Delegates at the Knights of Columbus 138th Supreme Convention — the first virtual convention in the Order’s history — elected four new members to the Order’s Board of Directors.
The new board members include Daniel Duchesne from Quebec, John Appelbaum from Missouri, Paul O’Sullivan from Massachusetts and Rennan Duffour from Louisiana. Each will serve a three-year term starting September 1.
Duchesne joined the Knights of Columbus in 1997 and has held numerous leadership positions within the Order, including state deputy of Quebec (2016-2018). He has also served as president of the Order’s Canadian Association (2018-2020). Professionally, Duchesne served as an airplane mechanic and as an inspector in the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years. In 1991, he was deployed in the Liberation of Kuwait.
Appelbaum joined the Knights in 1989. He served on the Missouri State Council as the state advocate, state family life director, state secretary, state membership director and as state deputy. In 2017, he served as chairman of the host committee for the 135th Supreme Convention in St. Louis. He and his wife, Carol, have been married for 35 years and they have three children.
Sullivan has been a member of the K of C since 1974. During his tenure as state deputy of Massachusetts (2016-2017), he encouraged increased the jurisdiction’s participation in pro-life activities and helped initiate the Knights’ participation in Boston’s Catholic Radio. Professionally, he worked as a lawyer at a major international casualty insurer, managing complex national litigation throughout the United States. He also served the Foxboro community on its Zoning Board of Appeals during the construction of Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots. Sullivan has been married to his wife, Susan, since 1977 and they have two children.
Duffour joined the Knights in 1989 and has served in numerous leadership positions within the Order in Louisiana, including as past state deputy. Professionally, he has served in management roles at Texaco and Chevron that has taken him around the world, from Colorado to South Africa to Hong Kong. In 2008, he became the Engineering Project Manager for St. Charles Parish Public Works with a focus on Hurricane Protection Systems and Flood Prevention Systems. Duffour has been married to his wife, Liz, for 43 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.