Staff

Jeff was born and raised in the Dallas, TX area. He studied German Literature at Princeton University, where he later did two years of college ministry. He has a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Theology in New Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Jeff spent a number of years living, teaching, and ministering in the Middle East and Europe. He was ordained at Covenant Presbyterian Church of Chicago in 2006, came onto staff as an assistant pastor in 2010, and became the Church Planting Pastor in 2016 to help start Boulevard Presbyterian Church in the Austin-Oak Park area. Jeff and his wife, Cindy, married in 2010. Cindy works as an urban designer and architect, with a focus on sustainable urbanism. They live with their two young children in southeast Oak Park. Jeff enjoys hearing people tell the stories of their lives, cooking in a cast iron skillet, digging around in dirt, and trying to speak various languages.

Louie has lived in Cicero, IL, his whole life. He has an Associates degree in Arts from Morton College and is working toward his Bachelor’s in writing for the screen and stage. He is also pursuing formal theological training at City Seminary. In 2014, Louie helped start a new church in Cicero. He was ordained at that church in 2017, and he plans to transfer his ordination to the Presbyterian Church in America once he has completed his theological studies. Louie enjoys singing, playing, and admiring the musical Hamilton. When he’s not singing, playing or admiring Hamilton, he teaches local Cicero kids how to play, sing and act out Hamilton.

Wendy is originally from Lapeer, Michigan. After high school, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. A month after arriving at her first duty station, she met Eric, who had the worst pick-up line ever. They married in 1987. Wendy left the USAF in 1994, earned her BAS in Business Management, and embarked on what would be a long and eclectic series of jobs, all of which offered insight into the human psyche. This has been invaluable to her love of writing fiction. Wendy and Eric moved to Chicago from the St Louis metro area in January 2014 during the Dreaded Polar Vortex. Her current hobbies include writing, reading, gardening, and drinking coffee.

Charis Goodman grew up in Oak Park and has taught in a variety of educational settings for over 25 years. She received most of her training in children’s ministry in her 10 years as a Children’s Leader in Bible Study Fellowship and holds a BS from Northwestern University with a concentration in Theatre (for education) and African American Studies. She also has enjoyed working a number of years in the Austin community with various community building initiatives in a variety of sectors. Charis enjoys facilitating Bible-centered children’s programming at Boulevard and fortifying community bridging initiatives.

Beth grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado and studied Sociology at Grove City College in western Pennsylvania until she realized her life wasn’t unpredictable enough. She transferred to Chicago to finish her BFA in Fashion Design in 2007 while supporting herself by playing guitar and singing at various restaurants and bars around Chicago. She married Evan in 2009 and contributed crochet patterns to craft books and magazines until she ultimately wrote her own. She has two children, Malcolm and Thora, who inspired her to become a labor and birth doula, and, ultimately, a midwife. Music has always been part of her story, though, and after months of insisting she would never be a worship director at a church, she finally realized God was calling her to be worship director at Boulevard. She has been striving to be worthy of that calling ever since.

Ellyn grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago as the oldest of six sisters and studied Teaching English as a Second Language at Moody Bible Institute. She has nannied, served in children’s ministry, discipled children and youth at a camp in upstate NY, and taught English in Spain and at Illinois Institute of Technology. Ellyn lives on Austin Blvd and is passionate about hospitality, food, being outside (anywhere near water), sharing the simple moments in daily life with others, and laughing and crying often.