NCTC Staff
Jackie Lynn Coleman, Co-Coordincator
jlcoleman@centerforprogress.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 11 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
Michael Evangelist, Policy Analyst
mevanglist@centerforprogress.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
Jonathan Njus, Co-Coordinator
jnjus@centerforprogress.org
Jonathan Njus, the Co-Director of the National Community Tax Coalition and Director of Advocacy for the Center for Economic Progress, comes to the Center and NCTC with a commitment to social justice and a strong knowledge of our area of work and organizational focus. Most recently, he has been working as a consultant to non-governmental organizations in Hungary, where he and his wife have lived for the past year and a half. Previously he was director of Housing Advocacy at the Archdiocese of Chicago, pushing to create more affordable housing throughout the city. He also worked with the National Council of La Raza in Washington, DC during the late 90s, combating planned cuts in the EITC and researching and writing on issues of taxation and economic security with regard to Hispanic Americans. He has a Master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and grew up in Michigan.
Speciality: Advocacy, Communication, Policy Strategy
Don Wedd, Website/Database Manager
dwedd@centerforprogress.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.
Judy Wemhoff, Communications Manager
jwemhoff@centerforprogress.org
Judy has six years of experience in communications and outreach. Prior to taking her current position, she served as the Executive Assistant of the Center for Economic Progress, where she communicated with the Center’s partners, funders, and stakeholders on behalf of the Executive Director. Before that, she spent two years at the University of Chicago’s South Asia Language and Area Center as the Outreach Assistant and Center Administrator. She also previously served a communications role as a Quality Administrator and Customer Care Representative at Minnesota’s Medica Health Insurance. Judy holds an M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton College.
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@centerforprogress.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.
Rolando Palacios, Manager, Midwest Tax Clinic
rpalacios@centerforprogress.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.
Mary Ruth Herbers, Director of Programs at the Center for Economic Progress
mrherbers@centerforprogress.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.
Larry Garner, Assistant Director Tax Services, Center for Economic Progress
lgarner@centerforprogress.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.
Christopher Gorman, Projects Manager, Center for Economic Progress
cgorman@centerforprogress.org
Christopher Gorman graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in May 2007. As a law student, Chris gained a great deal of experience in state and federal taxation. While studying for his Juris Doctorate, Chris worked often with organizations providing legal services to underrepresented individuals, including the elderly, disabled, and qualifying consumers. While a student attorney in Minnesota, he represented and counseled clients on their rights under the Minnesota Consumer Fraud Act, the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, and the Truth in Lending Act. Chris also worked closely with a task force called together by Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson to address the growing foreclosure and predatory lending crisis in Minnesota. On behalf of a fair housing advocate, Chris provided support and advised the task force on federal regulations affecting state regulatory lending reforms, later contributing to the legislative language of an adopted by the Minnesota General Legislature in 2007. After graduation, Chris relocated to Chicago and passed the Illinois State Bar in November 2007. He continues to represent clients on matters related to foreclosure, elder law, and disability on a pro bono basis.
