NCTC Staff

Jackie Lynn Coleman, Co-Coordincator
jlcoleman@economicprogress.org

Jackie Lynn Coleman serves as the Director of Capacity Building and Training at the Center for Economic Progress and the Co-Coordinator of the National Community Tax Coalition, a project of the Center for Economic Progress. Ms. Coleman has 5 years of experience in Community Banking and 13 years of experience working in the areas of organizational, community, economic, and workforce development, as well as public policy. In the past she has provided capacity building to a number of organizations, including construction, child care and manufacturing, across the nation; apprenticeship programs, the Chicago One-Stop Career Centers, and the Illinois Department of Human Services. Ms. Coleman is a candidate for a Ph.D. in Nonprofit Management, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Spertus College with a M.S. in Human Services Administration, and gained a B.S. with honors in Political Science from Chicago State University.

Speciality: Program Development, Organizational Development, Curriculum Development, Coalition Building, Partnership Development, Evaluation, Quality Assurance, Survey Development, Financial Products


Cari L. Taylor, Member Relations Manager
ctaylor@economicprogress.org

Cari Taylor graduated from Millsaps College in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is currently working on her master’s of Public Service Administration at DePaul University. Prior to joining NCTC, Cari worked for three years as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits where she was responsible for membership, public relations, marketing and communications, event planning and website development. Cari has also had numerous public speaking opportunities, most notably as the opening plenary speaker at the first ever Nonprofit Congress, a gathering of over 450 nonprofit leaders from across the nation. Believing that the power of many is greater than the power of one, Cari has dedicated her volunteer time to helping organizations create systemic change that empowers disadvantaged people to strive for and achieve economic prosperity.

Specialties:Branding Strategies, Membership Development & Recruitment, Graphic Design, Website Development, Event Planning

Michael Evangelist, Policy Analyst
mevanglist@economicprogress.org

Michael graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Public Policy in 2007. He also holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Notre Dame.  Prior to graduate school he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyiv, Ukraine where he assisted a charity with staff development. Before setting off for Ukraine, Michael spent nearly three years forecasting profits for Procter & Gamble’s Beauty Care department.

Speciality: Tax Policy, Data

Don Wedd, Website/Database Manager
dwedd@economicprogress.org

Don Wedd spent 7 years developing local chapters and technology for a progressive national Catholic reform organization before joining the Coalition staff in 2004. In an earlier life in another country, he taught in several high schools, conducted social research, trained search and rescue teams, and wrote for various periodicals. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Theological Studies from Maryknoll School of Theology, a Graduate Diploma in Intercultural Studies from Edith Cowan University, and a B.S. in Physics from Murdoch University.

Lucy Mullany, Field Organizer
Lmullany@economicprogress.org

Lucy completed her Masters at the University of Chicago in Urban and Political Sociology in 2008. She also holds a B.A. from Loyola University Chicago in Political Science and International Studies. Prior to joining NCTC as the Field Organizer, Lucy worked for four years in Chicago’s non-profit community with National Student Partnerships. Believing strongly in the power of communities to affect change, Lucy has spent significant time organizing low-income communities and state coalitions to advocate for the rights of low-wage workers, funding for public housing, and reforms to state sentencing laws.

Center for Economic Progress Staff

The Coalition utilizes the expertise of many staff of the Center for Economic Progress for Technical Assistance and advocacy.


Barbara DelBene, Senior Training Specialist, Center for Economic Progress
bdelbene@economicprogress.org

Barbara DelBene is the Senior Training Specialist at the Center for Economic Progress. She develops curriculum, writes materials, and prepares instructors to train over 1000 volunteers for the Center’s Tax Counseling Project. Ms. DelBene also developed the curriculum and training materials for the Center’s Family Child Care Tax Project and assists the NCTC with technical assistance and advocacy projects. She holds a Bachelors degree in mathematics and is an Enrolled Agent. She is married and has two sons.

Speciality: Tax Law, Curriculum Development, Tax Training, Small Business Recordkeeping.

Larry Garner, Assistant Director Tax Services, Center for Economic Progress
lgarner@economicprogress.org

Larry Garner graduated from Kansas State University in 1977 and has worked in various states in the accounting and tax field for over 20 years. In 1980 Larry became a licensed CPA and has extensive experience working with low income tax payers.

Larry is currently the Assistant Director of the Tax Counseling Project for the Center for Economic Progress. Since working with the Center for Economic Progress, Larry has been instrumental in raising a number of downstate returns prepared by the Center for Economic Progress from 1,500 returns in 2000 to well over 12,000.

Larry is also involved with the Family Child Care Tax Project by providing basic income tax information and tax planning classes for home-based child care providers and foster and adoptive parents.

Although Tax Law is immense and complicated, Larry’s 20 plus years of experience in the tax field has allowed him to become a very educated individual in tax law. Although he does not claim to know all of tax law, he does know how to find any answer one might need.

Mary Ruth Herbers, Director of Programs at the Center for Economic Progress
mrherbers@economicprogress.org

Mary Ruth Herbers is the Director of Programs at the Center for Economic Progress in Chicago in Chicago working on tax policy, tax outreach and education, and tax training programs focused on the needs of low-income households. The Center for Economic Progress is the largest, community-based free tax preparation program in the nation, preparing about 30,000 tax returns per year. The Center is also the convener of the National Community Tax Coalition, a network of over 600 community tax preparation and asset-building organizations. Ms. Herbers has worked on multiple asset-building programs, convenes the Asset Building Working Group of the National Community Tax Coalition, and oversees asset-building activities at the Center’s 39 tax preparation sites. Ms. Herbers has a Master's degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and staffed the U. S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Hunger.

Rolando Palacios, Manager, Midwest Tax Clinic
rpalacios@economicprogress.org

Rolando Palacios, Director of Tax Services, Center for Economic Progress has worked at the Center for 3 and a half years. Prior to that Rolando worked as a consultant doing development work for non-profits that provide low-income housing. He has also worked in the telecommunications industry for 14 years. He began working with the Center for Economic Progress as a volunteer for the Tax Counseling Project. He later became a volunteer for the Midwest Tax Clinic and went on to join the staff and became the Clinic manager. Mr. Palacios is an Enrolled Agent who holds a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications from DePaul University as well as a Bachelor of Science from DePaul.

Speciality: ITINs, Immigrant Taxpayers, Tax Site Operations.

Rebecca Riha, Special Projects Coordinator
rriha@economicprogress.org

Rebecca Riha is the Special Projects Coordinator for Capacity Building and Training, for the Center for Economic Progress. In her current role, she provides support to increase the number of community tax preparation and asset building initiatives through training and technical assistance. She also gives support in the coordination of national and regional events. Rebecca received a B.S. in Public Relation with a minor in Political Science from Illinois State University. During her time at Illinois State Rebecca served as an AmeriCorps member, with Jumpstart for Young Children. Upon graduation Rebecca became a VISTA for Jumpstart and interned at their central office in Chicago, IL on the Read for the Record campaign, assisting with the development of the campaign. Rebecca also has experience working in the area of litigation, as a paralegal in the suburbs of Chicago. Rebecca is currently working on her Masters in Non-Profit Management from North Park University.

Catherine Ro, Project Manager
cro@economicprogress.org

Catherine Ro serves as the Project Manager Capacity Building and Training. In her current role, she manages projects in the areas of technical assistance, training, and national events. Catherine holds a Masters in International Development from the University of Bath, England and a Bachelors in Accountancy from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She has served as a Business Advisor for Youth Development helping women and youth with sustainable livelihood and micro-finance projects in the US Peace Corps-Philippines. In addition, she has interned at the American Red Cross in their Corporate Diversity department assisting in community relationship trainings and partnership development.