For Calmetta Coleman, excellence was never optional. It was expected.
“It is something that was taught to me from childhood by my grandmother, my mother, my aunts, uncles and many beloved teachers,” she said.
As Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Urban League, Coleman is key in advancing the organization’s mission: empowering Black families and communities through social and economic means while promoting.
Coleman leads the charge of programs, external affairs and internal operations and ensures that the League’s impact is strategic and lasting.
In short, ensuring excellence is her job.
Thanks to her distinguished career, Coleman is being recognized as a 2025 Chicago Defender Women of Excellence honoree.
Coleman is used to being recognized for her work, especially as a student.
Throughout high school and college, she accumulated awards and accolades. However, she said that being recognized by The Chicago Defender holds special meaning.
“The Defender has an incredible place in Black American history and in my heart,” she said. “This is the first public recognition I have received as a working adult, and it means a lot.”
However, her becoming one of the leading executives of a storied organization is due, in part, to a pivotal moment that occurred earlier in her career.
Defining Moments and Lessons Learned
That defining moment forced Coleman to rethink how success is earned. “I realized that I would not automatically be rewarded, promoted, or given a higher position simply because I worked hard and deserved it,” she said. Frustrated by seeing others move ahead while she remained in place, she turned to prayer and found guidance in James 4:12: ‘You have not because you ask not.’
“From that moment on, I have asked for the assignments and positions I want. And when a superior says no, I lean into the full meaning of that verse and ask God instead,” she said.
Prayer, faith and reflection guide her to do the work that matters.
Overcoming Challenges and Redefining Limits
Coleman has navigated workplace challenges like many professionals, but the most formidable barrier has been overcoming how others perceive her potential. “The biggest challenge has been having other people put me in a box, trying to define how much responsibility is too much for me,” she said. “From that, I learned that I have to define my own limits and not be content with where someone else wants to place me. I’m still learning this.”
Advice for the Next Generation
Coleman keeps her guidance succinct and direct for women aspiring to excellence: “Set your own standard of excellence. Put in the work. Network. Lead fearlessly.”
Looking Ahead
Though her professional journey began in journalism, writing business stories for The Wall Street Journal, her passion for storytelling has never waned.
She is adding a new chapter.
“I have loved the written word since I first learned to read, and I still see myself as a writer.”
Coleman has penned short stories and started several novels, but now she has a clear goal: “Next, I’d like to have a fiction work published.”
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