Malachi Connelly is a rising senior at Hickory High School in Hickory, North Carolina, and proudly serves as the 2026–2027 Governor of the Carolinas District of Key Club International.

His Key Club journey began long before high school through his close relationship with his sponsoring Kiwanis Club. As an elementary school student, he had the opportunity to meet local Key Club members and attend the big service project they hosted, inspiring him to become a Key Club member one day.

Since joining Key Club, he has served as Freshman Representative, and Vice President of his home club, Lieutenant Governor of Division 3, and now Governor of the Carolinas District. Each leadership opportunity strengthened his passion for service and reinforced his commitment to helping others grow as leaders.

Outside of Key Club, Malachi serves as Student Body President at Hickory High School and he remains active in his church and community. Malachi strongly believes Key Club has played a defining role in shaping the leader he is today and is grateful for the mentors, advisors, Kiwanis members, friends, and family who have supported him throughout his journey.

Steve Corbett is a member of two clubs in the Carolinas: Southport-Oak Island (since 2016) and North Brunswick (since 2022).

Before moving to St. James in Brunswick County, Steve lived in Floral Park, Long Island with his wife, Mary, and three children. Steve and Mary now have eight grandchildren. While in Floral Park, Steve started two nonprofits and was president of both for multiple years. During that time, he also served on the Board of Trustees of the Village of Floral Park (population 16,000) as a trustee for 8 years and then the last 6 as mayor.

Steve has been an enthusiastic supporter and leader for the Kiwanis causes of health and nutrition, literacy and education, and youth leadership programs. Kiwanis has been a large focus of his free time, volunteering in schools as an SLP advisor for clubs from kindergarten to grade 12 and various literacy projects.

Additionally, the Southport-Oak Island club has been growing and providing fresh vegetables to four local food pantries totaling 15,000 lbs donated since inception, a project that Steve proposed in 2017.

For the Carolinas District, Steve has served as lieutenant governor of Division 26, volunteered at Key Leader camp and currently serves on the district board (2023-2026). For the past three years, Steve has served as the district administrator for the K-KIDS and Builders Club SLPs.sroom called. He enjoyed the interactions with students and, especially, coaching.

Jonathan "Jon" Hethcox served as the 101st Governor of the Carolinas District during the 20192020 Kiwanis Year and was elected during the House of Delegates in August of 2025 to serve again as Carolinas District Governor. He joined the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, South Carolina in 2005 and has held various roles, including club board member, four-term Club President, two-term Distinguished Lt. Governor, and District Trustee. Jon has been honored as a Walter Zeller Fellow and a George F. Hixon Fellow. In addition to his Kiwanis roles, Jon has served as District Administrator for the Distinguished Carolinas District of Circle K International (CKI), Kiwanis’ collegiate service organization.

Jon holds a BA in History from Flagler College and has completed graduate coursework at The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. He is married to Jennifer Hethcox, a veteran public-school teacher and digital learning coach. The couple, who met at Kiwanis International headquarters during their CKI Governor training, are a true Kiwanis family “love connection.” They have two children, Caroline, a past Key Club Lt. Governor and Lillian, a Key Club Member, and are members of Shandon United Methodist Church, where they have served as Co-Presidents of the Foundation Sunday School class.

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.

Connor is the Director of Marketing and Account Executive at Global Vending Group, Inc. He is also a founding member of the book vending team, where he has played a key role in driving growth and client success over the past six years. Connor holds a degree in Marketing and Finance from the University of Buffalo School of Management, giving him a strong foundation in business strategy and market development.

William Townsend is a Junior Business Marketing and Political Science Double major at North Carolina Central University from Raleigh, North Carolina. A passionate leader, journalist, and advocate for service, William is committed to creating opportunities that empower young people and strengthen communities.

On campus, he serves as Vice President of Administration for Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and was elected the 66th District Governor of the Carolinas District of Circle K International, becoming the first student from an HBCU to hold the position. William is also an 8-time published multimedia journalist whose work has covered topics ranging from education and healthcare disparities to community issues across North Carolina.

Through leadership, mentorship, and community engagement, William has organized service initiatives, hosted educational programs, and worked to connect students with resources for personal and professional growth. His experiences have strengthened his interests in marketing, media, public relations, and sports and entertainment industries.

Driven by the belief that knowledge should be shared to create positive change, William aspires to build a career that combines strategic communication, advocacy, and leadership while making a lasting impact on the communities he serves.