Daniel, National Eastern Regional Manager, 2024-2025 
  • Daniel Garcia, Associate Vice President of Campus and Public Relations, 2023-2025 
  • Jose Francisco Hernandez, Associate Vice President of Programming & Special Events, 2023-2025 
  • Abel Morelos, Associate Vice President of Communications, 2023-2025 
  • Eder Peralta, National Southern Regional Manager, 2024-2025 
  • William Smith, Associate Vice President of Community Service, 2024-2026 

A full list of NAK’s NEB can be found here. 

“It is an honor to serve on NAK’s leadership team,” said NAK President Jason Navarro. “This organization has provided me and these gentlemen with skill sets needed in life. Serving on the National Executive Board is a selfless act, yet an impactful one. We are paying it forward to future members and ensuring the success and growth of our beloved organization. We thank these gentlemen for answering the call and stepping up.” 

Also announced at NLDC was the launch of the fraternity’s first mobile application, the NAK app. The app was created to give undergraduate members a better way to stay in contact with each other and the national board. The app is currently on iOS and Android (search for “Nu Alpha Kappa”).

Since its inception, NAK has sought to unite and involve members in a harmonious and brotherly atmosphere through academic, social and cultural means. More than 25 years later, NAK continues to do so by leading by example through its national events and local community impact. Follow NAK on social media for highlights of this year’s leadership campaign efforts. Learn more about NAK’s national events here. 

The NLDC 2024 logo was designed by Andres Rojo. Photos courtesy of Carlos Mendoza.

###

Abel Morelos
Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, Inc.
Associate Vice President of Communications
communications@nakinc.org