2026-27 Kiwanis International Board of Trustees

Hope Markes was elected to a one-year term as president of Kiwanis International during the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines.  

A charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Hopewell in Hanover, Jamaica, Markes was vice president of Kiwanis International in 2024-25 and president-elect in 2025-26. She had previously served a three-year term on the Kiwanis International Board of Trustees. Markes has also been a member of the Kiwanis Club of North Western Indianapolis since 2023.  

For Kiwanis International, Markes has served as chair of the Leadership and Education Committee, and she has been a member of several other committees at the international level, including the Executive Committee and the Membership Committee, as well as a member of the Kiwanis Youth Programs Board. 

Before her service on the Kiwanis International Board, Markes was governor of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District in 2013-2014, after serving as lieutenant governor. For the district, she was also a CLE trainer, a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and a regional vice chair for The Formula, a membership growth initiative of Kiwanis International. She also served on the district’s Membership and Education Committee.

At the club level, Markes was president of her Kiwanis club from 2001-2003 and 2015-2017. She has also served as the club’s secretary, director and chair of the Fundraising, Membership/Interclub, and Public Relations Committees. In addition, she has been club advisor for K-Kids, the Kiwanis service program for elementary school students, and Circle K International, the Kiwanis program for college and university students.  

Markes has been honored with the George F. Hixson and Walter Zeller Fellowships for her support of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund and The Eliminate Project. She is a Mel Osborne Fellow and a Champion for Children (Kiwanis Foundation of Canada) and holds the Godfrey Dyer Medallion (Kiwanis Foundation of Jamaica).   

Markes has a background in early childhood education. The owner of Hope Markes Villas, a resort-property management firm, she enjoys traveling, crossword puzzles, tennis, reading and gardening, as well as spending time with her family, friends and pets. 

Michael Mulhaul is the immediate past president of Kiwanis International. He served as president during the 2025-26 Kiwanis year.

A Kiwanis member since 1991, Mulhaul is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, for which he has also served as president and treasurer. In addition, he is a member of the Asbury Park, New Jersey, Kiwanis Club and a member of the Eye of the Tiger e-club. 

Mulhaul has also served Kiwanis in leadership positions beyond the club level. He has been both governor and lieutenant governor of the New Jersey District and president of the New Jersey District Foundation. 

As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Mulhaul is a George F. Hixson Fellow, a Walter Zeller Fellow and a Dr. Wil Blechman Fellow. He has also earned the Tablet of Honor. 

An investment professional for more than 40 years, Mulhaul has chaired the organization’s Audit and Finance Committee and served as a member of the Executive Committee and the Risk Management Committee, as well as the Conventions, Conferences, and Recognition Items Committee. In addition, Mulhaul previously served on the Service and Partnerships Committee and the Public Relations, Image, and Marketing Committee.

Along with his wife, Laura, who is a fellow Kiwanis member, Mulhaul has three adult children — Zach, Curtis and Emily — as well as a son-in-law, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Cathy Szymanski was elected to a one-year term as president-elect of Kiwanis International during the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines. A Kiwanis member since 1994, Szymanski was vice president during the 2025-26 Kiwanis year.

She was elected as a Kiwanis International trustee in 2019. During her tenure, she served as the board’s membership chair and as a counselor for Circle K International, the Kiwanis program for college and university students.

Szymanski’s home club is the Kiwanis Club of Erie, Pennsylvania, where she has served as distinguished president and secretary. She is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Millcreek, Pennsylvania, and of the eKiwanis 2.0 and Centennial Internet clubs.

Szymanski was a distinguished governor of the Pennsylvania District in 2011-12 following terms as distinguished lieutenant governor and district membership chair. She also served as a district trustee and chair of The Formula, a Kiwanis International membership growth initiative.

As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Szymanski is a George F. Hixson and Walter Zeller Fellow. She is also a Pliney J. Wilson Fellow of the Pennsylvania Kiwanis Foundation and a Key of Honor member.

Szymanski is president of a technology company and author of a No. 1 Amazon bestseller. A veteran of the United States Army, she earned an associate’s degree in computer science from the Erie Business Center and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Mercyhurst University. Outside of Kiwanis, she serves her community as a Pennsylvania Key Club Zone One administrator, secretary of the board of directors of Community Shelter Services, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet program, and of the Technology Council of Northwestern Pennsylvania, and treasurer of the Happy Scrappers Quilt Guild.

In her free time, Szymanski enjoys traveling, reading, gardening and cooking her dachshunds. Her spouse, David, is secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Millcreek and a member of eKiwanis 2.0. 

Ike Altavas of the Kiwanis Club of New Kapis, in the Philippine South District, was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2026 Kiwanis Asia-Pacific Convention in Manila, Philippines. He represents the Asia-Pacific region of Kiwanis.

Altavas has been a Kiwanian since 1978, when he became a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Capiz, Philippines. He was elected president of that club in 1995. He is also a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of New Kapis, which was formed in 1998.

In the Philippine South District, Altavas has served as lieutenant governor (2001–02) and district governor (2004-2005). Since then, he has been Asia-Pacific chairman (2014–15) and has been district ambassador since 2023. As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, he is a member of the Heritage Society and a George F. Hixson Fellow.

A founding member of multiple Kiwanis clubs in the Philippine South District, Altavas is known for pioneering and award-winning community projects, including the Balay ni San Jose Feeding Program for malnourished kids in remote villages; the Kiwanis Book Bank setting up mini-libraries in far flung villages; Kiwanis Hands-on Project, providing prosthetics for amputees; Kiwanis Lights of Hope Project, which provides solar lamps to remote island villages; and the Barkada Kontra Drogra (Anti-Drug Campaign) for youth communities. His environmental advocacy has also led to the creation of the Kiwanis Marine Fish Sanctuary & Reef Rehabilitation Project, which covers 30 hectares as a protected marine zone.

Outside Kiwanis, Altavas is a farmer, property lessor, public speaker, scuba diver and community organizer. He is married to Joshie, who is a trustee of the Catholic Women’s League, and with whom he has five accomplished children in public service, development work and social enterprise.

A farmer and agriculturist, as well as a public speaker, Altavas has also helped lead such initiatives as the Kiwanis Book Bank (in partnership with the ASIA Foundation), which promotes literacy and education across communities, and the Kiwanis Hands-on Project, which offers free prosthetics to hand amputees. Altavas is also a scuba diver and has helped establish the Kiwanis Reef Island Marine Fish Sanctuary to support environmental protection and sustainability. 

Valarie Brown-Klingelhoefer was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines. She represents the United States and Pacific Canada regions.

Also known as “Doc Val,” Brown-Klingelhoefer has been a Kiwanian since 2010. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Marina, California, U.S., for which she was president in 2025-26. She has also served as the club’s secretary, treasurer and membership committee chair. In addition, she is a member of the Kiwanis Eye of the Tiger eClub of I-I and the Kiwanis Centennial Internet Club, among several other current club memberships.

Since 2015, she has been a member of more than 75 Kiwanis club opening teams around the world and served as the club opening lead in over 40 of them. In the California-Nevada-Hawaii District, Brown-Klingelhoefer has also chartered clubs for Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs (SLPs), including Circle K International, Aktion Club, Key Club and Builders Club, and currently serves as an advisor and supporter to Kiwanis SLPs.

She was governor of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District in 2022-23. Her district-leadership experience also includes service as the chair for the Kiwanis Possibility Project, as well as chair of the Marketing Committee. In addition, she has been the district’s Children’s Fund Ambassador Chair, District Formula for Membership Chair, District Strategic Planning Chair and District Club Leadership Education Master Trainer. She has also served as a Kiwanis lieutenant governor six times, not consecutively, and has served in every club-level office with distinction.

Brown-Klingelhoefer’s service has been recognized through numerous Kiwanis honors, including the Kiwanis International Lifetime Membership and Distinguished Service Award, Distinguished Lieutenant Governor recognitions and, most recently, the California-Nevada-Hawaii Children’s Fund Tablet of Honor, presented in March 2026.

As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, her honors include a George F. Hixson Fellowship and a Walter Zeller Fellowship.

In addition, she is the co-host and CEO for The Kiwanis Connects Show. Begun in May 2022, the show has introduced Kiwanis, community service and nonprofit initiatives to audiences that extend far beyond traditional Kiwanis membership.

Brown-Klingelhoefer’s professional career included work with organizations and universities such UC Berkeley, UCLA, New York University, Cogswell Polytechnical College, CSU Monterey Bay, Duke and CSU Stanislaus. She was also part of the administrative team that helped launch the Tyler Heart Institute in Monterey.

Her nonprofit leadership has included service as executive director of Gathering for Women, a Monterey County nonprofit supporting women experiencing homelessness, and as inaugural founding executive director of the Coelho Ranch Foundation, a nonprofit providing educational, recreational and motivational opportunities for children and adults who have experienced hardship.

After retiring professionally in 2016, Brown-Klingelhoefer continued her organizational management, assessment and planning consulting work through BK Maps, while devoting significant time to volunteer leadership and community service.

She and her husband, Andy Klingelhoefer, have a blended family that includes their son Brent, daughter-in-law Erin, and grandsons Evan and Miles. She is also a godmother to 12.

Mario Bruni of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2023 Western Canada District Convention in Helena, Montana, U.S. He serves as a trustee for the Canada and Caribbean region of Kiwanis. 

A Kiwanis member since 1979, Bruni has served the Kiwanis Club of Westfort, Thunder Bay, as distinguished president (1993-94), membership and fundraising chair. At the district level, he has served as governor (2017-18), distinguished lieutenant governor (2014-15), and chair for The Formula and Eye of the Tiger, two previous Kiwanis membership growth initiatives. He has received the Centennial Award and the Kiwanis Foundation of Canada’s Mel Osborne Fellowship and has completed the Amplify Leadership course. 

Bruni joined the Kiwanis family as a member of Circle K International of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He was impressed by the impact Kiwanis had on kids and families in his community and joined the organization after graduation.  

As a trustee, Bruni hopes to make an impact by working with other Kiwanis leaders to guide the organization’s strategies, policies and responsible resource management. He plans to support financial stability, membership growth and engagement, and leadership development for future generations. 

Bruni received a bachelor’s degree from Lakehead University Thunder Bay and has worked in senior management in the heavy equipment and forestry equipment industries. He was a member of the American Forestry Association and the Ontario Sawmills Association. In his free time, he enjoys reading, walking and golf. Bruni and his spouse, Heather, have two children and four grandchildren. 

Jon Fadri Huder of Ebnat-Kappel, Switzerland, was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2025 Kiwanis International Europe Convention in Akureyri, Iceland. He serves as a trustee for the Europe region.  

A Kiwanis member since 1997, Huder has served the Kiwanis Club St.Moritz/Oberengadin, Switzerland, as secretary and as president (2005-06). He also served as the lieutenant governor and the governor (2016-17) of the Switzerland-Liechtenstein District and as Kiwanis International Europe president (2020-21). He is a George F. Hixson Fellow.  

Huder is a business economist in the private sector and a municipal president, with specialized knowledge in finance, marketing, politics, organization and human resources. Throughout his career, he has worked with a variety of teams for a vast range of projects and believes that teamwork is crucial to success. He has completed military service and is fluent in five languages, including English, French, German and Italian.   

Huder and his wife, Gabriela, have two children. In his spare time, Huder enjoys men’s choir, tennis club, social commissions and golf club.  

Maura Magni of Brebbia, Italy, was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2024 Kiwanis International Europe Convention in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. She serves as a trustee for the Europe region of Kiwanis.  

A Kiwanis member since 2009, Magni has served the Kiwanis Club of Varese, Italy, as president three times, earning distinguished president honors in 2017-18. She has served as the club’s secretary as well. She served as lieutenant governor in 2015-2016, district trainer in 2016-2017 and district membership and growth coordinator in 2023-24. Magni is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Likasi and the Kiwanis EClub Italia dei Mille.  

She served the Italy-San Marino District as governor for two terms and earned distinguished status both times.   

As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Magni is a George F. Hixson Fellow and a Dr. Wil Blechman Fellow. She also served on Kiwanis International’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for two years. 

Magni is founder and senior partner at BMV Law Tax Finance. She has extensive experience in family law and juvenile law and has always worked to achieve goals consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. She has also a significant experience working with public administrations, and she is particularly interested in ESG issues and the goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  

Magni enjoys reading, traveling and photography. 

Taka Ogata was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines. He represents the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis.

A Kiwanian since 2013, Ogata is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette, for which he was president in 2015-16. He has also served as club advisor of the West Lafayette Key Club and West Lafayette Purdue Circle K International Club. In addition, he is a member of the Kiwanis Eye of the Tiger e-Club and the Kiwanis Club of Indy Global (in Indianapolis, Indiana).

Ogata was governor of the Indiana District in 2021-22, following service as its lieutenant governor and membership chair. He earned Distinguished status as both governor and lieutenant governor. His previous leadership roles in the district include bulletin editor, Aktion Club administrator, and chair of the engagement, finance and district convention committees.

At the international level, Ogata has served as vice chair of the New Club Building Committee and as a member of the Build. Nurture. Retain. Committee. As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, his honors include a Walter Zeller Fellowship and a Dr. Wil Blechman Fellowship.

Ogata has worked to strengthen cross-cultural connections among Kiwanis members around the world — establishing a sister-club relationship between the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette and the Kiwanis Club of Tokyo, as well as a sister-district partnership between the Indiana District and the Japan District.

Ogata is president of KK Platinum, which is based in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from International Christian University in Tokyo, he holds master’s degrees in industrial engineering (University of Minnesota, U.S.) and in business administration (Bond University, Australia). He lives with his wife, Niwako Ogata.

Jo Schwartz of Abilene, Kansas, U.S., was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, Colorado, U.S.  She serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis.  

A Kiwanis member since 2003, Schwartz is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Abilene. She is also a charter member of the Salina Kiwanis Club in Kansas and the Kiwanis Club of Likasi, Democratic Republic of Congo-Virtual. At the club level, Schwartz has served numerous years on the board of directors, where her roles have included secretary and president. In the Kiwanis Kansas District, she has been both lieutenant governor and governor.  

As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Schwartz has received a Walter Zeller Fellowship. 

She has worked to grow Kiwanis clubs in places ranging from Africa to the U.S. and has been a member of the Africa Growth Committee since 2022.

In addition, Schwartz helped organize the nonprofit Neighbor to Neighbor Abilene, which focuses on helping women, and served that organization for six years.

An artist and an author, she has owned and run an art gallery for several years. She and her husband, Thomas, have been married for 47 years and have three children and three grandchildren. Schwartz enjoys traveling, art, knitting, various styles of music and pyrography (woodburning at a fine-art level).

Tim Sheppard of Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S., was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. He serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis.  

A Kiwanian since 2008, Sheppard is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Cheyenne, which he served as president in 2014-15. He has also served as club membership committee chair. In addition, he is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Northeast Denver Metro, Colorado, U.S. serving in the past as club secretary. 

Sheppard was the distinguished governor of the Rocky Mountain District in 2018-19. From 2022-24, he was chair of the Kiwanis International Membership Committee. Sheppard is also a Lifetime Member, and as a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, he has been honored with a Walter Zeller Fellowship. 

A veteran of the U.S. Army who spent three years with the 101st Airborne, Sheppard eventually joined the National Guard, spending a total of 40 years in the military and obtaining the rank of colonel. He’s currently the executive director for the Wyoming Veterans Commission. 

Outside of Kiwanis, he is president of Raising Readers in Wyoming and regional director of the Wyoming Hunger Initiative. He is also a past president of Cheyenne YMCA and past chair of Leadership Wyoming. Sheppard and his wife, Mei, have seven children — including two sets of twins — and three grandchildren. In addition to time with his family, he enjoys biking, reading and playing tennis. 

Scott Sims of Birmingham, Alabama, U.S., was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, Colorado, U.S. He serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis.

A Kiwanian since 2002, Sims is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook in Alabama, U.S. He served the club as president in 2017-18. In addition, the Homewood-Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club has honored him with a Distinguished Pinnacle Award (2023); Life Member status (2022); and Kiwanian of the Year (2003).

Sims served the Alabama District of Kiwanis as governor in 2021-22 and received a Distinguished Governor Award. From the Alabama District, he has received the J. Mercer Barnett Fellow Award, the David Womack Outstanding Lieutenant Governor Award and the Hoyt W. Lee Outstanding Kiwanian Award. Sims also received the George Price Service to Youth Award from the Key Club Alabama District and the Governor’s Award from the Key Club Alabama District governor.

At the international level, Sims has served as area coordinator for North America since 2022. He was chair of the Elections Committee in 2023. As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, he has earned a Walter Zeller Fellowship.

Sims is also a recipient of the Marc H. Litwack Legacy of Leadership Award, which recognizes individuals who exemplify extraordinary leadership qualities and have made significant contributions to their professions and communities.

Sims was an active member of Key Club, the organization’s program for high school students, and served a year as a district governor. He met his wife, Andi, through Key Club and proposed to her at a Key Club district convention. They have been married since 1991 and have four children, one of whom served as Key Club International president and another as Key Club district secretary.

Sims has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and a juris doctorate from Samford University. He has practiced law at Dentons Sirote since 1993. He enjoys hiking, golf, reading, traveling with Andi and any activities in which his children are involved.

Amy Zimmerman of Beavercreek, Ohio, U.S., was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. She serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis.  

A Kiwanis member since 2001, Zimmerman was president of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund in 2023-24. For the Children’s Fund, she had previously served as president-elect and treasurer, in addition to a three-year term as a trustee and as ambassador for 1 year.   

Zimmerman is a member of the Cincinnati Kiwanis Club where she served as a Distinguished President & Distinguished Secretary and is also a member of the Beavercreek Kiwanis Club. In 2015-16, she was the Kiwanis Ohio District governor, serving as president or her governor class. She has also served on multiple Kiwanis International committees, is a Kiwanis Life Member and was inducted into the Ohio Kiwanis Hall of Fame in 2019. She was honored by Ohio Key Club with Andy Latham “Woman of the Year” recognition and by Ohio Circle K with “Governor Support Award” for her support of these organizations.  

As a donor to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Zimmerman is a George F. Hixson, Walter Zeller and Dr. Wil Blechman Fellow. She is also a member of the Founders Circle, the Cornerstone Society and the 1925 Club and has received the Children’s Fund Centennial Award.  

Outside of Kiwanis, Zimmerman has been a supporter and life member of Ambucs, providing Amtrykes through a partnership with Ohio Kiwanis to more than 150 children and veterans.    

Zimmerman is the global program manager for the Procter & Gamble account at Rockwell Automation. She has been recognized as a “Forty under 40” by the Cincinnati Business Courier. In her personal time, Zimmerman enjoys playing volleyball and golf, traveling, photography and spending time with family.  

Paul Palazzolo is executive director of Kiwanis International and all its subsidiaries. Prior to starting in that role in February 2024, the Springfield, Illinois, U.S., native served as a public official — beginning in 2001, when he was elected to the Springfield Park Board. He also served as Sangamon County auditor, treasurer of the Springfield Airport Authority and circuit court clerk.

Palazzolo served as the 2009-10 Kiwanis International president and has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Springfield-Downtown since 1984. His introduction and involvement in Kiwanis started in the early 1980s while attending Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, where he was active in Key Club, the student-led service organization for high school students that is part of the Kiwanis family. Palazzolo was inducted into the Sacred Heart-Griffin Hall of Fame in 2013. He also was awarded the Key of Honor, the highest recognition presented by the Key Club International board, for making a lifelong positive impact. Palazzolo has also served as chair of the Kiwanis International Youth Programs Board.

His local civic engagement includes serving on boards such as Salvation Army, Springfield Urban League, Hoogland Center for the Arts and other organizations.

Palazzolo holds a degree in finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is married and has two adult children.