Speakers

• A sign-up sheet will be circulated at club meetings until September 20
• Contact Denise Holt before September 20 at: dholt@linccc.com 

Kevin Honomichl was inducted into the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering Hall of Fame at Kansas State University in March of 2024.

Ryan Sorrell

Ryan has a diverse background including working at one of the nation's most esteemed Black think tanks, one of Chicago's top Tech PR agencies, a top 3 global PR firm, and founded one of Kansas City's largest Black-led Abolitionist direct action groups during the 2020 uprisings. He was a key organizer in the October 2021, 21 day occupation on the grounds of Kansas City's City Hall following the horrific brutalization of a 9-month pregnant Black woman by a KCPD officer, and formerly, he was temporarily suspended from his college at Loyola University of Chicago for organizing the largest social justice demonstration in university history, before being pardoned by the President in the university's first ever pardon resulting from national outcry about the situation.

During Ryan's professional career he's consulted brands such as Facebook, Samsung, Amazon and Google. He is a recipient of the Civil and Human Rights Award recognized by the Urban League of Kansas City, Innovator of the Year by the Local Media Association, and Emerging Leader of the Year from the Institute for Nonprofit News. He has engaged in a number of public talks as a prison industrial complex Abolitionist thinker including on; DemocracyNow, NPR, PBS, a Kansas City Art Institute Lecture, a lecture at University of the Arts London, as well as the Annual International Symposium.

Most recently he founded the nation's fastest growing Black nonprofit digital news startup and community organization, The Kansas City Defender. Under Ryan's leadership the Black-led organization has broken over 20 national news stories, reaching over 50 million people and growing a social media following of over 85,000 across platforms since its launch in 2021.

Jennifer Sweeton

Bio and Description

Description: More than 50% of us will experience at least one traumatic event in our lives, and we know from brain science that even one trauma can alter brain activity. However, these changes don't have to be permanent, and with a little bit of knowledge and know-how, we can all begin to take steps to change our brain in the direction of health, maximizing attention, emotion regulation, problem-solving, and tackling unwanted thoughts. This presentation will present attendees with some fast, evidence-based techniques for brain recovery after trauma!

Bio: Originally trained as a neuroscientist, Dr. Jennifer Sweeton is a clinical and forensic psychologist, Amazon #1 best-selling author in clinical psychology, and internationally-recognized expert on trauma recovery and the neuroscience of mental health. She is the author of the Trauma Treatment Toolbox (PESI Publishing), Train Your Brain Card Deck (PESI Publishing and Media), Eight Key Brain Areas of Mental Health and Illness (W. W. Norton & Company), and the Traumatic Stress Recovery Workbook (New Harbinger Publications, Inc). She has a private practice on the Country Club Plaza.

 

Heath Rath

Executive Director, PACE KC

Heath Rath has spent his professional career working to build and expand evidence-based programs that improve the lives of older adults. Over the last six years, he has focused his efforts on the development of programs that aim to allow older adults to age gracefully in the communities they call home, specifically PACE Programs. PACE – Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly – is a model of care that provides a full range of person-centered health and wellness services that empower individuals age 55+ to age in place rather than be institutionalized. PACE KC is a newly formed non-profit, championed by Swope Health, to bring the PACE model of care to the residents of Kansas City for the first time.

Heath worked with Swope Health to successfully lobby members of the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives as well as the Missouri Department of Social Services, MO Health Net Division, to support and appropriate PACE funding.

Prior to his work with Swope Health, Heath served as Director of Midland Care Connection’s Ann Street PACE Center in Kansas City, Kansas. During his time at Midland, he oversaw the development and successful launch of Midland’s third Center and the first PACE Program in the Kansas City metro area.

Heath earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and secondary major in Gerontology from Kansas State University. He went on to complete a Master of Science in Gerontology with an emphasis in long-term care administration. While earning his M.S. at Kansas State he worked in the College of Health and Human Sciences Center on Aging as a project specialist for the PEAK 2.0 program. Heath is a licensed long-term care administrator in the state of Kansas.