Katharine Winston McKee *78

Kate died in Bellevue, Wash., Aug. 18, 2022, of a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Kate was born Sept. 12, 1955, in Palo Alto, Calif. She earned a bachelor’s degree in German and politics from Bowdoin in 1976 and a master’s degree in public and international affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School in 1978.

Devoted to improving the lives of the poor worldwide, especially women, Kate was a pioneer in two fields — community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and microenterprise finance — that are now cornerstone strategies in the United States and internationally for helping people escape poverty. She held professional posts with the Ford Foundation, the Office of Microenterprise Development at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor. She helped solidify USAID’s leadership position as the largest bilateral donor in microfinance, supporting more than 5 million borrowers per year worldwide.

She also worked to establish the global Partnership for Economic Inclusion and pioneered an international development strategy that focuses on delivering support services and financial products to the world’s extreme poor.

Kate is survived by her husband of 36 years, David McGrady; her children, Anna and Charlie; her grandson, Emory; her mother; and three brothers.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.