TOPEKA – Marketing serenity and the keys to success in Internet business are among the topics of alumni scheduled as speakers in the 2009-10 Wake Up with Washburn Breakfast Lecture Series. The events begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center, Washburn University.

Kicking off the series on Aug. 27 will be Kevin Bittner, of Topeka, who will present “The Keys to Success in the Internet Business World.” Bittner is an entrepreneur and experienced telecommunications executive. As chief executive officer and managing partner of Strategic Planning Consultants, he focuses on telecommunications and management consulting. As chief operating officer of the Kansas iSold It franchise, Bittner is part of a new trend of eBay drop-off stores. He previously served 1998-06 at KMC Telecom as senior vice president of wholesale services, managed the Kansas outside sales force for Cellular One and owned and managed his own sports promotion company. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Washburn in 1988.

Other breakfast dates and speakers are:

Oct. 15: Debra Goodrich, of Topeka, will present “Dixie Lee Jackson’s Guide to Cooking and Kissing.” Goodrich is a journalist and historian with a career in publishing and broadcasting. She hosts her own online talk show on RadioRichandFriends.com, hosted a Topeka talk show on KMAJ 1440, twice been a guest on CSpan, narrated 20 historic documentaries on topics from Jesse James to Abraham Lincoln, has spoken to hundreds of groups across the country and been a guest on numerous national talk shows. She combined her Southern roots with a lifetime of researching cooking and kissing to create the character of Dixie Lee Jackson. As this character, Goodrich has performed at several venues, including the Topeka Performing Arts Center. She received a bachelor of arts degree in history from Washburn in 1996.

Feb.11, 2010: Mitch Peterson, of Olathe, Kan., will present “Marketing Serenity in Troubled Times.” Peterson is vice president of marketing for Nolan Real Estate in Leawood, Kan. In this position, he is responsible for the company’s marketing strategy for 10,000 apartment homes in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Texas and Arizona. Peterson joined Nolan in 2008 after five years with Sprint as director-national retail sales, eight years with Hallmark Cards and two years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Washburn in 1990 and holds a master of business administration degree in marketing and finance from Pennsylvania State University.

April 22, 2010: Angie Wilson-Perkins, of Olathe, Kan., will present “Careers in a Service Field: Pursuing Rewards, Not Awards.” Wilson-Perkins has served since 2001 as a special agent for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. She is a forensic interviewer, a member of the Cyber Crimes Task Force, which works crimes against children, and also serves on the multidisciplinary advisory committee for Sunflower House, a child abuse prevention center. Prior to joining the KBI, she worked in a private psychology practice and completed her master’s practicum at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Leavenworth, Kan. She holds two degrees in psychology from Washburn, a bachelor of arts in 1998 and a master of arts in 2000.

The Wake Up With Washburn program, sponsored by Washburn’s Alumni Association and the School of Business, has been providing opportunities for students, campus and community members to hear from successful alumni since its inception in 1993.

The cost is $12 for dues-paid members of the Washburn Alumni Association and $14 for non-members. Reservations may be made by calling (785) 670-1641 or e-mailing [email protected].