Catalyst Inc. is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world's most influential leaders and organizations, to help build workplaces that work for women from the frontline to the C-Suite.
HOUSTON, TX, April 12, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kelly Kleinkort Montes, MPA, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Kleinkort Montes has rapidly ascended the ranks of nonprofit leadership and currently serves as executive director for the U.S. at Catalyst Inc. In this role, she manages a team of 15 and oversees operations within the U.S P&L, ensuring that clients receive exceptional service from the frontline to the C-Suite. Prior to her current position, Ms. Kleinkort Montes was the senior director of the expert community for the organization from 2021 to 2022, where she played a pivotal role in rebuilding and rebranding the top tier supporter community with a compelling value proposition. From 2019 to 2021, she served as the director of corporate engagement, building the Catalyst brand and reach across the south region, embedding tools and solutions to accelerate progress for women in the workplace through workplace inclusion. As a subject matter expert, she has delivered over 100 speaking engagements during her time at Catalyst, ranging from inclusive leadership to sponsorship and allyship.
Catalyst Inc. is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world's most influential leaders and organizations, to help build workplaces that work for women from the frontline to the C-Suite. Before joining her nonprofit, Ms. Kleinkort Montes was deeply involved in academia and international education. She was the director of learning abroad at the University of Houston from 2016 to 2019, where she facilitated global learning experiences for students and increased the number of students studying abroad by 20%. She worked closely with faculty and deans to imbed global competency into curriculum and advised component universities on policy development and best practice after creating and chairing the first Learning Abroad Risk and Safety Committee. Meanwhile, her tenure from 2014 to 2016 as the director of education, business, and policy at Asia Society involved developing programs that strengthened ties between Asia and the U.S. She served as chief international protocol officer, hosting more than 20 delegations including, Vice Premier of China, Madame Liu Yandong, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, and Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara of Sri Lanka. Additionally, Ms. Kleinkort Montes held significant roles at Texas A&M University from 2009 to 2014, including director of the Confucius Institute, and assistant director of global projects and partnerships.
She co-developed the Corps of Cadets Global Leadership Initiatives Program which increased student participation in global experiences by 2000% between 2008 and 2014; she also administered more than $700,000 in federal grant funds annually. During an earlier stage of her career, she focused on international service, serving as a missions associate for Central from 2007 to 2009 and as an English language specialist at Inner Mongolia University in China between 2003 and 2007 where she began her career post undergraduate.
Ms. Kleinkort Montes has been active in her community as a mentor personally and through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America since 2018 and as a steering committee member of the Houston Diversity Summit since 2019. She has also volunteered with Katy Christian Ministries and is a member of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
Building a solid educational foundation has been instrumental in Ms. Kleinkort Montes' professional journey. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in speech communications with an emphasis in cross-cultural, cum laude, from Texas A&M University in 2003 and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015. One of her most distinguished academic honors was becoming a Fulbright Scholar for Education Administrators during her tenure at University of Houston, She was one of twelve delegates selected from the U.S. for the award, and the youngest delegate among university president and deans. Ms. Kleinkort Montes also received credentials with certification in Mandarin through Inner Mongolia University and as an enterprise design practitioner through IBM.
In 2015, Ms. Kleinkort Montes was awarded a Young Sinologist fellowship by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for helping bridge cultures and foster understanding between China and the world. Ms. Kleinkort Montes is a champion for fostering inclusion and cultural understanding and believes both the challenges and solutions for the 21st century require courageous conversations, curiosity and intentional bridge building across cultures and peoples.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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