Katie Best-Richmond grew up in San Antonio and left the city for college with no plans of ever returning. But as life would have it, she found herself back in San Antonio in 2019 asking questions she didn’t have the words to ask as a child. With new eyes, Katie came back home asking why the city existed as it did. This time around, she sought out people and organizations that were doing the important job of educating and bringing people together. The issues that once made Katie want to leave San Antonio started to inspire her to stay and get more involved in the community.
With experience in the nonprofit sector, communications, and the service industry, Katie brings professional and personal experience to the work of community transformation. She hopes to help others find the right words to ask the big questions and aims at creating inclusive spaces where discussion and progress can flourish.
Patton Dodd has lived all over the country, but he and his family finally found home in San Antonio a few years ago—and if he has it his way, San Antonio will be home for good.
Patton’s background is a mix of journalism and academia. After completing a doctorate in religion and literature at Boston University, Patton transitioned into a journalism career, covering a range of topics from sports to movies to politics to church movements to poverty and economics. What tied it all together was a passion for stories about change: how people and places, ideas and institutions shift and develop—and how they can change for the good.
Patton loves listening and learning, especially to and from his fellow San Antonians.
Erica grew up in San Antonio and its neighborhoods run through her veins. She has fond memories of riding her bike through Beacon Hill, swimming at San Pedro Pool, and being “pushed” over the ghost tracks in a friend’s car on the Southside.
Her love for San Antonio and its people led to her attending the University of Texas at San Antonio to complete her Bachelors Degree in Sociology. Erica has worked in public service, non-profits, and faith-based organizations. From office administration to fundraising to volunteer coordination and project management, her desire has always been the same – to be a part of positive change in the community that built her. She believes that understanding and change can come from listening to one another with grace and humility. And she looks forward to creating the spaces and opportunities for these conversations to happen.
Elizabeth Coffee nurtures a deep love for San Antonio. The city formed her, and now she strives to be part of forming it. Her love of San Antonio is rooted in loving its people—diverse, everchanging, dynamic, and compassionate, San Antonians inspire her.
Elizabeth’s work experience reflects a decade working alongside religious non-profits and leaders through community engagement predominately in San Antonio and South Texas. She is a master’s student studying philanthropic studies at Indiana University in the Lilly School of Philanthropy and is a research associate for the Lake Institute of Faith and Giving. Through study and professional experience, she has made deep investments in the work of convening, connecting, and collaborating, always valuing the process of incorporating community voice.
Elizabeth believes that community repair comes from the work of building trust amongst each other.
Gabrielle started her professional career here in San Antonio after graduating from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in Religion. Community-focused positions and projects have taken her all over the city. As a result, she quickly fell in love with the culture and the people of San Antonio. The friendships discovered and the generous hospitality experienced made it easy to call San Antonio home. Gabrielle’s background in community engagement, marketing, and full-time vocational ministry has given her a unique ability to cultivate spaces of belonging, understanding, and connection among diverse groups of people.
Gabrielle believes narrative change and innovative action require authentic connections across social, racial, and economic barriers. She’s excited to work with the H.E.Butt Foundation to facilitate Shared Tables that build relational bridges in San Antonio.
