Kathy's work has focused primarily on civil and human rights, including positions at Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota (CEIMN), The McKnight Foundation, and the Center for Victims of Torture. As the Executive Director of CEIMN, Kathy was a member of a coalition that successfully fought to protect Minnesota's Constitution from requiring individuals to have a voter photo ID. (Early in the election year, polls showed that over 80% of voters supported the measure. On Election Day, the collaborative effort resulted in the rejection of the measure by voters.) At The McKnight Foundation, she worked on its international grantmaking program, where she focused on land and water rights in Southeast Asia and women's economic advancement in East Africa. She has gone on numerous election observation missions with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and is a 2011-2012 Humphrey Policy Fellow.