City Connect Detroit: Bio

A Senior Consultant with City Connect Detroit since July, 2007, this is not Karen Calhoun’s first time working with the organization. She currently supports technical assistance to the North End Collaborative in its implementation and facilitated development of the North End Transformation model. Karen is also helping City Connect Detroit brand research-based theory on collaboration and represents the leadership team for the Prisoner Re-entry initiative. Working years ago at United Community Services and United Way she has participated in other collaboratives including the Detroit Community Partnership to Eliminate Lead Poisoning (DC PELP).

Prior to City Connect Detroit, Karen was the Vice President for Community Health at the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, one of the lead agencies working with the DC PELP Collaborative. In her post with the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, Karen focused on community programming, encouraging prevention and intervention against disease and illness, working to fight obesity and lead prevention and promoting healthy lifestyles and access to healthcare. Intimately involved with the nonprofit sector, Karen has also worked as a community planner for the United Way, a program officer and coordinator for the Detroit Initiative with the Kresge Foundation, and a research assistant for the School of Medicine at Wayne State University.

Karen, a mother and a grandmother, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and has done significant work in the community. She has done noteworthy work around literacy including helping to found Pro Literacy Detroit, an organization that helps teach illiterate adults and children how to read, assists with bilingual education and develops skills for individuals to obtain jobs. She is an assistant swim coach at the Adams-Butzel Recreation Center, and loves swimming, working out, and wood-working.

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