This week: September 25, 2026 - Dr. Anthony D. Panzera - Every Neighbor United for Food (Zoom Only)
We think of Montgomery County as a wealthy county, but in the midst of our plenty there are families in poverty. Pam will discuss the extent and nature of poverty in our County and policy solutions that are being implemented. Pamela Luckett is a member of the Montgomery County Community Action Board, the federally
mandated County poverty commission that oversees Head Start and advocates for low-income families and individuals. As past chair of the Board, Pamela has advocated for increased minimum wage, expanded EITC and other policies that help Montgomery County residents achieve self-sufficiency. She led the team that
designed the Community Advocacy Institute, an eight-month program that teaches low-income individuals the nuts and bolts of advocacy on the state and local level. Pamela is a Senior Legislative Aide in the office of Councilmember Will Jawando and her portfolio includes housing, health and human services and racial equity. In 2018, she was elected to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, representing District 20. Pamela is 1st Vice President of the Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a graduate of Leadership Montgomery 2013.
Club Member Linda is a Professor of Psychology at Howard University and has a private practice in Potomac. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University and is board certified in clinical psychology and behavioral sleep medicine. She has written 3 textbooks and has over 70 scientific articles. At Howard, she teaches courses in Family Therapy, Consultation, the History of
Psychology, and her favorite, Media Psychology. She was on the Maryland Board of Psychologists for many years and has been a Fulbright specialist in both Portugal and Poland. She has lectured internationally on diversity issues, behavioral health, and behavioral sleep medicine. She is currently Vice President of Education for the Society of Couples and Family Psychology and Chair of the American Psychological Association Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Subspecialties in Professional
Psychology, the group that facilitates the development, implementation and review of effective and coordinated policies and procedures to improve quality and process in recognition of specialties and subspecialties in professional psychology. She has a life-long interest in protecting the mental health of children.
With a master’s degree in City Planning from MIT, Mr. Burkhardt had many years of professional experience in transportation, survey research, program evaluation, planning, and technical assistance. He was formerly the president of Ecosometrics, Incorporated, and later a Senior Study Director at Westat. He’s noted for having been a pioneer in transportation services for persons with special needs, including consumers of medical transportation services, older persons, persons with disabilities, and persons living in rural and small urban areas.
Jon now spends much time in kite design, kite festivals, and kite organizations. Since 1980, he has won top awards in the U.S. and abroad at many festivals, including AKA’s Grand National Kitemaking Championship in 1984 and 2015 (the 2015 award was for a kite made cooperatively by Jon and his wife, Karen), the first prize for Best Kite Display at the International Kite Tour of India in 1993, and awards for championship Rokkaku kitefighting teams at major “kite capitals” and kite festivals in the U.S. Displays of his kites have been presented in many locations.
He is actively engaged in spreading the joy of kite flying to others. He has helped lead the Maryland Kite Society for many years. For the American Kitefliers Association, he has served in most official positions, including Vice President, Treasurer, and member of AKA’s Board of Directors for many years.
Jon has been the Event Coordinator and Head Judge at many kite festivals and competitions. He has been an active participant in the planning and operations of numerous major kite festivals. He is the chief author of many editions of AKA’s Rules and Guidelines for Kitemakers’ Competitions.
He has written articles on kite flying and kite festivals for numerous publications, iincluding KiteLines and Kiting, and major articles featuring him and his kites have appeared in American Kite, KiteLines, Kiting, Martha Stewart Living, the Washington Post, numerous other publications, and on National Public Radio. In 2008, Jon assisted the Smithsonian Institution and Ball State University in developing a web-based instructional curriculum on kites for elementary school children. In 2018, he helped create and curate a major kite display at the Strathmore Mansion and Music Center in Bethesda.
