Staff
Rob is the Director of Tax Operations for the CASH Campaign of Maryland. He was introduced to free tax preparation services while managing a partner program of the Baltimore CASH Campaign. After working with vulnerable individuals in many capacities, he immediately saw the impact of free tax preparation. He actively works to improve tax systems through free tax preparation and membership with groups like the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Committee and the Maryland Board of Individual Tax Preparers. He is a member of the Maryland bar and previously represented low-income individuals as a legal aid attorney in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Peace Corps in the countries of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. He holds a JD from the University of Toledo School of Law and a BA in Political Science with a certificate in Peace Studies from Siena College.
Favorite part of my job: Logistics – there is nothing like schlepping large boxes of equipment and materials to tax sites. Reviewing a tax return with a client – it is always rewarding to see a client understand their tax return for the first time. Understanding the tax return can be very empowering for them.
What inspires you? Building and fixing everything. Building projects in my wood shop is incredibly rewarding to me. Finding ways to help people is even greater. Developing a free tax program is the highest achievement ever. The great outdoors with my son. Sailing, mountain climbing, scouting, biking, backpacking, or anything else outside is great. If only we could prepare taxes outside.
Veronica is the Program Manager for Tax and Financial Capability with CASH Campaign of Maryland. In this role Veronica provides direct services to clients who need to be connected to money-saving benefits and free tax preparation. Veronica has over 10 years of experience in Human Services, which includes Program Director and Case Management in the areas of housing, homelessness, and social services. Veronica holds a Master of Management degree with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families from Brandeis University.
Favorite part of my job: Helping clients to transition from a feeling of helplessness to empowerment.
What motivates you? Watching the growth of returning tax clients each year when they come to my tax site.
Sara is the Co-Founder and COO of the CASH Campaign of Maryland, a nonprofit that improves the financial security of low-to-moderate income Marylanders. The CASH Campaign of Maryland is the result of a recent merger between the Baltimore CASH Campaign and the Maryland CASH Campaign. CASH and its statewide network of partners annually prepares 22,000 free tax returns, bringing in $30 million in tax refunds to low-income taxpayers, provides free financial education and coaching to over 7,000 residents, and conducts advocacy on state and federal policies. Sara has over 15 years of nonprofit experience in the Baltimore area. She previously served as the Director for the Baltimore CASH Campaign where she led a citywide coalition of free tax preparation and financial capacity service partners. Sara spearheaded the launch of Seedco’s Baltimore office where she managed the local implementation of their benefits access program EarnBenefits Online. She also worked with the United Way of Central Maryland in the Community Impact division for Basic Needs and with the Annie E. Casey Foundation where she managed its neighborhood grants program. Sara earned her Bachelor of Arts from Guilford College in Business Management and a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work. She currently resides in Howard County with her husband and twin girls.
Favorite part of my job: Being creative and trying new approaches to making a difference in people’s lives. I also love working with the CASH team – they rock.
What motivates you? When partners have that ‘ah ha’ moment and see how our work around financial security fits with their work too.
Robin is Co-Founder and CEO of the CASH Campaign of Maryland, a nonprofit that improves the financial security of low-to-moderate income Marylanders. The CASH Campaign of Maryland is the result of a recent merger between the Baltimore CASH Campaign and the Maryland CASH Campaign. CASH and its statewide network of partners annually prepares 22,000 free tax returns, bringing in $30 million in tax refunds to low-income taxpayers, provides free financial education and coaching to over 7,000 residents, and conducts advocacy on state and federal policies. For the past 16 years, Robin has worked in the field of asset building, engaging in fundraising, advocacy, and program and coalition management, including for the Annie E. Casey Foundation and East Harbor CDC. She has a BSW from Elizabethtown College and a MSW from the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work, where she co-founded the Financial Social Work Initiative and is currently an Adjunct Professor. Robin is a board member of Prosperity Now (formerly CFED), and a member of Maryland’s Financial Education and Capability Commission.
Favorite part of my job: Hearing client success stories and knowing that people are more financially secure.
What motivates you? The endless energy and dedication of our staff, partners, and volunteers.
Sue Rogan
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) with AFCPE
Sue leads the expansion and support of asset building coalitions and partnership development to cultivate and broaden a group of stakeholders from around the state who are committed to asset building programs such as financial education, financial coaching and tax preparation. She leads CASH’s efforts to provide professional development for practitioners and oversees special projects that serve unique audiences. She also serves as CASH’s representative on several state Commissions to represent the individual consumer voice and is a Board Member of Consumer Action. Sue obtained a BA in Political Science from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and prior to joining CASH, was an Investigator/Communications Manager with Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection.
Favorite part of my job: Helping people be successful, however they define success, with their finances. Whether it’s providing help to our partners with their programs or coaching someone myself, my favorite part of my job is when someone lets me know that our work made a difference.
What motivates me: Being a motivator for organizations and individuals to achieve their goals. Helping people learn that there is always hope.
Megan is the Program Manager for Tax Partnerships. Megan supports CASH’s statewide network of free tax preparation program partners. She provides them with the tools and training they need to help their clients and community reach financial stability by leveraging the tax time moment. Megan also contributes to the development and implementation of a variety of partner and volunteer training needs, and assists with the implementation of the Maryland Community Fellows Program. Megan received her BA in Sociology and Africana Studies from Oberlin College in 2016, and in 2018 she completed the Financial Social Work Certificate Program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, and became a Certified Financial Education Instructor with the National Financial Educators Council. Originally from The Bronx, New York (Go Yankees!), Megan and her partner Rachel have called Baltimore their home since 2017.
Favorite part of my job: The opportunity to work with folks who come from similar cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds as me! More importantly, helping these people achieve their financial goals, improve their overall financial fitness, and experience a sense of economic empowerment from their finances.
What motivates you: I’m motivated by the prospects of cultivating financially stable and economically resilient communities, one client at a time!
Christina is a Program Associate for Financial Capability. In this role Christina supports the delivery of direct services and the implementation of new programs: she serves as the Lead Financial Navigator with the Baltimore County Financial Navigator Program, and is a bilingual Financial Educator as well as a Benefits Screener. She also assists the Financial Capability team in implementing other asset development programs and initiatives. Christina has spent most of her career providing direct services to non-profits in Baltimore City and the DC metro area. She holds a BA in Global Affairs with a concentration in Latin America from George Mason University. In 2019 she received a Work Incentives Practitioner Certificate for Benefits Planners from Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability.
Favorite part of my job: Seeing the positive impact of our work on the lives of our clients.
What inspires/motivates me: My favorite part of my job is what motivates me. The idea that through hard work, creativity, and a good team we are capable of creating real, effective positive social change in the lives of our clients and our communities.
Hilary is the Financial Wellness Coordinator for the Financial Wellness Program. This program delivers direct service to families participating in the Baltimore Infant and Toddlers Program. (BITP). These are families with young children who are experiencing a delay in development or who have been diagnosed with a condition that is likely to affect development. In her role, Hilary works alongside a team of human service professionals to offer wrap around services to help families build their financial wellbeing through education, information, tools and resources. Hilary meets one-on-one with families, listens and connects them to resources that will support them in achieving their financial goals. Hilary also provides benefit counseling, financial education, training and workshops.
Hilary has spent her entire career building relationships and community connections, creating safe environments and empowering others. Over the course of her career, she has worked with youth and young adults, young mothers experiencing homelessness, individuals with addictions and mental illness, people living with HIV and survivors of human trafficking. She brings a trauma informed approach to every encounter and is committed to honoring and respecting the needs of all people. Hilary holds a BA in English from Towson University and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts at the University of Baltimore.
Favorite part of my job: The favorite part of my job is meeting and connecting with families. I am honored that they allow me to walk with them on their journey towards financial wellness.
What inspires/motivates me: I am inspired every day by the courage and determination of the families I work with. And of course, there’s nothing like witnessing someone achieve their first financial goal!
Lonia is CASH’s Policy and Development Associate, working on advocacy and policy initiatives in Baltimore City and across Maryland. This involves working in Annapolis, researching multiple policy areas, and outreach to communities. She also provides support for the Financial Education and Capability Commission and advocacy coalitions across Maryland. Lonia received her BA in Sociology and BA in Political Science from the University of Georgia in 2018. Then, she completed her Master in Social Work with a concentration in Community Action and Social Policy in 2020.
Favorite part of my job: I love researching different policy areas and working towards having policies that benefits our clients.
What inspires/motivates me: I am motivated by the changes that CASH has championed and the initiates we have moving forward.
Tonaeya is the Director of Policy for the CASH Campaign of Maryland. She brings her experience in intergovernmental relations and public policy to the organization. Tonaeya has an extensive background working in various positions in the Maryland General Assembly. Prior to joining CASH, she worked as Chief of Staff for the Office of Delegate Stephanie Smith.
Tonaeya obtained her B.A. in Philosophy from Morgan State University in 2018 and her MPA with a concentration in Public Policy from the University of Baltimore in 2020. She currently resides in Baltimore City with her fiancé and dog.
Favorite part of my job: Working with a dynamic team who truly cares about promoting economic advancement for low –to-moderate income families in Maryland.
What inspires/motivates me: Seeing the positive impact our work has on the lives of many Marylanders.
Kyarah is the Program Assistant for the HHS project. Kyarah assists families with accessing free tax preparation and asset building services that aim to protect families in Baltimore from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). She also provides ongoing tax preparation support to the Community Engagement Center tax site in West Baltimore.
Kyarah joined CASH after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Economics. She previously interned with The Brookings Institution and Prosperity Now (formerly CFED) where she assisted with a variety of programs and research projects that focused on financial capability and a variety of other social and economic issues.
Favorite part of the job: Interacting with our clients, and providing them with a trustworthy, quality service.
What inspires/motivates me: Empowering everyday people, and being a part of the solution.
Meri is the Operations Manager for CASH Campaign. She brings over decade of customer service and management skills to the organization, and is originally from Chesapeake Va. While in Virginia she attended the Culinary Institute of Virginia and pursued her passion for cooking before leaving the area.
Favorite part of the job: I love being able to help people. There is no task too big or too small for me.
What inspires me: I am inspired by the people around me and wanting to make a change in other people’s lives. It is rewarding being a part of a team that wants to help make a difference in our community.
Whitney is a Program Associate for Financial Capability. In this role Whitney supports the delivery of CASH’s direct service programs including financial coaching and financial planning. She also supports efforts to provide financial education trainings to unique audiences and professional development for practitioners. Prior to joining CASH, she worked in community outreach serving the Baltimore City Latinx community through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Centro SOL program. Whitney holds a B.A. in Political Science from Syracuse University.
Favorite part of the job: Facilitating workshops that inspire open discussions around how to apply various personal finance concepts into the work or personal lives of the participants.
What inspires/motivates me: Knowing that the services we are offering, whether it be a financial education class on budgets or a financial coaching session, will provide clients with the tools to start building generational wealth now, despite all the systemic barriers that remain.
Justine Trybus
Development Associate and Grant Writer
Justine is a Development Associate and Grant Writer with The CASH Campaign of MD. Native to Maryland, Justine was introduced to advocacy writing in the nonprofit sector through a project at Towson University (TU) known as Grantwriting in Valued Environments (G.I.V.E). After working closely with local grassroots organizations in Baltimore, she quickly realized grant writing was the avenue she had been looking for as a writer wanting to make a difference in the world. Justine earned her Bachelor of Science from TU in English and Marketing. Her research and writing has focused on equity, justice, and reparations for marginalized groups of people.
Favorite part of the job: I love writing, but more than that I love using my skills for a good cause and working as a team to improve people’s lives.
What inspires/motivates me: Learning new things to expand my knowledge, being creative, and finding beauty in the mundane all inspire and motivate me each day.
Melissa is a Bank On Consultant for the CASH Campaign of Maryland. This role allows her to support the program in its mission to get un- and under-banked consumers access to safe and affordable bank accounts. Melissa is passionate about this type of work because she believes in empowering others through personal finance.
Her passion for this began in high school, and she’s since made a career in working with people one-on-one on their financial goals and educating grade school students on financial literacy. She also volunteers her time with the VITA program, helping consumers with tax preparation, and on the DC Financial Literacy Council where she promotes financial literacy and education for the residents of the District of Columbia.
Favorite part of the job: working on a program that supports the financial wellness of the country’s most vulnerable, providing them access to tools and resources that can help them improve their lives.
What inspires/motivates me: the ability to make an impact doing work I am passionate about.
Joi is the Program Manager of Financial Capability with CASH Campaign of Maryland. In this role Joi leads a variety of initiatives with a primary focus on CASH’s Bank On Maryland program, and the growth of CASH’s statewide Partner Network. Prior to joining CASH, Joi was the Supportive Services Manager of a Financial Opportunity Center in Baltimore. She has an A.S. in Psychology-Special Studies, B.S. in Psychology and is currently studying to obtain her M.S. in Counseling at Capella University.
Favorite part of the job: Having the opportunity to develop relationships with community agencies and members that have a common goal and mission. As well as helping individuals in the community connect with financial resources, and education that can not only aid them, but can also enrich the lives of their families for generations to come.
What inspires/motivates me: Knowing that I have the opportunity to help the underserved and uninformed community members gain the tools needed to have a well-rounded life, filled with knowledge and longevity. Breaking the chains of poverty.