Danielle Bertiger, Panhellenic’s Director of PR!

Ever wanted to know who’s responsible for @vupanhellenic’s awesome Instagram account? Look no further than Danielle Bertiger, Director of Public Relations for Panhellenic. Basically, her job is to make people want to join Greek life, and once a part of it, enjoy every second of their experiencd! She’s great at what she does, so read on for more about how she plans to make the Panhellenic community stronger and even more exciting! 

1) What does being the Director of Public Relations entail?
Director of Public Relations for Panhellenic kind of emcompasses all of the positions on the executive board. I need to advertise and promote events within the council and around campus, which involves coordination with the other exec members to best display their particular programs. I do this through our social media outlets on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the most recent one that I created earlier in my term and my personal favorite, Instagram (@vupanhellenic)! I also do live updates from retreats and events Panhellenic women participate in so that everyone in the community can stay in the loop. It can get exhausting and the girls definitely poke fun at me for being attached to my iPad mini at all times!

2) Why did you want to join the Panhellenic Council? 
I was really interested in seeing another perspective of Greek life and I loved the idea of getting to motivate others to become more active in the community through social media.

3) What has been your favorite part about being on Panhel? 
I love all the great people I’ve been meeting! In addition to the Panhellenic women whom I’ve become close with, I’ve also gotten to know the IFC and NPHC council leaders, and it’s so interesting to learn about how their organizations function and what events they’re planning.

4) What do you most want to change about Greek Life? 
I definitely think there needs to be a shift in the way we interact as chapters and councils. We’re all under the same umbrella of Greek Life and we should be more unified and supportive of one another. That’s something that the presidents and executive board members have set as a top priority for this year and I’ve already seen some strides being made by people attending other chapter’s sponsored events.

5) You were responsible for booking Prof C for the Code of Ethics Signing. Where did you find him?? And what did you get from his amazing speech?
I heard him speak at a breakout session at a conference the Panhellenic, IFC, and NPHC council executive board members attended last February. Rachael Haley, our Director of Judicial Affairs, really wanted to make a meaningful Code of Ethics presentation so after I shared with her what I had heard during the breakout session, we worked extremely hard to make this happen. She spent a lot of time with the logistics of the event as well as how to tie it back to us at Vanderbilt. I think the most impactful part of his speech was when he told the story of how he used to open up asking the audience if they considered themselves to be of high moral character and how everyone would raise their hands, but when he asked someone to define high moral character, no one could. It really made me sit back and think about how I would define it and how I would want others to define me.  

6) I know you’re super involved on campus. What else do you do and what other leadership roles do you have? How do you stay sane with such a busy schedule?
I’m currently serving as the Executive Vice President of Hillel and am working on an independent research project on Celiac Disease. I thrive on being busy, I’d go insane if I wasn’t! But calendars and planners are definitely my best accessories. I also love to go to a kickboxing class or on a run with my dog, Lilly, to unwind.  

7)  Where do you see yourself in five years?
Happy :)

The most remarkable thing about Danielle is that somehow, despite her two major leadership roles and heavy courseload, she always makes time for her friends. Call it good time management or simply dedication to those who matter, but this is definitely a girl you want to have in your corner. She also lives off-campus, has a dog, and cooks healthy, gourmet meals in her spare time. Danielle makes me strive to be better and do more each and every day, and I’m so lucky to have her as a friend!