“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Katherine Kleinpeter Raymond, Ph.D will serve as the Sustaining Advisor to the Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 League year. This position provides a historical perspective and offers practical guidance from a sustaining member and past president. Her volunteer and leadership experience will allow Katherine to be a sounding board for League leaders as they make decisions on membership, fund development, community projects, administration and strategic planning. She hopes to support the incredibly capable and committed group of women as they lead the League into the future. “Each of them inspires me, and I hope to be a resource for them as they oversee the significant work of all of the League leaders and members.”
A native of New Orleans, Katherine is a professor of practice and co-director of undergraduate studies in the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department at Tulane University, teaching such course as Statics, Mechanics of Materials, service learnings for Product and Experimental Design and Team Design, and the senior capstone Team Design course. She holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Tulane University’s former School of Engineering and researches high-performance concrete bridge girders. Her interest is in blending mechanics with medical innovation and service opportunities to allow students a unique approach to learning. She co-directs Biomedical Innovation for Global Impact (BIG Impact), which involves undergraduates in global experiences designing to improve healthcare in low-resource communities. She serves on several committees, such as the steering committee of the Grand Challenge Scholars Program, and is a member of professional organizations including the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
Katherine joined the League in 2004 and started her journey writing for Lagniappe, quickly becoming Assistant Editor and subsequently Editor for two years. She then joined the Board as the Business & Communications Council Director and assumed the role of 2014-2015 President. Katherine says she is “compelled by the efficiency of the Junior League. Those who are willing to serve the community as members have easy access to ways to help in New Orleans, and they can either use their existing skills or build new ones. When new ones are needed, training is available. It’s a great system that has worked for decades to strengthen the New Orleans community. “
JLNO is not the only organization that has been graced with Katherine’s intelligence and abilities. She has served on the boards of St. John Lutheran Church and Dominican High School Alumnae Association, and she currently sits on boards with the Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education (supporting Sci High), Trinity Episcopal School, the Tulane University Women’s Association, as vice-president of the Women’s Exchange (supporting Hermann-Grima & Gallier Historic Houses), and as co-personnel advisor for the Chi Omega Rho Chapter Advisory Board.
In this last year, Katherine, her husband Beau, and her children Sydney (17), Charlotte (15) and Kate (11) took on a newfound interest in scuba diving. They took lessons together at Harry’s Dive Shop and are all now certified divers who look forward to future underwater adventures.
