In Rotary, the theme for the month of September is Basic Education and Literacy, one of the six areas of focus. To help us understand the current state of literacy in our community, we’ll hear from Kathy Stevens, Executive Director of the Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy. (MCAEL). Kathy joined MCAEL in 2012. She comes to MCAEL from Montgomery College, following career and volunteer experience in higher education and nonprofits, including work as a senior executive of an international, non-profit membership organization. Kathy is a fundraiser, lawyer, community organizer, and mediator. An active community member, she is one of three Co-Chairs for Montgomery Moving Forward, a Collective Impact group in Montgomery County.  Additionally, she is Board Chair for the Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming and a board member for Nonprofit Montgomery. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and Impact Silver Spring’s Community Empowerment Program. Kathy holds her J.D. from the University of Richmond, Ed. M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and B.A. from Swarthmore College.

When she is not at her desk or at a county meeting or event, Kathy can often be found hiking with her dog Blair, finding live music to listen to, and very often hosting dinners to bring friends and family together over a meal.