Speakers

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on Thursday, Mar 23rd at Noon.

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Leocadia I. Zak became the ninth president of Agnes Scott College in July 2018. 

During Zak's tenure, Agnes Scott has achieved record enrollment and fundraising, launched graduate programs and been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for innovation, teaching, first-year experience and social mobility. With her appointment of the college’s first vice president for equity and inclusion, who now oversees the Office of People and Culture, Agnes Scott has further strengthened its commitment to community and to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The college was designated as a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and launched its first JEDI annual plan in 2020.

Under Zak's leadership, Agnes Scott developed a strategic plan, Pathway to Success, that will guide the college through 2026. Core themes of the plan are providing a transformative education, ensuring student success, building a culture of community and engaging the world beyond the campus.  She also hosts an inspiring leadership-centered podcast, Journeys to Leadership, which spotlights women leaders from around the globe to share their stories of success.

Zak is the immediate past board chair of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE) and serves on the American Council on Education (ACE) Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Georgia Independent College Association.  She is a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, International Women’s Forum (IWF) and serves on several community boards. 

With an extensive background in international economic development and international project finance, in 2010, Zak was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

Before joining the public sector, Zak was a partner at the international law firm Mintz Levin, where she practiced international and domestic project finance in the Boston and Washington, D.C., offices.  A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mount Holyoke College, which recognized her as a Woman of Influence in 2012, she holds a JD degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on THURSDAY, March 30th at Noon.

To View on Zoom:  Click Here.

Rev. Dr. Julie Boone

Rev. Dr. Julie Boone and her husband, Ted, moved to Atlanta in 1999. Julie is originally from California and Ted from Illinois. They love Atlanta and consider the South their home. Julie is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, with a BA in Comparative Literature. During her undergraduate studies, Julie spent a year studying French Literature at La Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, France. She received her MDiv from Candler School of Theology, Emory University and most recently her Doctor of Ministry also from Emory University. Julie is a second career pastor and has worn many career hats. Her service in the church began at Johns Creek UMC. Julie has also served Birmingham UMC in Milton, McKendree UMC in Lawrenceville, and she is in her fifth year at Marietta FUMC. Julie loves teaching, preaching, and visioning for the future. She is active in the North Georgia Conference and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Episcopacy Committee. While Julie serves the church, her husband, Ted, works as the Director of Knowledge Management for The Forum for Theological Exploration. Julie and Ted have two sons: Edward, who lives in the Atlanta area, and Nathan, who lives in Eugene, Oregon. Julie loves to read, travel, go to museums, watch baseball, and spend time with her family.

Rabbi Bill Rothschild

Bill Rothschild was born in Atlanta.  He is a lawyer, rabbi and member of the Bible Department of the Westminster Upper School.  Bill frequently speaks to church and synagogue groups on a variety of topics.  He graduated from Westminster in Atlanta, Yale College, Harvard Law School, and (rabbinic ordination) from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.  Bill is married to Brenda Wise Rothschild and share one son, two daughters, three sons in law and four grandchildren.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on THURSDAY, Apr 6th at Noon.

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William Johnston is The Executive Director of the MicroLife Institute and a thought leader and innovator in the micro living world. Over the past 9 years, his organization has enabled policy change and brought acceptance of micro structures in the Southeast through events, projects and advocacy. The pilot project the Cottages on Vaughan has won the innovative development award by the Atlanta Regional Commission in 2021 as well as the Jack Kemp Excellence Award for Workforce and Affordable Housing in 2022. His philosophy is allowing people to think outside the box by putting them in one.

Before founding the MicroLife Institute, Johnston was Manager for Community and Customer Engagement at The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Over his tenure he expanded his talent in event marketing and production as well as built his network in Atlanta and worked with several Non-Profits fundraising and producing events. Johnston is an avid traveler and loves staying in the smallest of places all around the world. He is a graduate of LEAD Atlanta (Class of 2012), ULI Atlanta Center For Leadership Program (Class of 2019) , Regional Leadership Institute ( Class of 2022) and is finishing his Masters in Community Development at UGA.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on  Thursday, April 11th at Noon.

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Paige Alexander joined The Carter Center as chief executive officer in June 2020.  She has had a distinguished global development career, with over two decades of experience spanning the government and nonprofit sectors. She has held senior leadership positions at two regional bureaus of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), covering missions and development programs in 25 countries.

Between 1993 and 2001, Alexander held several roles in USAID’s Bureau for Europe and the Newly Independent States Task Force, including deputy assistant administrator, chief of staff, director for the Democracy and Governance Office, deputy director of the Bosnia Task Force, and country desk officer. After leaving for 10 years to work in a leadership role in the nonprofit sector, Alexander returned to USAID in 2011 in the Senate-confirmed position of assistant administrator for Europe and Eurasia; in 2015, she was again confirmed to lead the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Bureau, overseeing 1,000 employees, programs in 12 countries, and more than $1.4 billion in annual funding.

Between her assignments with USAID, Alexander was senior vice president and European founder/president of IREX (2001-2010), an international civil society, democracy, and education nonprofit organization. From 2017 until her appointment to The Carter Center, she served as executive director of the European Cooperative for Rural Development (EUCORD) in Brussels and Amsterdam, working to bring market-led solutions to marginalized farmers in Africa to sustainably improve the livelihoods of families and communities.

Earlier, Alexander was associate director of Project Liberty at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (1992-1993) and a consultant to institutions including the C.S. Mott Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Open Society Institute in Prague. She has served on many global boards and committees, including the advisory boards for World Learning and IREX. Alexander currently serves on the boards of the Romanian-American Foundation, the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, the ADL Southeast Region, and as a member of several human rights organizations.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on THURSDAY, April 20th at Noon.

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Kim Bednarek is a seasoned executive who will conceptualize, plan, and execute on a broad vision. She is an entrepreneurial and resourceful ieader who thrives in challenging business environments. Kim is highly regarded for her capacity to collaborate successfully, across diverse constituent groups, and deliver on the mission, vision, goals, and progressive development of an organization.

Kim currently serves in the role of Executive Director with the Okefenokee Swamp Park, lnc. (OSP), a 76-year old, 501(c)(3) non-profit, as a key partner to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and the state of Georgia. Kim's competencies with transformational management have driven the OSP to significant revenue growth since she took the helm in 2020. Alongside an experienced and dedicated Board of Trustees, Kim repositioned the OSP to serve as an engine for education, research, and economic development in rural southern Georgia.

Kim served as the Head of School for The Discovery School in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, a nationally recognized Montessori lnternational Baccalaureate academic program from 2007-2020.  During Kim's 13-year tenure, The Discovery School experienced phenomenal growth including: doubled the campus size through land acquisitions; provisioned a LEED multi-purpose building to complete the rebranding of the school; optimized enrollment growth and revenue; achieved philanthropic goals by completing multiple million-dollar campaigns to support future development of the school; and finalized the lnternational Baccalaureate candidacy, as well as the inaugural American Montessori Society and Florida Council of lndependent Schools accreditations.

Kim earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, with a Minor in Marine Biology, from the University of New Hampshire and her Master of Business Administration with Honors, Leadership Development from Jacksonville University. She holds a Montessori Administrator's credential, is a graduate of Leadership Florida Education, served 2-terms on the Florida Council of lndependent Schools board and was a member of the Leadership Development Committee of the American Montessori Society. Kim currently serves as the Board Chair of the St. Marys Riverkeeper; on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and on the steering committee for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge' UNESCO inscription process.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on Thursday, Apr 27th at Noon.

To View on Zoom:  Click Here.

Chris Binkert, a native of Ohio, began his interest in the US Presidents about 40 years ago. He started by trying to collect 1 biography of each President. Plus, he had 8 presidential homes to visit in Ohio.

Over the years, his collection expanded to include presidential campaign buttons, historic newspapers from special presidential moments, trivia, and memorabilia gathered from his visits to presidential museums, libraries and monuments scattered all over the country.

He honed his presentation skills by teaching business courses at the University of Toledo for 2 years, and by pursuing a 45-year career in marketing and sales.

Chris created a calendar called One Day at A Time with the Presidents, has been a docent at the William Howard Taft Museum in Cincinnati, and has given presentations to his children and grandchildren’s elementary school classes, as well as to local service groups.

A resident of Big Canoe since 2014, Chris has written a monthly column for Smoke Signals since 2020 called Bringing the Presidents to Life.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on MAY 11 at Noon.

To View on Zoom:  Click Here.

Consul General Javier Diaz de Leon holds a Bachelors Degree in International Relations from the Universidad Iberoamericana and a Master of Arts in International Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent, England.

Diaz is a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 1991 and holds the rank of Ambassador since April 28th, 2017.  During his diplomatic career he has held various positions: Deputy Consul Generalin San Diego; Deputy Consul General in New York, Head of the Office for Migration and Hispanic Affairs at the Embassy of Mexico in the United States, and Executive Director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City.

From June 2013 to May 2016 he served as Consul General of Mexico in Raleigh, NC.  In May 2016, he was appointed as Consul General of Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia, serving in this position since June 18thm 2016.

The Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta oversees the states of Georgia, Alabama and most of Tennessee.

Kiwanis 5^th Tuesday Meeting!

A special evening for our club to participate in a service project and serve dinner to Shepherd Center patients from both spinal cord injury floors and their families.  Must arrive no later than 5 pm.

This will be in place of our regular luncheon this Tuesday so mark your calendars to come to Shepherd Center at 4:30 PM instead of Loudermilk at noon.

Our Speaker will be joining us IN PERSON!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON.  Registration closes on Jan 13 at Noon.

To View on Zoom:  Click Here.

Anat Sultan-Dadon assumed her role as Consul General in Atlanta in July 2019.

Consul General Sultan-Dadon joined the Israeli diplomatic corps in 2004 and has held various positions at the Embassies of Israel in Cameroon, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, Sultan-Dadon has held positions in the Euro-Asia and the Asia-Pacific Divisions.

Sultan-Dadon earned a B.A. in Psychology and Education from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1999 and a M.A. in Criminology with high honors from the same institution. In 2020, Sultan-Dadon was honored by Morehouse College with induction into the Martin Luther King Jr. International College of Ministers and Laity.

In her current role in Atlanta, Sultan-Dadon is responsible for promoting all aspects of the bilateral relations between Israel and the seven states covered by the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee,

Anat Sultan-Dadon is married to Yaron and they are the proud parents of three girls.