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B M & T ••• July/August 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 31 BA 250 Special Edition MEETING PL ANNERS' PROFILE A fricanAmerican fraternities and sororities, known as the "Divine Nine," were created between 1906 and 1922 (and one in 1963) as a direct response to sys temic racism, segregation, and the exclusion of Black students from white Greeklife organizations. They were founded to provide safe, supportive spaces for aca demic success, fellowship, lead ership, and civic uplift. Each organization hosts massive national conven tions, regional confer ences, and leadership meetings. These gath erings draw thousands of members for profes sional development, community service, net working, and celebrating their heritage. Velton W. Showell III is a leadershipologist, keynote speaker, and author whose career stands on a single con viction: leadership is about influence, not position. Founder and Chief Strategist of Leadership Dynamics International, he has written more than twen ty books on the disci pline of leading, and he carries into the fraternal arena the same princi ples he teaches from the stage—that leaders must serve before they lead, and that every leader begins by leading himself. SERVICE TO OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC. A member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. for more than fortysix years, Showell serves as Chairman of the International Site Selection Committee, a role that places him at the center of one of the Fraternity's most conse quential undertakings: determining where the brother hood gathers, deliberates, and conducts the business of the organization. The committee evaluates host cities and host properties for the Grand Conclave and related inter national events, weighing facilities, accommodations, accessibility, and value, then translating that analysis into recommendations that shape the experience of tens of thousands of members. It is work that draws directly on the whole of Showell's professional life. A thirtyyear hospitality veteran and the only African American to have served as Director of a Global Sales Office for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, he brings to the committee a command of contract negotiation, roomblock strategy, and convention logistics that few volunteer lead ers can match. Named NCBMP Pioneer of the Year in 2024 and mentored by the founders of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, he applies an insider's fluency in the meetings industry to the Fraternity's benefit—building rigorous, standardized evaluation tools and disciplined selection processes that protect the organization's interests and its dignity. ABOUT OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC. Founded in 1911 at Howard University, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is the first international fraternal organiza tion establishe rinciples—manhood, scholarship, perse verance, and uplift—have guided generations of members in service to their communities. Today the Fraternity num bers tens of thousands of financial members across hun dreds of chapters worldwide, governed by a Supreme Council and led by its Grand Basileus, with the Grand Conclave serving as the highest assembly of the brother hood. For an organization of that scale, where and how it con venes is no small matter—and it is precisely there that Showell's stewardship makes its mark. Through his chair manship he ensures that the gatherings binding the broth erhood together are chosen with the same care, excellence, and integrity the Fraternity asks of its members in every other arena. Leadership is influence. Service comes before position. Every leader begins by leading himself. Velton W. Showell III Chairman,International Site Selection Committee • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.