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Core Coordinating Circle Members
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learn more about them.
Carla Mae Streeter
Carla Mae is professor emerita at Aquinas Institute of Theology, a graduate school of Ministry and Leadership in the Dominican Tradition associated with St. Louis University. She is Convener of CompassionateSTL and chair of the CSTL Coordinating Circle, the flexible gathering of Core CSTL Members and Partners which meets to report on and direct CSTL efforts and activities. She is one of the founders of CSTL along with the Rev. David Mehl (retired).
David Oughton
Dr. David Oughton has taught many courses in the world's religions at Saint Louis University. He has been the president of Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis. David has attended the Parliaments of World Religion in 1993 (Chicago), 1999 (Cape Town), 2004 (Barcelona), 2009 (Melbourne), 2014 (Salt Lake City), and 2018 (Toronto). He was part of the 2013 St. Louis Group that went to Louisville to help St. Louis begin the process of becoming a Compassionate City.
Katherine Van Uum
Katherine was trained as a historian and philosopher of science. She has taught on the college level. In her research, Katherine welcomes the shift of cognitive and neuroscience research towards health and wellness paradigms, and views the science of compassion is a part of that shift. She has been vital to CSTL in helping the group to keep a science-based focus.
Philip Deitch
Philip Deitch has a 50 year-plus career as a human rights advocate that goes back to his 8th grade. He is active in a broad range of efforts impacting civil rights and equality, environmental justice, arts diversity, and coalition work by the Jewish and other spiritual communities. As a volunteer photographer he has built an archive of over 200,000 images documenting community social justice work. Philip is the official photographer for CSTL, and Note-taker for its Coordinating Circle Meetings.
Jack Sisk
Jack Sisk is the founder and executive director of The Living Insights Center, a universal religious and spiritual center which honors and nurtures the beliefs of each individual, and promotes understanding and appreciation of all spiritual traditions. A Hindu for 56 years, Jack is very active at The Hindu Temple of St. Louis. He represents the Hindu tradition as well as Living Insights on the Board of The Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis.
Batya Abrahmson Goldstein
Batya Abramson-Goldstein served the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) from 1988 to 2016, retiring in that year as its Executive Director.She served on the Cabinet of Interfaith Partnership including a term as Chair, was a founding member of Arts & Faith St. Louis, and served as chair of the Interfaith Breakfast Dialogue Group until her retirement in 2016. Retirement has not ended her continued support for efforts that build up the St. Louis region
Steve DiSalvo
Stephen DiSalvo has led Maryville University’s Office of Service & Spiritual Life since fall 2006, supporting students of all or no religious affiliation, providing multiple opportunities to participate in volunteer service. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1988, a Master’s Degree in Special Education in 1998 at the University of Missouri. He earned a Master of Divinity in 2005 at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Lo. He is tech savvy, and oversees the CSTL Facebook page.
Beth Damsgaard-Rodriguez
Beth has been active in interfaith work for many years. She is currently CEO and Interfaith Consultant at Interfaith Quest, an organization that provides interactive leadership focused on interactive leadership opportunities for youth representing a diversity of faith, races and cultures. Beth was a vital part of CSTL’s visioning and planning as it created its ten-year plan, and in encouraging her young members to become Partners in building the grass-roots base in the effort to make St. Louis a compassionate city.
Maryl Walters
Maryl Walters, CSB, MTS, is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher; an interfaith activist as a Cabinet Member of Interfaith Partnership in St. Louis, a member of the Interreligious Relations Convening Table of the National Council of Churches, participating in Jewish-, Muslim-, Sikh-, Hindu-, and Buddhist-Christian dialogues at the national level. Maryl has been active with CSTL from the Louisville visit on, gifting us with her networking skills and contacts.
Organizational Partners
2nd Chance Freedom Foundation 2-19
Aquinas Institute of Theology
Buckminster Fuller Center for
Spirituality and Sustainability
CAIR, Missouri
Church Women United in Metropolitan
St. Louis
City Greens Markets
Congregation B'nai Amoona
Empowering Partners, LLC
GatewayGIS
Gateway to Dreams
Help the Lou
Interfaith Breakfast Dialogue
Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis
Interfaith Quest
Interfaith St. Charles
Laughing Bear Bakery, Inc.
Living Insights Center
Mercy Hospital St. Louis
Metro East Interfaith Partnership
MicrofibersUnlimited.com
Motherwell LLC
My Just Desserts Alton
Naturally Good Interpretation
Neighborhood Enterprises
Nepute Wellness Center
Palestinian Awareness Group
Regional Muslim Action Network
Reset Missouri
St. Louis Friends of Bethlehem
St. Louis Friends Meeting
Saint Louis University
Salam Clinics, Muslim Community
Services in St. Louis
SF Shannon
Shia Islamic Education Center
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas-St. Louis
S.N.A.G. - Shawnee Natural Area Guardians
The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit
Turkish American Society of Missouri
and Muslim Academy
Individual Endorser Partners
Mona Abdallalazlama
Jessica Adams
Beverly Anderson
Jean Anderson
Ginger Andrews
Marianne Angliongto
Fran Armstrong
Patricia Baca
Mary Bailey
Alyssa Banford
Linda Bargmann
Bahar Bastani
Matthew Baugh
Mariette Baxendale
Paul Beins
Nancy Belt
Roger Bertschausen
Engin Blackstone
Maureen Blake
Wendy Bolm
Bridget Brennen
Agnes Brueggen
Charles Bryson
Jared Bryson
Merlene Buford
Rodrick Burton
Sheila Burton
Amy Camie
Delores Chapman
Susan Clancy
Mike Clark
Lenora Collier
James Comninellis
Jeffrey Cornelius
Trish Cowan-Williams
Lillie M. Crockett
David Crow
Thomas Cummins
Jo Curran
Teresa Danieley
Richard Davenport
Helen Davis
Kathleen Davis
Philip Deitch
Loyd Duering
Ali K. Durhan
Laura B. Ellenhorn
Thomas Esselman
Kelly Etheridge
Linda Farhat
Kathleen Farrell
Amy Feder
Beverley Foster
Jacque Foster
Lenny Frankel
Lucy Freeman
Helen Friedman
David Gerth
Roobik Gharabagi
Mary Carol Ghislin
Steve Gilbert
Margaret Gillerman
Judy Gladney
Josh Goldman
Laura Goldmeier
Idaria Goodwin
Marquis Govan
Sophia Grewal
Jim Griffard
William Gruhn
Debra Grund
Tom Gunn
Jeff Haferkamp
Jack Hambene
Madeline Hammell
Ricky D. Harden
Thomas Hardy
Vicki Harpring
Muhamed Hasic
John Hawkey
Ghazala Hayat
Vincent Heier
Mary Henehan
Virginia Herbers
Ellen Hiatt
Amy Hill
Steve Hinson
Paul Hintze
Karen Hoffman
Hsin-hsin Huang
Zubaida Ibrahim
Keli Jackson
Scott Jenkins
Gary Johnson
Catherine Kaier
Paula Kaintz
Howard Kaplansky
Karen Karabell
Mary Kellogg
Shari Kern
Dave Kim
Sweth Kim
Aureil Kirkland
Ron Kirkpatrick
Yvonne Kirkpatrick
Kim Kirn
Dana Klar
Shari Klein
Ron Knapp
Walter Ko
Lea Koesterer
Dan Koslowski
Evan Krauss
David Landesman
Katie Jansen Larsen
Elaine Larson
Ted Lau
Kevin Laughery
Sara Lee
Pearlie Lewis
Kathy Liebman
Jeff Lindgren
Michael Litwack
Jo Ludwig
Mary Lutz
Edward Madden
Loretto Maes
David J. Mancuso Teresa Mancuso
Elvir Mandzukic
Karen Mantia
Bill Marston
Cindy Marston
Kathleen Martin Catalina Martinez Billie Mayo
Kalen McAllister
Marybeth McBryan
Lana Gilbert McCarty
Mark McKenzie
Tom Mckenzie
Nora McMorrow
Andrew Mehring Terese Messman
Ann Miller
Cileia Miranda-Yuen Jeff Moore
Laua Moore
Ebrahim Moshiri Fie Motiei
Janice Munier
Joy Nack
Amy Narishkin
Elna A. Nelson
Tim Noonan
Mary Paulinus Oakes
Dan O'Brien
Kay B. O'Connor
Ronald O’Dwyer
Jorie O’Malley
Steve O’Malley
Mary O'Neill
Javier Orozco
Alan Parham
John Pettinger
Theresa Pfau
Edna Pinter
Jim Poinsett
Audrey Price
Margie Pride
Rudy Pulido
Ruth Rangel
Joe Reagan
Nancy Remmert John Renard
Tamara Revels
Jonella Rhoda
Dustin Robinson
Guillermo A.
Rodriguez
Carnie Rose
Brigitte Rosenberg Eliot Rosenbloom
Edward Ruane
Michael Ruberton
Larry Samuels
Stephen Sanders
Ben Sandler
Susan Sanner
Sherri Saunders
Peggy Beljan Schaefer
Marilyn Scheibel Sharon Schmitz
Harvey Schneider
Sue Schoenfelder
Debra Schuster
Helena Schutte
Marie Annette
Seymour
Rachel Shannon
Debra Shatoff
Mojda Sidiqi
Dorothy Simmons
Christopher Smith
Deandra Smith
Nancy Spargo
Jenna Spekart
Sandy Spencer
Michelle Stacy Barbara Stanford
Jonathan Starr
Katherine Steele
Mindy Stieg
Gerald L. Stookey Paul Stroble
C. Jessel Strong
Bob Suberi
Carolyn Sur
Judy Szot
Shirley Talbot
Barbara Thibodeau
Andy Thorp
Lisa Thorp
Ryan Tobey
Barb Trettel
Marilyn Turkovitch
Ben Verhagen
Cathy Vetter
David Walters
Marilyn Webb
David Wenzel
Carol Wesley
Chris West
Marcia Wilderman
Dwight Williams
Nancy Williams
Lois Yatzeck
Osamu Yoshida
Carol Ziel