Staff
The Catholic Conference of Illinois maintains two offices:
Chicago
Executive Director: Mr. Robert Gilligan
Director of Social Services/Social Justice: Ms. Marilou Gervacio
Director of Communications: Ms. Mary Massingale
Springfield
Director of Government Relations: Mr. Zachary Wichmann
Secretary: Mrs. Janice Fitzgerald
Consultant: Rev. Peter Harman
Executive Staff
The following are the executive staff members of the CCI. Please feel free to contact any of them by phone or e-mail.
Executive Director – Mr. Robert Gilligan
Mr. Robert Gilligan has served as the Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois
since January 2003. He is responsible for coordinating and implementing the Conference's
public policy and legislative agenda at the State Capitol in Springfield. Acting in accordance
with the principles of Catholic social teaching, the legislative agenda touches on a broad range of
public policy issues seeking to protect life at all stages of development, provide a voice for the
poor and marginalized, promote the family unit, and call for sound stewardship of the earth and
natural resources.
Prior to being named Executive Director, Bob was Associate Director for Social Services at the
Catholic Conference for six years. Before coming to the Catholic Conference, he served as the
Chief of Legislative Services for the Arizona Department of Economic Security and worked at
the political consulting firm of Jamieson and Guiterrez in Phoenix, AZ.
Bob is a member of the National Association of Catholic Conference Directors and is currently
acting as Vice President of the organization. He served on the Child Welfare Advisory
Committee for the Department of Children and Family Services and the Family Self Sufficiency
Advisory Committee for the Department of Human Services. He also serves on the Adoption
Registry Council, is on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast
orgainzation and is the Chair of the Public Policy team for the Illinois Conference of Churches.
In addition to his work at the General Assembly, Bob acts as spokesman for the Catholic
Conference, handling media inquiries. He has a monthy radio program on AM-950 and has
appeared on Chicago Tonight, Fox News Sunday and has been interviewed by the New York
Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Daily Herald, Crain's Chicago Business as
well as many other local newspapers.
Bob is a graduate of Marquette University with a degree in Business Administration. He earned
a Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Bob
and his wife, Colleen, reside in Chicago and are members of St. Juliana's Parish. Bob is also the
past Chairman of St. Michael's Parish Pastoral Council. He was a member of Greater
Leadership Chicago's class of 2008.
Mr. Gilligan can be reached at (312) 368-1066 or gilligan@catholicconferenceofillinois.org.
Director of Government Relations – Mr. Zachary Wichmann
Mr. Zachary Wichmann serves as the Catholic Conference of Illinois' Director of Government
Relations. He works as an information and communications liaison between the six Catholic
dioceses in Illinois and agencies of state and federal government, particularly their legislative
branches, in order to advance the public policy goals of the Catholic Church in Illinois. He is
directly responsible for collaborating with and representing the Catholic Conference's
Departments on Schools, Catholics for Life, and Defense of Marriage. Mr. Wichmann also
works with ad hoc committees as assigned and collaborates with many similarly interested
groups and agencies to ensure that the legislative agenda of the Catholic Church are properly
represented and advanced.
Prior to joining the Catholic Conference, Mr. Wichmann served as Program Coordinator on the
Illinois Attorney General's Program Development staff.
Mr. Wichmann serves on USCCB's Federal Assistance Advisory Commission for Catholic
schools, Illinois' Consolidated Committee of Practitioners, and is a member of the Illinois
Coalition of Nonpublic School's Board and the Chief Administrators in Catholic Education
(CACE). He is also a member of the Leadership Springfield class of 2011.
Mr. Wichmann graduated summa cum laude from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor's
Degree in English, and he has earned a Master of Political Studies from the University of Illinois
at Springfield. He also served four years in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably
discharged as a Corporal in 1995. He and his wife and three daughters currently reside in New
Berlin, IL and are members of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Mr. Wichmann
serves the Cathedral parish as a lector and member of the Pastoral Council and Men's Club.
Mr. Wichmann can be reached at (217) 528-9200 or wichmann@catholicconferenceofillinois.org.
Director of Social Services/Social Justice -- Ms. Marilou C. Gervacio
Ms. Marilou C. Gervacio serves as the Catholic Conference of Illinois' Director of Social
Services/Social Justice. She is responsible for handling public policy issues affecting Catholic
Charities and Catholic Social Services in Illinois. In this role, Ms. Gervacio serves on the
Emergency Food and Shelter Program State-Set Aside Committee for Illinois. In addition, Ms.
Gervacio is responsible for public policy and interdiocesan issues on behalf of CCI in the areas
of peace & social justice, prison & jail ministry, and immigration.
Ms. Gervacio was previously a Program Specialist with the Office of Attorney General Jim
Ryan, working on a variety of public policy issues. She also served as the Research Attorney for
the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, providing legal research and
analysis for the organization's legislative efforts.
Ms. Gervacio holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northwestern University.
She received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and is a
licensed Illinois attorney and member of the Chicago Bar Association. She is a native of
Wheaton, Illinois and now resides in Chicago and is a member of Holy Name Cathedral.
Ms. Gervacio can be reached at (312) 368-1066 or gervacio@catholicconferenceofillinois.org.
Director of Communications -- Ms. Mary Massingale
Ms. Mary Massingale serves as the Catholic Conference of Illinois’ Director of Communications.
She works with the media, and also serves as CCI’s liaison with the state’s six diocesan communications directors.
She is a veteran statehouse reporter and covered the Illinois legislature and state government for Copley Illinois
Newspapers and Illinois Statehouse News. While with Copley, she won two national first-place awards from Capitolbeat.org,
a national association of statehouse reporters. She also reported for the Associated Press in West Virginia.
She has also worked in communications in health and education.
Mary received her master’s degree from the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
She and her husband reside in Chicago, and are members of St. Gregory the Great Church.
Ms. Massingale can be reached at (312) 368-1066 or massingale@catholicconferenceofillinois.org
Consultant – Reverend Peter Harman
Date of Priestly Ordination: July 17, 1999
Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois
Education:
B.A. in History, St. Meinrad College, St. Meinrad, Indiana, 1995
S.T.B., Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, 1998
S.T.L. Moral Theology, Accademia Alfonsiana, Pontifical Lateran University, 2000
S.T.D. Candidate, Moral Theology, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Professional Experience:
2008-Present Theological Consultant, Catholic Conference of Illinois
2008-Present Pastor, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
2005-Present Doctoral Student, S.T.D. in Moral Theology, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
2003-2005 Parochial Vicar, St. Agnes Parish, Springfield, IL
2000-2003 Parochial Vicar, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Springfield, IL
2000-2003 Associate Faculty, Ursuline Academy, Springfield, IL
Other Experiences:
2005 Fellowship, John Paul Institute of Faith & Culture, Center for Ethics & Public Policy, Washington, DC.
2000-2005 Episcopal Master of Ceremonies, Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois
2002-2005 Presbyteral Council, Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois
2001-2003 Commission for the Liturgy, Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois
2000-2003 Chaplain, Holy Family Knights of Columbus Council, Springfield, IL
