Jaya Kolisetty has spent many years serving as an advocate for some of the community’s most traumatized individuals. Now, she hopes to expand her role in advocacy and representation by serving the residents of Ward 4 on the Urbana City Council. Kolisetty is one of a flurry of newcomer candidates who decided to become more involved in their local government after recent events painfully illustrated the need for change.
Kolisetty grew up in the Chicago area, but her Urbana story starts in 2005, when she came to the U of I to complete an undergraduate program in Gender & Women’s Studies. Though she moved away for a few years to complete her master’s degree, she returned to Urbana in 2012 because of its “vibrant and diverse community” and has lived here ever since. Jaya lives with her husband, who is a veterinarian at the U of I, and one “bossy” 18-year-old cat. She enjoys live music and patronizing Urbana’s many local restaurants and venues.
“I have been active in CU as a community advocate and educator since 2013 when I joined the staff of Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services (RACES). There I provided support to survivors of sexual violence including crisis intervention services, in-person and through their 24/hour hotline, and direct assistance navigating the complexities of the legal and medical systems. I also designed and implemented educational programs for teachers, schoolchildren, social workers, medical providers, and first responders to raise awareness, reduce the prevalence of sexual violence, and advocate for more supportive responses to survivors. In 2018, I was named one of Central Illinois Business magazine’s “40 under 40” and received the Community Impact Award from the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana for my service as the only employee at RACES for six months during the 2015-2017 Illinois state budget impasse. From these awards, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to pursue a master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at the U of I Gies College of Business, which I completed in December 2020.
In 2019, I joined the staff of the U of I’s Women’s Resource Center (WRC) as the Associate Director. In this role, I continue to provide support to survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking and oversee all sexual assault prevention programing for the WRC. I also chair the community-wide Rape Awareness and Prevention Committee. In my roles at RACES and the WRC, I have gained valuable experience advocating for others and administering and balancing budgets. Related to the latter, I have a track record of success securing local, state, and federal grant funding.
My plan as a candidate for Urbana City Council is to apply my experiences as a community advocate and educator to make our community safer and more inclusive. I plan to use my MBA training and experience in managing budgets and fundraising to ensure that we can make progress toward these objectives, despite anticipated fiscal challenges related to COVID-19.”
When asked about her goals and reasons for running for City Council, Kolisetty noted that Urbana’s often progressive aspirations have not typically gained traction, but she thinks now is the time. One of her top priorities is police reform:
“Urbana needs a comprehensive plan for police reform. In my opinion, current efforts fail to address core concerns about racial bias and the use of force. If elected, I would make addressing policing in Urbana a top priority.”
Right next to police reform as a priority, Kolisetty stressed local recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic:
“I believe that members of the city council are also going to need to address the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on our community. Urbana will need a plan for effective distribution of the vaccine and increased access to testing. Council will need to ensure that Cunningham Township and other social service providers are adequately funded to provide housing, food, and utility assistance. The City will also need to continue to apply for grants and other outside assistance to support local businesses.”
Kolisetty is a cyclist and she noted that her bicycle is her primary mode of transportation in Urbana. The issue of bicycle and pedestrian safety has been discussed by the City Council with some frequency in the past few months, and she would like to see those efforts continued and expanded.
“I believe we need to move to invest in infrastructure for safe and sustainable transportation. The City Council has passed a resolution supporting the Vision Zero goal of ending traffic fatalities and serious injuries and has been recognized as a “Bicycling Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists. These are signs of progress, but where I live in Ward 4 the streets are poorly illuminated, the roads are not well-maintained, and many streets lack sidewalks.”
Kolisetty said her greatest concern about being on the Council is that they may be resistance to meaningful change. She said that “implementing significant change will require courage and a commitment to put in work outside of weekly meetings.”
Jaya Kolisetty is the only Democrat that filed in Ward 4, so she will skip the February Primary and will contend with Republican candidate Mike Kobel in the general election on April 6th.
More information about Kolisetty’s candidacy can be found on her campaign website and Facebook page: