Kathy Spahn

Kathy Spahn is President and CEO of Helen Keller Intl, a global health organization that partners with communities to overcome long-standing cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, Helen Keller helps millions of people in more than 20 countries create lasting change in their own lives and reach their true potential.

Prior to joining Helen Keller in 2005, Ms. Spahn was President and Executive Director of Orbis, an international non-profit dedicated to the prevention and treatment of blindness; and Executive Director of God’s Love We Deliver, dedicated to combating malnutrition and hunger among people living with HIV/AIDS.

Ms. Spahn serves on the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (an advisory committee to USAID) and is a board member of the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI). She previously served on the boards of InterAction, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the Bernadotte Foundation for Children’s Eyecare.

She also serves on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) Leadership Council Compact of 2025 and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She was a founding board member of the Association of Nutrition Services Agencies (ANSA), and a founding partner of the former Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control.