Southwestern College will host “Lunches With Leaders” Nov. 9-13, from noon to 1 p.m. in Mossman 101.  Lunch will be provided free of charge.  The public is invited to attend but an RSVP is required two days before the event.

“Lunches With Leaders” is sponsored by the division of social sciences at Southwestern College.  Lunch will be provided by five different eating establishments in Winfield.  Though the event is geared towards Southwestern College students, community members and other schools or organizations are welcome to attend with a reservation.

The theme for each speaker is “Freedom of Choice.”

The featured speakers, date, and lunch provider include:

• Monday, Nov. 9—Thomas Kinlen, Ph.D., presented by the Department of Psychology. Kinlen is currently employed as the superintendent at Larned State Hospital (LSH).  At this time, he also provides psychology supervision for the State Security Program and the Sexual Predator Treatment Program while also serving as the director of clinical training for an American Psychological Association accredited predoctoral internship.  He received his graduate training in clinical psychology at Mississippi State University and Sam Houston State University while also receiving an undergraduate degree in psychology from Florida State University. (Taste of Winfield lunch by College Hill Coffee).
• Tuesday, Nov. 10—Susan Andrews, presented by the Department of History. She spent 15 years teaching English, speech, and drama full-time in Wichita public schools, and part-time at WSU, before going to work for Boeing as a facilitator in the quality management program. She soon moved to Seattle as an internal organization consultant at corporate headquarters, and now travels the country as a consultant for Boeing and other clients. She was born in Arkansas City and now lives in Winfield, and will speak about the freedom to take risks in your professional career. (Taste of Winfield lunch by The Eatery).
• Wednesday, Nov. 11—Rev. Ben Hanne, presented by the Department of Philosophy and Religion. Hanne began serving as the campus minister for Southwestern College in July after nine years of pastoral ministry in several United Methodist churches in Kansas.  After receiving a degree in psychology from Kansas State University in 2002, Hanne took a massive leap of faith and moved to Denver to attend Iliff School of Theology.  In his role as a pastor Hanne has united couples in marriage, welcomed new life into the world, sat with the sick and dying, rebuilt homes, cried with the heartbroken, and offered hope to as many as possible. These have shaped his understanding of leadership and convinced him of the power in having the freedom to rethink (everything). (Taste of Winfield lunch by El Maguey).
• Thursday, Nov. 12—Dr. Jean K. Phillips, presented by the Department of Political Science. “It never occurred to me that I was not free to choose my path in life,” Phillips says.  “Even though my gender was viewed as an obstacle by some, I was encouraged by my mentors to push beyond my comfort zone.  Through working with the Cuban detainees incarcerated at the United States prison in Leavenworth during the 1980s, I quickly discovered what it really meant not to be free.  In the process, I found a career path where I can make a difference in the lives of those around me.”  (Taste of Winfield lunch by Kathryn’s).
• Friday, Nov. 13—Chris Kaufman, presented by Leadership Southwestern.  Kaufman is the program coordinator for Reaching Out From Within (ROFW) at Winfield Correctional Facility.  He says that ROFW is a self-help group for offenders who want to stop violence in communities by stopping the violence within themselves.

To RSVP for any or all of the lunches, e-mail leaders@sckans.edu.  

Southwestern College is a private institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  About 1,700 students attend classes at the main Winfield campus, at six professional studies sites in Kansas and Oklahoma, or online around the world.