Meet our Chicago Community Conversation Moderator and Panelists!
Meet our Moderator, Katara Washington Patton
Katara Washington Patton is an author, editor, and publishing consultant with a wide variety of experience. She currently serves as senior editor at Our Daily Bread Publishing.
Patton has worked in the editorial and acquisitions departments at The Chicago Defender, Christian Century, Tyndale House Publishers, Urban Ministries (UMI), McGraw-Hill, Jet Magazine, and Weekly Reader Corporation. In 2014, she was named Nonfiction Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).
Her most recent book, Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Hope Steals Your Hope, debuted on Amazon’s Bestseller’s List for New Releases. She has also authored: 5-Minute Devotional Book for Women, Joyous Advent: Family Christmas Devotions, Inspiration for Christian Teen Girls, Successful Moms of the Bible, Successful Women of the Bible and Successful Leaders of the Bible, and The Parables of Jesus Devotional Coloring Book.
Katara graduated summa cum laude from Dillard University (New Orleans, LA), with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and English. She then earned a Master of Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL). She also received a Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL), where she received the outstanding preaching award.
Katara is a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana. She and her husband, Derrick, reside on the Southside of Chicago. They have one daughter, Kayla. She is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. She is passionate around issues of faith and culture as well as mental wellness and social justice. As much as possible, she tries to enjoy a Zumba class and a competitive game of Scrabble to keep her life balanced.
You can find out more about Katara at katara.pattonhome.net or https://www.facebook.com/katara.patton.
Meet our Panelists
Calmetta Coleman
COO, Chicago Urban League
Calmetta Coleman is Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Urban League. She is responsible for ensuring efficient operations across the organization, overseeing programs, providing strategic leadership for external affairs, and helping to execute the vision of the President and CEO. She previously served as Executive Vice President of External Affairs & Programs.
Prior to joining the Chicago Urban League in October 2017, Calmetta served as Director of Communications for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago, developing and executing communication strategies to increase awareness of the university's impact through civic engagement and serving as a spokeswoman on community and civic issues.
Calmetta was also previously Senior Vice President, Director of Editorial Services and Corporate Media at Ketchum, a global public relations agency. In that role, she provided thought-leadership communication, broad editorial support, strategic media relations counsel and media training for Ketchum clients across a range of industries.
Other previous roles include Vice President, Senior Communications Manager for JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Vice President, Media Relations Manager for Bank One. She began her career as a national business journalist, serving as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal from 1995 to 2002
Rev. Dr. Elías Ortega
President and Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Leadership
Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary
Dr. Elías Ortega (he/him/their) is committed to building organizational systems in which people, especially those underrepresented in our society, can thrive. He uses the lenses of religious ethics, spirituality, and theological reflection to foster change in higher education, non-profit organizations, and religious institutions. Currently, Ortega serves as the president of Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago.
Darren Calhoun
Digital Pastor and Worship Leader
Urban Village Church, South Loop
Darren Calhoun (he/him) is a justice advocate, worship leader, and artist based out of Chicago. He works to bridge connections between people of differing perspectives through story and relationship.
Currently, Darren is Digital Pastor and Worship Leader at Urban Village Church and serves in multiple capacities with organizations like Christians for Social Action and Q Christian Fellowship. He also sings with a progressive Christian band called The Many. He’s facilitated workshops and lead worship for local and national gatherings and events. He's a podcast host and producer for online shows that are reaching BIPOC Queer audiences with messages of support and healing.
Darren brings with him an intentional focus on communities being inclusive as an authentic reflection of God’s love and justice. Lastly, Darren is an extrovert who loves hugs. Follow him on social media at @heyDarren or through his blog, DarrenCalhoun.com.
Carlos Rodriguez
Quad Chair
Illinois Poor People's Campaign
Carlos Rodriguez is a Quad Chair for the Illinois Poor People's Campaign. He currently works for a not-for-profit called, WestCare Illinois as a Program Director where he oversees drug/alcohol and violence prevention work in nine alternative high schools in Chicago's west and south sides. Carlos and his mother founded the Albuquerque Border Cities Project (ABC) in 1986 dedicated to monitoring the abuses of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a restorative justice practitioner, wilderness therapist and certified drug and alcohol counselor with the state of Illinois.
Rossana Rodriguez
33rd Ward Alderman
Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez has delivered improvements to her ward's neighborhood schools, brought affordable housing to the ward, and championed innovative programs for public health and safety.
In her first four years, Rossana has increased ward democracy by giving neighbors a vote in important decisions in the ward and has helped transform City Hall by ensuring it is no longer a rubber stamp for the mayor. She worked to codify Chicago as a sanctuary city for immigrants and recently led legislation to codify abortion and transgender rights. In her next term, Rossana will continue to fight to make Chicago a city that provides for the many, not the few.
Rossana Rodriguez is a mother, youth educator, and lifelong community activist. She is currently completing her Masters in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University. Originally from Puerto Rico, Rossana attended her first demonstration at the age of six, when her neighborhood of Mariana waged a successful battle for public access to drinking water.
Note: Community Renewal Society, its guest participants, organizations, seminaries and congregations are or represent non-profits, and as 501C 3 entities, are not endorsing candidates. This is strictly an educational community forum discussing issues of advocacy and the needs of our communities.