College to Dedicate Leadership Center
President Gayle D. Beebe and the Westmont Board of Trustees officially dedicate the new Global Leadership Center (GLC) on Friday, Oct. 13, at 3 p.m. The free, public ribbon-cutting ceremony will feature several speeches, the Westmont College Choir and conclude with a tour of the new 45,000-square-foot facility.
Featured speakers include Beebe, Reed Sheard, vice president for college advancement and chief information officer; Doug Jones, vice president for finance; Ben Patterson, campus pastor; Edee Schulze, vice president for student life; Robert J. Emmons, trustee of the Mosher Foundation; Roy Goble, Westmont trustee and alumnus; and Peter Thorrington, chair of the Westmont board of trustees. The choir is directed by Michael Shasberger, Adams Professor of Music and Worship
The GLC features two residence halls and a central leadership building with a large lounge, classroom, seminar room, office spaces, coffee shop and more. Through the Strength for Today Campaign, the college raised $34.1 million to build the facility and another $8.7 million to fund leadership programs associated with the center. In all, Westmont raised $155 million, supporting the endowment and scholarships as well as the Global Leadership Center.
The central leadership building, which includes walls that open and movable furniture, can transform for multiple uses, such as a student lounge and for lectures, banquets and special events. On occasion, the glass walls open to outdoor patios to incorporate the scenic, natural setting.
The two-story residence buildings house about 140 students in 70 rooms, each with a private bathroom. To maximize flexibility for students, each floor features 800-square-foot kitchens with multiple cook stations, refrigerators and storage. The central location of all the kitchens and the adjacent lounges are intended to build community.
The Mosher Foundation’s series on Moral and Ethical Leadership in American Society welcomes Guy Kawasaki, renowned entrepreneur, to the GLC on Friday, Nov. 3. He will speak about “The Art of Innovation” during a luncheon. Tickets cost $75 per person and may be purchased online at westmont.edu/kawasaki.
The new buildings will comfortably house Westmont’s executive leadership training program on campus during the summer months.