Katie Durham

Co-Chair, Metro EDGE; Communications Specialist, Sutter
Health

This story is part of our July 2026 Young Professionals issue. To read the print version, click here.



Katie Durham loves a group project. “I’ve always been part of
groups and organizations and teams,” says the 32-year-old
Sacramento native. “I was the kid that was taught if you join the
swim team, you have to finish the season.”

While attending a marketing class at Chico State University,
Durham watched a documentary about a team of design engineers who
sought to perfect the vegetable peeler. They sallied out to their
local grocery store to engage the public in their research, and
through a series of trials in the produce aisle, they determined
that a bicycle handle provided the best comfort and grip.

Durham recounts how moved she was by the film. “It’s really
silly, but it’s something that truly impacts your everyday. I
mean, if you’re a cook, you have to peel your potatoes and
carrots,” she says. “That’s what started my love for being
involved with the public and getting public input to change
something.”

She speaks fondly of her first “big girl” job at communications
and public outreach firm AIM Consulting, where she was part of a
team that staged a lantern festival on Sacramento’s I Street
Bridge for a study on how to convert its lanes to allow only foot
and bicycle traffic.

After that, she led the resource and development department at
Yolo County Children’s Alliance and served as vice president of
member engagement at the California Manufacturers & Technology
Association.

Her current role as a communications specialist for the Greater
Sacramento division of Sutter Health affords less time out in the
field, but Durham still interfaces with the public. “Being at
Sutter, it’s such a large organization that you have to make sure
you have the right people at the table and the right
information,” she says. “It’s still about making sure people have
the information they need.”

Durham’s volunteer work at Metro EDGE, Sacramento Metro Chamber
Foundation’s young professionals program, satisfies her need for
teamwork and community engagement. She joined the leadership
council in 2022, served as chair in 2025 and is co-chair for
2026, alongside Nancy Eldred, vice president of public affairs at
NAMI California.

As co-chair, Durham’s focus is on growing the organization’s
membership and reputation in the age of remote work. A remote
worker herself, she thinks people today crave connection and are
in need of a midweek mixer, which Metro EDGE is known to
facilitate. These networking events are a beacon to Sac’s
brightest young minds (and are also a good time).

“The thing I’m most proud of is the people,” Durham says.
“They’re incredibly ambitious, and they choose to spend their
time with us. … I would love for Metro EDGE to become one of
those organizations where employers say, ‘If I want to find
future leaders, that’s where I need to look.’”

“You have to be informed and present in your community to make
it what you want.”

Durham has an openness and an eagerness to connect that make her
an approachable role model. She’s candid about experiencing
imposter syndrome, especially in the silo of remote work. “Those
little voices in your head start trying to break down your
confidence in who you are and what you’re good at,” she says.

Her advice is to seek good company and stay engaged: “You have to
be informed and present in your community to make it what you
want.”

Beyond Metro EDGE, Durham serves on the board of United Cerebral
Palsy of Northern California, among other volunteer work. Her
fiance, Ian Corcoran, a project manager at WeidnerCA, supports
her busy life, along with her formerly stray cat, Slink, who’s
found a home with them in East Sacramento. In her free time,
Durham loves running, hiking, swimming, practicing Pilates and
walking around town.

In light of America’s 250th, Durham says, “One of the most
meaningful aspects of being American, in my experience, is the
ability to create change at the local level. Even in challenging
times, our communities hold real power. When we engage (voting
locally, participating in neighborhood associations, or attending
city and community meetings), we can influence decisions and see
the impact in tangible ways.”

–

View the list of
honorees from 2015 through 2026.

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