Butler Foundation 2016 Spring Magazine

SPRING MAGAZINE 2016

2 | BUTLER COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Board Highlight

More than 30 years ago, the president of Wichita-based Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) made a decision that changed the path of his life. After one year as a forestry major at Kansas State University, Rod Young decided to become an engineer. But after taking calculus 1 in a classroom with hundreds of other students, he realized he needed to refocus. Young came back to his hometown of Rose Hill, enrolled in calculus 2 and a couple of physics courses at Butler Community College and jump-started his career.

“Without Butler, I have no idea where I’d be today,” Young said.Young stayed at Butler for just one semester. But that semester, he said, changed the course of his life. No longer was he in a large lecture hall taking classes with hundreds of students. His calculus two class at Butler had no more than 20 students.

“You’re in a classroom where the teacher really knows you. They know when you show up,” Young said. “They’re there for individual help when you need it.”

Young said he needed that extra help in calculus. After the one semester at Butler, he felt confident and went back to pursuing his degree as a Wildcat.

Although Young is proud of his engineering degree from Kansas State, he says that it was Butler that changed the course of his life. Because of his one semester at Butler, Young became deeply committed to the school.

For the past two years, Young has served on the Butler Community College Foundation Board of Directors. He’s helped raise money for scholarships, and he’s helped raise recognition for the school. He tells people, “if you’re going to major in engineering, go to Butler first.” Along with the small class size and individual attention, Young sees Butler as economical. “The cost of higher education is almost obscene,” Young said.

Stacy Cofer, Vice President of Advancement, is thrilled to have Young on the foundation board. “Rod is really passionate about Butler,” Cofer said.

Butler’s foundation helps fund needed programs as well as scholarships and internships. Last year, the foundation gave more than $500,000 in scholarships. These funds help students pay for school; often times they help send a student to college that otherwise could not afford to go.

PEC has funded an endowed engineering scholarship and sponsorships for the foundation. Young and his wife Terry started an endowed scholarship for nursing.

Rod and Terry’s daughter, Alyssa, 33, is working on her nursing degree at Butler. This mother of two decided to go back to school. She received a scholarship from the foundation. Later that year, she attended the Reaching New Heights Scholarship Luncheon and met her benefactor.

“She has a great relationship with them,” Young said. “She still stays in touch.”

Young said that his daughter’s decision has not only affected her, but her children as well. He sees first-hand what both an education and a hand up can do.

“The foundation is incredible,” he said. “Butler Community College would not be Butler Community College without the foundation. Being a part of the foundation’s board has been very rewarding.”

Terry & Rod Young

A GRIZZLY BEAR AT HEART

SPRING 2016 MAGAZINE | 3

Foundation Board of DirectorsMike Clifton • Suzanne Coin • Pam Cross

Alan Jaax • Shawn Lancelot • Lance LechtenbergGerry Mills • Jessica Ohman • Dalton Patterson

Forrest Rhodes • Jeremy Sundgren Jackie Vietti • Denise Weaver • Rod Young

Ex OfficioDr. Kim Krull, President

JoAnn Craven, Trustee Liaison

Foundation StaffStacy Cofer

Vice President of Advancement316.323.6729 | [email protected]

Mary MoonExecutive Director of Community Advancement

316.218.6338 | [email protected]

Averie NelsonScholarship Coordinator


Hayley Powers Advancement & Communications Coordinator


Kim SherwoodExecutive Director of Finance & Database

Administration316.323.6733 | [email protected]

Elizabeth TurnerAccounting Clerk


Student WorkersPaige Decker • Emily Rishel

Feature WritersMatt Jacobs • Alice Mannette

Hayley Powers • Kelly Snedden

Butler Community College Foundation Magazine is published twice a year and maintains the copyright of the materials contained within

these pages. All rights reserved. Please send comments and updates to

Butler Community College Foundation, 901 S. Haverhill Road, El Dorado, KS 67042,

by email to [email protected], by phone at 316.323.6731, or by fax to 316.323.6750.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Board Highlight: Rod Young

Message from Stacy Cofer

Introducing Lori Winningham, Vice President of Academics

"Sunset Safari"–the 19th Annual Butler Benefit Auction

Alumni Highlight: Khoi Le

2016 Hubbard Award of Excellence Winner

Fran Jabara Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame

Professor Spotlight: Joel Knudsen

A Daughter's Gift

89th Commencement

NJCAA National Softball Champions

Flint Hills Map Dedication

4

5

6

10

12

16

17

18

19

20

11

2


We have just finished the school year and held Butler’s 89th commencement ceremonies! You read that correctly—next year we are celebrating 90 years as a college. It is truly wonderful to think about the thousands of lives that have been changed because Butler has been their road to success. So much has been accomplished because of this institution’s ever-evolving quest for excellence.

Of course, some of the most impactful people are donors and alumni who endlessly create opportunities for the college and for our students.

Only because of the strength and support of people like you have we been able to grow to serving more than 9,000 students annually, making Butler the sixth-largest higher education institution in the state of Kansas.

For example, it was a great joy to meet the son and daughter of Beryl Lacy, Greg Lacy and Sandra Wilbur (pictured), when they joined us for lunch and to fulfill their mother’s last wishes with an estate gift she left Butler. The gift of $51,000 to the Earl Eugene “Gene” Lacy Memorial Scholarship will make such a lasting impact for Butler and our thankful students.

Gifts like the Lacy family’s provide needed resources to students and help make The Forever Butler Campaign a success. Thank you all for what you do for Butler. I hope the support is evident as you flip through these pages and see all the wonderful things happening at our school!

Sincerely,

Stacy CoferVice President of Advancement

Sandra Wilbur, Greg Lacy


Lori Winningham, dean of the Math, Science and Education Division at Butler Community College since 1996, has been named the institution’s next Vice President of Academics (VPA). Dr. Kimberly Krull, Butler president, made the announcement in a college-wide email April 29. Winningham has served as Interim Vice President of Academics since January, after having served as co-interim Vice President of Academics in 2013.

With a career in higher education spanning nearly 30 years, Winningham began working for Butler Community College in 1992 as a full-time math instructor. She was named dean of her division in 1996. Math is Winningham’s foundation. She has served as a part-time math instructor for such institutions as Kansas State University, Merced College in California, Newman University, and Western Oklahoma State College.

“Anyone who knows Lori knows she is passionate

about student success,” said Krull.

“She has remained in the classroom as an instructor to purposefully stay connected with students and to understand their learning needs. In that sense, she exemplifies Butler’s mission," Krull also said.

Winningham’s successes over the years are visible across Butler’s landscape. She helped create the Butler & Emporia from Students to Teachers (BEST) program with Emporia State University, which provides the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in Education from Emporia State without leaving Butler’s campus. The program is 11 years old and expanded offerings to Butler of Andover last year. She also oversaw the creation of the new Biotechnology degree in partnership with Manhattan Area Technical College. Butler is now poised to launch its own full two-year degree in August.

She was also an integral participant in Butler partnering with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to offer a Homeland Security degree through TSA airports across the country. The program is currently in three states and is preparing to expand to three additional states in the coming years.

“. . .We all know her commitment to serving students and making a difference in their lives,” Krull said in her memo. “She is an advocate for faculty, sets high standards of excellence

personally and professionally, values her fellow colleagues at all levels, and lives Butler’s Timeless Institutional Values of quality, integrity, caring, and service.”

Winningham’s background includes experience in financial management. She served as a budget analyst for the City of Wichita for a time in 1992, as Cost Analysis Director at Castle Air Force Base in California before that, and Financial Manager at the Los Angeles Air Force Base from 1988–1990 for the Space Systems Division following the Challenger tragedy.

A testament to her leadership qualities can be found

in her Leadership Philosophy. “Trust and respect go

hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other,”

she writes. “This is the glue that binds us all together to

achieve the mission.”

She is working on her dissertation toward a doctorate in Education in Leadership in Higher Education through Baker University. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Chapman University, a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and is a ROTC graduate from Kansas State University, as well as an Associate of Arts from Cloud County Community College. She is also six courses away from a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Cameron University.

Winningham currently serves on the Andover YMCA Advisory Committee, and over the years has been active with her children’s school and 4-H activities, the American Red Cross, and her church. She and her husband, Jim, have four children, Jamie, Andy, Steven, and Evan. They reside near Andover.

Introducing

Lori Winningham, Vice President of Academics


Culinary arts and hospitality management students are recognized for their work prior to the start of the live auction.

The 19th annual Butler Benefit Auction, "Sunset Safari" ended with record-breaking success, raising nearly $250,000 thanks to the generosity and leadership of volunteers and patrons!

Dr. Kim Krull, president

SAFARI

Sierra Scott, co-host of The Brett & Sierra Show, assisted during the live auction.

Wink & Libba Hartman, 2016 Honorary Auction Chairs

Sunset


Dick & Janice Schremmer, Wink Hartman

Chase Locke, Ryan Murry, Phillip Solorio

Freshman livestock judging students served as capable volunteers for the evening.


Brandon & Chandra Knowles Kelsey Sundgren, Debbie Lucas, and Susan Worrell

Norris & Midge Slupianek, Pam & Matt Cross

Ashley Shogren, Dan & Lauren Davis, Chase Locke


Shawn & Shawna Lancelot Casey & Celia Galloway, Helen Galloway

Tim & Emily Connell Kim Murry, Ralph & Lianne Compton

Alan Jaax, Bryan & Sarah Coons


Khoi Le is going somewhere; Butler Community College set the path.

When Khoi Le entered Butler Community College, he signed up for mostly science and math classes. Because he didn’t know English, he figured he could understand numbers and symbols.

Now, Le, 26, is getting an Master of Business Administration at Kansas State University. After obtaining his Associate of Arts from Butler Community College, Le enrolled at Wichita State University. Last year, he received a double degree, with honors, in both computer and electrical engineering.

Ever since Le can remember, he dreamt of becoming an electrical engineer. After completing high school, and with one year of college under his belt, Le moved with his family from Vietnam to the United States.

“I couldn’t speak a single word (of English) when I came here,” Le said. “It was scary at first.”

Although Le felt isolated by language, he soon realized that both his professors and fellow students were always there to help. Each day, Le asked the English professor for help. She would read to him so he could understand.

“I didn’t have any Vietnamese friends. I had a lot of African American friends,” Le said. “They said ‘speak up man.’”

Within four months, Le had befriended many students and faculty and was working in the physics lab.

‘He’s one of the smartest students I’ve ever had,” said his differential equations professor, Larry Friesen. “He absorbed everything like a sponge.”

Friesen said that one time another math professor gave Le a very difficult problem and Le said, ‘Aw, that’s so nice.’

“That’s not a normal response,” Friesen said. “He just liked the beauty of working with numbers.”

Alumni Highlight Khoi Le

Le recalls a time when his physics instructor, Anne Gillis, gave him a bonus question from an MIT test. He had fun solving it.

“He has always been interested in learning. For him, getting a good grade was important, but merely getting a good grade without a deep understanding was useless. He has worked with a great sense of joy, a sense of humor and humility,” Gillis said. “It will be fun to see what he does next.”


For Amy Winter, graduating from Butler catapulted her to the top of her list of goals: being the first in her family to attain a college degree.

It’s not easy to work full-time, manage a family, and go to school. But somehow Winter has made it all happen. She works as a Market Sales Officer, AVP for Fidelity Bank and raises her young daughters with the help of her husband.

Don’t discount her involvement in as many as 12 community and civic organizations including the Kansas Food Bank, Wichita and Andover Chambers of Commerce, Catholic Charities, Young Professionals of Wichita, and Business Network Incorporated just to name a few.

“My biggest goals are to be a great mother for my two girls, a great wife to my soul mate and best friend, and a role model in my community,” Winter said in her application essay.

She grew up in a family of six children and while opportunities presented themselves, it made it difficult to completely finish a program or course.

“…none of us, my parents included, have been able to take that classic photograph with [a] diploma in our hands showing that we finished this major life accomplishment,” Winter said. “I would love to be the first person in my family to have the honor of completing a bachelor’s degree in Business.”

The hard work that Winter displayed in every other aspect of her life also shone through in the classroom at Butler.

“Her advanced skills and passion about learning make her an ideal fit for winning this honor,” said Rhonda Thomas, adjunct accounting instructor.

For 30 years, the Hubbard Award of Excellence has been given to Butler’s best and brightest. It is clear that Amy Winter is no exception to this rule of high standards. She plans to continue her education at Wichita State University.

“She is an extremely dedicated person,” said Dr. Kim Krull, president. “She made it very clear that this award and everything she is doing with school is for her family.”

“This award…will show my employer that they have a high quality person working for them,” Winter said. “One who isn’t afraid of challenges and who works hard in all aspects of life. One day, when I take my classic graduation photograph, I will know that the Hubbard Award has played its part in my success.”

2016 HUBBARD Award of Excellence Winner

“Amy is one of the most diligent and capable students I have had,” said Susan Gegner, mathematics professor. “She was not content just to go through the motions to get a grade.”


EntrepreneurshipHALL OF FAME

The Fran Jabara Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame was held April 27, at Noah’s Event Venue to celebrate and honor Scott Redler, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers chief operating officer, and Ron and Barbara Mann; Airtechnics, Mann Properties LLC, LBD Ltd, and Nouveau.

The event also highlighted Butler’s culinary arts and hospitality management programs and recognized the students graduating this spring with a degree or certificate. The students provided the hors d’oeuvres for the evening as part of their curriculum. Wine pairings were provided by Jamie Stratton of Jacob Liquor Exchange. Hospitality management students scouted the event venue location and decorated.

“This event is meant to lift up those in our community who take to heart the entrepreneurial spirit that is embodied in the Midwest,” Vice President of Advancement Stacy Cofer said. “We have always had excellent honorees and this year is no different. It is also thrilling to show off our students who have worked very hard for this event and their degrees.”

The event was recently renamed for Wichita business magnate Fran Jabara after gifts were given in his memory by the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation and the Lattner Family Foundation. The contributions created an endowment for the event and student scholarships. Past honorees include Jabara, Hubbard, Martha Walker (Lattner Family Foundation), Helen Galloway, and Clifford Stone.

Guy Bower, host of The Good Life with Guy radio talk show on KNSS was master of ceremonies.

Ron and Barbara Mann

Scott Redler

FRAN JABARA


Students interacted with the guests at the differently themed food stations.

Lead Instructor for hospitality management Tiffani Price and Dr. Kim Krull recognized graduating students.

Michael Frimel, Vanessa—a hospitality management student.

Steve & Ellen Alper, Keith Pickus, Jules Redler

Culinary students prepared and served hors d'oeuvres. Honorees Ron & Barbara Mann with their family and guests.


Students prepared food and decorated for the event as part of their spring semester coursework.

Dr. Kim Krull, Scott Redler, Ron & Barbara Mann, Guy Bower Kate Bastian, Guy & Beth Bower, Charlie Moon

Dr. Kim Krull, Honoree Scott Redler, Guy Bower Graduating students from the culinary arts program were also recognized by Dr. Kim Krull and Executive Chef John Michael.

Scott Redler, Les Padzensky


Scott Redler and his guests including his daughter, Katie Redler (left).

Graduating culinary arts students are recognized by Executive Chef John Michael.

Marla Chandler

Elaine Mann

Shawn Lancelot and 2012 Honoree Ted Dankert. Culinary Student


PROFESSOR SPOTLIGHT

JOEL KNUDSEN

Most Butler students know Joel Knudsen as a piano professor. Others recognize him as the accompanist to many on-campus choral groups. But for more than three decades Joel has been leading a not so secret double life—he’s been performing with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (WSO).

After 31 years of multiple rehearsals, intense performances with world-class musicians, and every once in a while a cameo, Knudsen has decided to retire from one job and totally focus on his love of teaching.

“I do what I love,” Knudsen said. “My students have taught me so much.”

Knudsen was born in South Dakota, but moved to Wichita at a young age. Eventually, he attended Wichita West High School, studied piano at Friends University, and ended up with a master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Massachusetts—Lowell.

After college, Knudsen made his way back to Wichita, knowing he wanted to remain true to his love—the piano. At 28, he was hired as a pianist for the WSO.

“I had lots of energy then,” Knudsen said. “I was on fire.”The music director and conductor for the WSO, Daniel Hege, is sad to see Knudsen retire.

“He’s a wonderful pianist,” Hege said. “He doesn’t just play the notes; he plays them with emotion. He is able to communicate the emotion that is in the music.”

Although he loved the symphony, after 31 years, Knudsen knew he wanted to slow down. He wanted to focus on teaching and accompanying the choirs.

“I love the students at Butler,” Knudsen said. “I know all 120 people in the concert choir.”

Knudsen not only knows each person’s name, he knows something about each student.

“He knows the story behind every student,” said Matthew Udland, assistant professor of vocal music. “He makes it a point to intimately know every one of them.”

Knowing each student helps Knudsen make their experience with the Butler music department special.

In addition to performing, Knudsen makes teaching fun. Each day he tells his students a pun.

“He’s purposely optimistic all the time,” Udland said. “He’s this beacon of sunshine trying to spread the warmth. No matter how silly or serious the music is, he is going to put his heart into it.”

Valerie Lippoldt-Mack, lead instructor of music, agreed. “He has such a huge heart.”

Knudsen will miss the symphony—the audiences, his fellow musicians, and the intense practice sessions. But he will not miss the time that he spends each month on both rehearsals and performances.

Although he’s giving up the symphony, Knudsen looks forward to staying at Butler for many more years. He wants to continue to help students learn to play piano and use their voice to make music.

“We work really hard, but we actually have a lot of fun together,” Knudsen said. “It’s just a great place to be.”


Mary Shephard wanted to honor her father—Michael Prohodsky. He was turning 95. She knew he did not want

“frivolous things”.

Last fall, after consulting him, she decided to give her father a legacy gift—an endowed scholarship named in his honor for a Butler Community College student. Every year, at least one student will receive this scholarship.

Prohodsky, a former college track star from Massachusetts, moved to Kansas after marrying Betty Bond, who grew up in El Dorado and later taught English at Butler.

Prohodsky was raised on a dairy farm in Massachusetts. He never dreamt of going to college. His parents, who emigrated from Belarus in 1914, expected him to help on the farm. Funds were tight; they could not afford school for their six children.During high school, Prohodsky worked on the farm. He’d wake up at 5 a.m. to milk the cows. On weekends, he and a buddy ran competitively, Prohodsky kept winning. His reputation spread. Soon, he was offered a full tuition track scholarship to Northeastern University in Boston.

The Northeastern coach's efforts paid off. Prohodsky set records for the mile and two mile events. He also excelled in distance running, did relays, and became captain of the team. He led his school to victory during his four years as a student. Eventually, Northeastern named him to their Hall of Fame.

“His family listened to the meets on a radio in their living room,” Shepard said. “When he won the race at Madison Square Garden (in NYC) they were all at home on the farm listening to the radio.”

College afforded Prohodsky the opportunity to major in physics. After graduation, he became a civil service staff physicist in the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C. During that same time, Betty

Bond was working in Washington, D.C. for Rep. Edward Rees (R-KS). They met and eventually married. Prohodsky went on to serve in World War II in Asia. He was always thankful for his education.

“Daddy wanted someone to be blessed like he was,” Shephard said. “He knows what hardship can be like.”

Prohodsky, along with Shepard—a graduate of Emporia State University—had started a scholarship at Butler in honor of his wife Betty, Shephard’s mother, after her death in 2008. As Betty Bond Prohodsky had a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in English from Emporia State University, her endowed scholarship goes toward an English or history major. Michael Prohodsky’s is designated for a student who runs track.

Shepard said her father, who now lives near her in Emporia, wanted an athlete to have the scholarship. He thought athletes, if given the chance to go to college like he was, would succeed.

“He is so pleased,” Shepard said. “He felt it was important.”This scholarship is one of the nearly 250 endowed scholarships that Butler offers. Each year, the Foundation hosts the Reaching New Heights Luncheon where students meet their scholarship donors. Sometimes the children or grandchildren of the original donor become the scholarship representatives. They witness their parent or grandparent’s legacy.

“Butler is a special place to a lot of people,” said Hayley Powers, advancement and communications coordinator.

“Endowing a scholarship is very personal. It’s very meaningful. It keeps that connection to Butler alive.”

Shepard and her family are not millionaires. She says they are ordinary, hardworking people. But they are people with a passion to help others excel.

“This scholarship will be impactful,” Powers said. “Our students are so grateful and so moved that complete strangers will give their money to help them.”

Michael Prohodsky and his daughter Mary Shepherd

GiftA DAUGHTER’S

Michael Prohodsky


On Saturday, May 14, 1,448 new graduates achieved their goal at Butler. Enjoy a few fun photos from a festivity-filled day!

89TH Commencement


ST. GEORGE, Utah—The Butler Grizzlies have given the KJCCC its first-ever national championship in the sport of softball, rolling undefeated through the NJCAA Division I tournament with five straight wins. Butler defeated defending national champion Chipola (Fla.) 4–2 on Saturday to clinch the title, as center fielder Megan Wurts drove in three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift the Grizzlies to victory. Butler finished the year with a 53–4 record, which is the second-best record in program history, trailing only the 2013 team that went 54–4 and reached the final four at the national tournament. Butler won the final 38 games of the season, winning the conference championship by four games with a 23–1 record. The Grizzlies then won the Region VI tournament in three games and swept Western Nebraska in a best-of-three series to win the District E championship and advance to nationals. The national title is the 12th in Butler history, the first since Butler won the football championship in 2008. It is the second women's national title in school history, alongside the women's cross country team in 2002. Starting pitcher Jennifer Hittinger was named the tournament MVP after going 3–0, including the win in the title game. Shortstop Becca Schulte, catcher Morgan Heckart, and outfielder/relief pitcher Brynn Minor were named to the all-tournament team. Doug Chance, who reached 500 career victories this season, was named the coach of the tournament.

NJCAANational SoftballChampions

901 S. Haverhill RoadEl Dorado, KS 67042http://foundation.butlercc.edu

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 181

Parsons, KS

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Representatives of the Flint Hills Map & Education Program sponsored by the Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation, met with Butler Community College leadership to celebrate the installation of an educational map display. The museum-quality exhibit hangs in the lobby of the Hubbard Student Center on Butler of El Dorado Campus. The goal of the project is to offer the exhibit and learning program to all K–12 schools and colleges throughout the Flint Hills.

Pictured (left to right): Larry Patton, Butler Community College Interim Dean of Math, Science, Education; Lori Winningham, Butler Vice President of Academics; Steve and Tracy Graham of Capstone Insurance, Program Keystone Sponsors; Annie Wilson, Flint Hills Map Program Coordinator; V. Marie Martin, Development Manager, Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation; Emily Connell, Flint Hills Map Program Director; Dr. Kimberly Krull, Butler Community College President; Bill Rinkenbaugh, Butler Vice President of Student Services; Susan Adams, Flint Hills Discovery Center Director; Bill Eastman, Westar Foundation, Program Keystone Sponsor; and John Cougher and Bob Hamilton of The Nature Conservancy, program advisors.

Flint Hills Map Dedication

Documents

Butler Foundation 2016 Spring Magazine