Catherine “Cat”  Kahn is a longtime resident of Montgomery County who has been actively involved in hunger issues for many years. She’s been a Master Gardener since 2009 but food gardening wasn’t a primary interest until the Covid pandemic hit. Through the founding of  the nonprofit HarvestShare, Cat is excited to have created an organization that combines her love of gardening, helping others and supporting her community while giving others  an opportunity  to give back as well.  With a master’s degree in adult health nursing, she recognizes the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables in optimizing health and believes that all should have access to nutritious food.

Karen Willetts hails from Frostburg where she graduated from Beall High School. While attending the College of Wooster, she spent her Junior year in Dakar, Senegal. She taught a few years in Ohio and then returned to Senegal as a short term missions teacher. After learning the local language, Wolof, she decided to study with Wycliffe Bible Translaters in Texas. 

At UTA, she received a 2 year Fulbright grant to Cote d’Ivoire. In Abidjan she worked at the Institute of Applied Linguistics and received her Masters in African Languages. Karen returned to the states to take care of parents and later married Dr. Pascal Kokora, former Ambassador from Ivory Coast to the US, and Georgetown French professor.

She worked in MCPS for 27 years enjoying her time at Springbrook H.S. as a French teacher in the International Baccalaureate program. In retirement, she and her husband are supporting work on building a library in Esiama, Ghana and a health clinic in Fresco, Ivory Coast.

With over 43 years of distinguished service in law enforcement, including as Chief of Police for the Supreme Court of the United States, Swope is a recognized expert in police leadership, ethics, and community policing. A Fulbright Fellow and highly decorated officer, he has worked with agencies from the FBI to Scotland Yard and has been published internationally on policing and leadership. We’re pleased to welcome Ross Swope back to the club – his last visit featured fascinating stories from his life in law enforcement.

Entrepreneurship in Frontier Markets

From informal markets of Lima to conflict zones of East Africa and garment factories of South Asia, intrepid entrepreneurs contend with challenging conditions. Some strive to expand opportunity, others to rebuild, and others to break through social barriers. Dr. Kim Bettcher will share insights from entrepreneurs he has worked with about how they adapt and what they do for their community. He will provide glimpses into the informal sector, business for peace, women’s empowerment, and more.

Kim Eric Bettcher, PhD, advises associations, think tanks, and coalitions on strategies to improve public governance, civic engagement, and inclusive opportunity. Combining insights from policy, business, and nonprofit advocacy, he helps reform-minded leaders shape win-win solutions for systemic change. For twenty years, he facilitated knowledge exchange across the global portfolio of the Center for International Private Enterprise and guided program design on themes of policy leadership, collective action, organizational capacity building, economic empowerment, and more. Dr. Bettcher has taught as an adjunct professor at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy and was previously a research associate at Harvard Business School. He holds a PhD in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College. 

Claes Ryn takes the podium to discuss “Isn’t It Time to Abolish the Class Society?” In his talk, Professor Ryn will explore the growing economic polarization in America and the complex idea of social justice. Drawing on his deep background in political thought and ethics, he will challenge us to reflect on how divisions in wealth and opportunity affect our society – and what can be done to bridge the gap.

Chad Bissonnette is a mission-driven nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience in international development, organizational management, and community empowerment. As the President and Co-founder of Roots of Development, he has dedicated his career to promoting a “Development without Dependency” model, focusing on sustainable, community-led initiatives, particularly in Haiti.

Chad holds a B.A. in International Relations from American University and was honored as the School of International Service’s Alumnus of the Year in 2014. He has traveled extensively and lived in multiple countries—experiences that have enriched his global perspective, deepened his insights into cross-cultural collaboration, and shaped his commitment to inclusive, locally led development.