UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS
Election 2026 is upon us.
We are continuing our program of events this summer and early fall with a series of five virtual events (hosted on Zoom as usual) under the title of "America at the Crossroads. Decisions that Will Define Generations".
We are covering:
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Our local elections with a focus on the Sarasota County School Board races in Districts 1, 4 &5
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The Florida campaigns for governor and other key state offices
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The Florida campaigns in flippable US House districts (yes, there will be some) and for the US Senate
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The continued need to resist most forcefully Trump's push toward authoritarian rule​​​
Kate Byrnes
Ambassador (ret.) Kate Marie Byrnes brings more than three decades of frontline diplomatic experience to a timely conversation on geopolitics, democracy, and transatlantic security. Now Principal of KMB Strategies LLC in Sarasota and a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Tennessee’s Baker School of Public Policy, she advises leaders navigating today’s complex global landscape.
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During her 32-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service—largely focused on Europe—Ambassador Byrnes developed deep expertise in U.S.-European relations, political-military cooperation, and strategic communications. As U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia (2019–2022), she led efforts to advance the country’s integration into NATO and the European Union, earning a Presidential Rank Award for her leadership.
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Her long-standing connection to Hungary—including service in Budapest and work across NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and U.S. European Command—gives her a unique lens on democratic backsliding and regional security dynamics. With additional postings in Greece, Spain, Afghanistan, Bolivia, and Türkiye, Ambassador Byrnes offers a rare blend of on-the-ground insight and strategic perspective on the challenges shaping Europe—and their implications for the United States.​
Bob Gary
Robert Gary brings a rare, hard-earned perspective to the study of democracy—shaped not just by theory, but by a lifetime at the intersection of law, public service, and lived experience. Trained at New York University School of Law and seasoned in the U.S. Department of Justice, he built a career confronting organized crime, protecting citizens, and navigating the real-world tensions between power and accountability. His later work—from advising state leadership in Ohio to representing victims and pensioners—deepened his focus on justice as a cornerstone of democratic systems.
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But it is Gary’s global lens that gives his voice particular urgency. From crossing Soviet-era Berlin at Checkpoint Charlie to traveling across Eastern Europe and the Middle East, he has witnessed firsthand how governments can either serve their people—or control them. These experiences inform both his teaching and writing, including Protecting Your Pension for Dummies and his cross-cultural work I Am the Other, co-authored with Imam Subedar.
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In this Zoom discussion on Hungary, Gary connects these threads—law, history, travel, and faith—to explore how democracies erode, how authoritarianism advances, and, critically, how democratic resilience can still be strengthened and sustained.
​Periodically, we will feature a article authored by a member.
We began with a column written by Bob Gary entitled "It Is Time To Be Afraid". ​