2018 Kiwanians of the Year​


Cathi Litcher

Cathi Litcher, ‘Kiwanian of the Year’ with Rick Benton. photo by Jeff Wenzel

Bennett Hunter

Bonnie Hunter holds plaque for ‘Kiwanian of the Year’ for Bennett Hunter with Rick Benton. photo by Jeff Wenzel

Cathi Litcher is fairly new to Topsail Island and our Kiwanis Club.  She lived and worked around the country over the years, but to our gain decided to locate on Topsail Island.  She started a second career here on Topsail while also becoming heavily involved in Kiwanis, particularly in building our club’s brand and capabilities.  Cathi’s first career involved spending 30 years in a federal prison (I’ll let her explain that to you).  As a business consultant she brings with her unique talents, abilities and skills related to training, coaching, leadership development, motivation, elevating one’s “game”.  Her experience includes assisting public as well as private companies.

Cathi considers herself a “social entrepreneur” and can’t resist giving back to the community.  And that’s exactly what she’s been doing as a Topsail Kiwanian-leading new initiatives and working to better position, expose, and improve the performance of our club.

Since becoming a Kiwanian and a board member, she has jumped in full blown and has taken on new initiatives involving marketing Kiwanis, improving communication to members and the community, working with the school systems to implement Builder’s Clubs in our new Surf City middle school, and Dixon Middle School; and helping identify and raise funds for Hurricane Florence recovery efforts.

​Cathi is a graduate of Queens University (BA) and earned her Master’s from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She’s the Principal of The Litcher Group, the business consulting enterprise that assists individuals, teams and companies in “elevating their game” as I noted earlier.  And she’s certainly helping our club “elevate our game” as we move into new endeavors. Please join me in honoring Cathi Litcher as a 2017-2018 Kiwanian of the Year


Bennett Hunter was born and raised in Beaulaville (a suburb of Chinqapinn Jerry Green used to rib him).  He served in the US Air Force and then with the CIA, and served our country as a patriot.  Bennett retired on Topsail Island with his wife Bonnie and served as a member of Faith Harbor United Methodist Church for many years before joining our Kiwanis Club.  He became a dutiful member of the club once he joined.  He volunteered to serve on the board, and took the lead on getting our Kiwanis club involved in several initiatives:

  •  — raising and donating funds to Hurricane Matthew victims
  • — participating on teams in physically rebuilding homes damaged by Matthew

— raising and donating funds to area families in real need of assistance
— leading (with the assistance of a great committee) 2 new Kiwanis initiatives to raise funds for the Foundation

Bennett worked tirelessly over many months on these initiatives, and put in many hours on his own to assure the projects were successful.  I saw him sweating profusely several times.  His efforts resulted in fund raising over $23,000 for our Foundation-which funds the annual scholarships at Dixon and Topsail.  The success far exceeded what the club ever thought would be raised, and will serve as a goal and model for future fund-raising initiatives.

​Bennett’s motto was “scatter kindness” and he did that in everything he touched.  Please join me in honoring Bennett Hunter, and his wife Bonnie, as a 2017-2018 Kiwanian of the Year

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