Thanks to the generosity of Alpha Psi alumnus Jack Schlegel and his wife, Priscilla, the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) will present a new award at the 18th Leader-Development Seminar (LDS) in Arlington, Texas in July 2022.
Schlegel served as CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy from 1981 – 1984 and CEO of the American Pharmacists Association from 1984-1989. Schlegel is a distinguished leader of the Alpha Psi Alumni Chapter (Class of 1967) and its Foundation.
The John F. (“Jack”) Schlegel Leadership Development Award will bestow a $1,000 honorarium annually to a collegiate Brother of Phi Delta Chi completing his or her final professional year of study. The honoree must demonstrate the potential for exceptional leadership in the profession through exemplary behaviors and actions as a student and professional in training that gain the respect of peers. Each collegiate Chapter of Phi Delta Chi may submit one nomination. The deadline for receiving nominations is May 25, 2023.
To be considered, each Nomination Packet should contain: (a) a Personal Data Form, (b) a personal statement, not to exceed 500 words, in which the nominee expresses a vision of what he or she aspires to accomplish within 10 years after graduation, and (c) three letters of recommendation that address the nominee’s potential for exceptional leadership in the profession after graduation. One letter must come from the Chapter Advisor. The PLEI Board of Directors will select the honoree.
In establishing the award, Jack noted that many student pharmacists are so focused on working their way through their educational program that they do not have time to take on formal leadership positions with organizations, but instead demonstrate their potential by exhibiting leadership in other than elected positions. He distinctly wishes all forms of leadership to be considered in this award.
SUMBMIT YOUR NOMINATION FOR THE SCHLEGEL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AWARD HERE.
The Pharmacy Leadership and Education Institute is proud to introduce Courtney Purcell, the inaugural recipient of the John F (Jack) Schlegel Leadership Development Award.
About Courtney Purcell
The inaugural Schlegel Leadership Award recipient is Courtney Purcell, PharmD, of Omega Chapter at the University of Tennessee. Courtney led Omega as its chapter vice-president and then president and played a major role with the Grand Council 2021 Planning Committee. A recent graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dr. Purcell was a Dean’s List student, a member of the Imhotep Leadership Society and a member of the Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society and served as a Student Government representative. Courtney received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Georgia in 2018 and has worked in several pharmacy settings during her education and regularly volunteers in many professional, collegiate, and community activities. She is currently working in her Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago with a goal of becoming a board-certified Emergency Medicine pharmacist working in health informatics.
In the letters of recommendation submitted in support of Courtney’s nomination, she was praised as “a natural leader, gifted with a strong ability to overcome adversity and inspire,” and has been recognized for outstanding efforts in internship positions for going above and beyond assigned roles. When the last [Leader-Development Seminar] LDS program was cancelled due to Covid, she spearheaded efforts to create a virtual LDS that allowed for 40 PDC Brothers from multiple chapters to participate in a virtual leader development conference while the world was still shut down.
As the recipient of the Schlegel Leadership Development Award, Courtney will receive a crystal award and a $1,000 honorarium.
PLEI Director Dennis B. Worthen chairs the PLEI Awards Committee.
About John F. (Jack) Schlegel
Dr. Schlegel received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1967 and his Doctor of Pharmacy in 1972 from the University of the Pacific. He received a Master of Science in education at the University of Southern California in 1980. From 1967 to 1975, Schlegel served as Chief Pharmacist, Instructor, and Director of Pharmacy Admissions at the University of Southern California. In 1975 he joined the staff of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and eventually became CEO. Schlegel assumed the role of CEO of the American Pharmacists Association in 1984 when he was just 39 years old, serving until 1989. He then started his own management consulting firm that focused on leadership development and improving the governance and management of non-profit organizations. Over the next 15 years he worked with more than 350 organizations nationwide. In 2000, when his wife Priscilla retired, they relocated from Washington, DC, to Florida, where they now spend their time enjoying the cultural arts and as major philanthropists in support of them.
About the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute, Inc. (PLEI)
The Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) facilitates engaging professional leader development activities, to enable personal growth that will transform the delivery of healthcare. In 2021, PLEI established its Academy for Leader Development that offers on-line training to develop leaders, enhance teamwork, and drive success through personal, interactive sessions.
PLEI coordinates the Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award, Leader Development Seminars, Leader Development Institute, the Lead←Grow→Shape leadership workbook, and other educational events for pharmacists and student pharmacists across the country. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognizes PLEI as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization; EIN 58-2296988. You can learn more about PLEI at www.plei.org
