Who We Are

The Project on Civic Reflection is staffed by thoughtful, friendly people with expertise in the practice of civic reflection. Since 1998 they have been leading group discussions, selecting readings, developing training materials, and serving as mentors to facilitators and other civic leaders. They use their education and experience to help people all over the country create fruitful civic conversation.

Elizabeth Lynn, Director
Kelli Covey, Director of Programs and Development
Catherine Tufariello, Associate Director for Communications
Susie Quern Pratt, Coordinator of Programs, Philanthropy
Beth Marco, Coordinator of Programs, Service and Volunteerism
Adam Davis, Senior Research Associate
Debbie Garbukas, Administrative Assistant

Elizabeth Lynn
Director of the Project on Civic Reflection

Elizabeth Lynn is the founder of the Project on Civic Reflection. She brings to the Project a wealth of experience gained through her education, her professional experience, and her involvement in her own community.

A native of New York City, Elizabeth Lynn received her B.A. with honors in American Civilization from Brown University. Awarded a Mellon Fellowship in Humanities for graduate study, she received her Ph.D. with distinction in Religion and Literature from the University of Chicago.

Elizabeth has taught at Roosevelt University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Valparaiso University. She has also held several positions in the non-profit sector, including service as an associate program officer for the Spencer Foundation and as coordinator of evaluation in the field of religion for Lilly Endowment.

Since founding the Project in 1998, Elizabeth has dedicated her time and attention to sharing the practice of civic reflection with others. An experienced facilitator and presenter, she has conducted workshops, led board discussions, and spoken at conferences of many regional and national organizations, including the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the Donors Forum, and More Than Money Institute. She also consults with other programs of civic conversation nationwide.

With Adam Davis, Elizabeth co-edited The Civically Engaged Reader, an anthology of readings on civic engagement. Other publications include articles for More Than Money Magazine, Teachers College Record, and Philanthropy Journal.org. She is co-author with Barbara Wheeler of "Missing Connections," a research study of public perceptions of theological education and, with Susan Wisely, of several book chapters on philanthropy and philanthropic education.

In addition to directing the Project on Civic Reflection, Elizabeth serves on the Advisory Board of the Lake Family Institute on Faith and Giving at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the steering committee of the Conversations Project at Valparaiso University. She facilitates conversations for the annual Valpo Reads a Book program and hosts a weekly radio program, Town Talk Live, on WLVP community radio. She is the Vice President of the Valparaiso Old Time Dance Society, a past member of the Parent-Teacher Advisory Council at Central Elementary School in Valparaiso, and the proud if somewhat puzzled parent of two teenagers.
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Kelli Covey
Director of Programs and Development

Kelli Covey joined the Project in August 2008, bringing to her position over fifteen years' experience in the academic, business, and nonprofit sectors. Her previous position was as senior development officer at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a statewide coalition of over 100 member organizations representing Latino, Asian, Arab, Muslim, Eastern European, and African immigrants. At the ICIRR Kelli wrote grants, worked with foundations, corporations and consultants, built an individual donor program, and created a culture of fundraising within the organization. She also has past experience as a resource development director, web site strategist and architect, writer, and marketing strategist.

Kelli brings to the Project not only her professional expertise but her deep commitment to service. Since 2004 she has served as a mentor for the Pan-African Association and previously worked with the Chicago chapter of the Keep a Child Alive initiative, which is dedicated to the fight against AIDS in Africa. As a VISTA member, she spent her service year on a Dakota reservation in North Dakota, where she developed a drug abuse prevention project for kids in a five-county region. Over the past three years, she has been deeply involved in the immigrant rights movement, working to ensure justice for immigrant communities. She also served two years as the president of the staff union.

The common strain in Kelli's diverse and challenging career has been her interest in literature, research, and social change. She received her B.A. cum laude from Austin College in Texas, where she double-majored in English and Theology. She later completed graduate coursework in English and Cultural Studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she specialized in Native American and African American literature. Kelli is excited about joining the Project on Civic Reflection because she believes the humanities have a role to play in talking about difference, finding common ground, and making real change in the world.
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Catherine Tufariello
Associate Director for Communications

Catherine Tufariello joined the Project in January 2006, bringing teaching, administrative and writing talents. She coordinates the Project's Seed Grant Program, produces the newsletter, and supervises other communications-related activities.

Catherine received her Ph.D. in English Literature from Cornell University, where she specialized in American poetry. She has taught literature and writing at several universities, including Valparaiso University. Because of her teaching experience, she is especially interested in the way that civic reflection uses literary and historical texts to inspire conversation, connection and change. Her past administrative experience includes serving as program coordinator for the National Center on Philanthropy and the Law at New York University.

Catherine's first book of poetry, Keeping My Name, was a finalist for the 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Poetry and winner of the 2006 Poets' Prize. Her work in civic reflection inspires new topics for her poetry; likewise, her poetry enlightens her approach to civic reflection.
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Susie Quern Pratt
Coordinator of Programs, Philanthropy

Susie Quern Pratt became a facilitator for the Project on Civic Reflection in 2003 and in this role has led conversations with leaders of both nonprofit and philanthropic organizations about the purpose of their civic activity. Her own civic involvement includes serving on the board of a small family foundation and serving as President of the board of Family Matters, a local community development organization. In addition to this civic activity, Susie serves as the Coordinator of Evaluation for Lilly Endowment's Religion Division and as instructor in the area of evaluation for the Donors Forum of Chicago, teaching workshops for both nonprofits and grantmakers. She received her A.M. from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, with a concentration in social policy and administration.
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Beth Marco
Coordinator of Programs, Service and Volunteerism

Beth Marco was introduced to the Project on Civic Reflection in 2004, when she participated in "Justice Talking" while working at City Year Chicago.

As a Program Manager at City Year Chicago, Beth led 17-24 year olds through ten months of full-time national service while running a leadership and service program for middle school students. Because of the strong leadership development and service-learning themes in these programs, Beth became especially interested in the deliberate approach the Project on Civic Reflection uses to promote reflection within service organizations.

As coordinator of programs in the area of service and volunteerism, Beth is excited to work with organizations across the country to learn how best to make civic reflection a stronger part of service culture.
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Adam Davis
Senior Research Associate

Since 2003, Adam has been training facilitators, leading discussions, and doing research for the Project. He is the co-editor, with Elizabeth Lynn, of The Civically Engaged Reader and Talking Service: Readings for Reflection.

In addition to his work with the Project, Adam is the founder and lead facilitator of "Justice Talking," a reading and discussion series for Illinois AmeriCorps organizations that has been replicated in fifteen states across the country. He is also the Project Coordinator of Civic Reflection Programs for the Illinois Humanities Council; the Executive Director of Camp of Dreams, a non-profit organization providing year-round programming for underserved young people in Chicago; an instructor in The Odyssey Project, a college-level humanities program for low-income adults; and a lecturer in the University of Chicago's undergraduate core curriculum.

Adam received his Ph.D. from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, and he currently lives in Chicago with his wife, Hana, and their children, Jacob and Sasha.
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Debbie Garbukas
Administrative Assistant

Debbie Garbukas joined the Project in January 2007. Originally from Milwaukee, she worked at an elementary school there while raising her two children. Debbie's work experience also includes fifteen years at the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, where she assisted senior audit partners and served as Recruiting Coordinator for the Milwaukee office.
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