Elections also brought new trustees and the selection of Lee Kuan Yong as president-elect.
By Debra Des Vignes
Katrina J. Baranko of Albany, Georgia, U.S., was elected president of the board of trustees at the 2023 Kiwanis International Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Lee Kuan Yong of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, was chosen to be president-elect. They begin their new terms on October 1, 2023.
Michael Mulhaul of Interlaken, New Jersey, U.S., was elected vice president of the organization.
These three Kiwanians were elected trustees for the United States and Pacific Canada Region:
- Dennis Baugh, Palmyra, Virginia, U.S.
- Matthew Cantrall, Lakeland, Florida, U.S.
- Cathleen Ann “Cathy” Tutty, Butte, Montana, U.S.
Chang-Ching Hsu of Tainan City, Taiwan, was elected during the Asia-Pacific convention in March to represent the Asia-Pacific Region as a Kiwanis International trustee.
Mohan Lamsal, Kathmandu, Nepal, was elected as an at-large trustee.
The House of Delegates voted on one proposed amendment to the Kiwanis International Bylaws. The delegates voted against a proposal put forth by the Kiwanis International Board of Trustees to increase members’ annual dues to help address a growing deficit.
The delegates also voted to approve a modernization of the Kiwanis International Bylaws.
From time to time, every organization should conduct a comprehensive review of its governing documents and make appropriate adjustments. The last such review of the Kiwanis International Bylaws took place 30 years ago. A special global committee spent two years conducting a new review. Their recommended changes were presented as a special type of amendment called a revision.
Most changes simply moved text, improved clarity or updated language to reflect current processes, with no change to the way Kiwanis does business. Substantive changes were removed and addressed individually at the 2022 Kiwanis International Convention.
2023-24 Kiwanis International President Katrina Baranko of Albany, Georgia, U.S., has been a member of Kiwanis for 29 years and served the Kiwanis Club of Albany as distinguished president and secretary. She also served as membership chair and as a member of the board of directors. At the district level, Baranko was a distinguished governor, lieutenant governor and member of the finance committee, and she has been parliamentarian. She is also a certified club leadership trainer and has presented at three Kiwanis International conventions. She has received the district Leadership Medallion and has served as chair of the Past District Governor’s Association, as well as chair of the 2007 Georgia District Convention, the Training and Education Committee and the Youth Services Committee. She and her husband, David, have a son, a daughter-in-law and one grandson.
Lee Kuan Yong joined Kiwanis in 1993, served as a Kiwanis International trustee in 2011-14 and was the Asia-Pacific chair in 2016-17. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Kuala Lumpur in the Malaysia District and Eye of the Tiger eKiwanis Club in the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District. He has also served as president of the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, Malaysia. He and his wife, Kon Cze Yan, have two sons and one grandson. He will serve as president of Kiwanis International in 2024-25.
The 2024 Kiwanis International Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado, July 3-6.