Strong leaders makes strong organizations. The Chicago Paralegal Association takes pride in its mission, but it would not be able to do this without a strong volunteer team on the ground dedicated to enhancing the success of paralegals. Let's meet those involved. Meet our Board of Directors! Nathan Ciulla | Gabriel Evelyn | Alicia Figueroa | Caitlin Elliott | Tyra Peterson |
Treasurer/Director of Finance &
Director of Marketing
Nathan Ciulla
marketing@chicagoparalegals.org
Nathan Ciulla joined the Chicago Paralegal Association in 2021 after attending a webinar and meeting a couple of the founding board members. Due to his experience, he was appointed the Director of Marketing and now serves in that role as well as the Treasurer of the association.
Nathan is also a senior legal assistant at SATC|Law, where his focus is on helping clients, assisting lawyers, and making everyone feel welcomed. Nathan is a valued asset to the firm’s litigation and transactional teams. He continues to branch out into new areas, including assisting with IT, marketing, social media management and administration.
He is also the host and senior producer of the Bridging Chicago Podcast, the premier Chicago based community and social podcast brought by the SATC|Solution Center. With a microphone and camera as his tools, Nathan explores the experiences and achievements of Chicago business, charity and community leaders. He believes that everyone’s story has value, and by sharing these stories, even if it is just with one other person, we can inspire change in our communities. Nathan also serves as a mentor to other podcast hosts and producers through his involvement with The Podcast Academy.
Nathan enjoys meeting the members of the CPA and welcoming them to one of our many events. He also enjoys featuring the great things the association and its members are doing through our website and social media presence. He hopes to help grow the association in size and reach to continue highlighting why paralegals are such an important resource in the American justice system.
“For me, learning how to be my truest self at home, work and with friends was the most freeing experience of my life. It’s important to me to advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community so that more people can feel that same freedom and that no young person feels as though their life is less than anyone else’s."
Director-at-Large, Pro Bono
Gabriel Evelyn
probono@chicagoparalegals.org
Gabriel V. Evelyn is a Founding Member and the Pro Bono Coordinator of the Chicago Paralegal Association (CPA). Gabriel can often be heard telling everyone
about his unofficial motto for the CPA: “We have no hateration, here. We’re all about celebration, elevation, and uplifting the entire community!”
Gabriel currently works as the Paralegal at Prather Ebner Wilson LLP, a boutique law firm that focuses on probate, estate planning, and estate administration.
Gabriel Evelyn joined Prather Ebner LLP as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant in August 2020.
After
graduating from DePaul University with a B.A. in Journalism in 2012,
Gabriel worked within the journalism and pharmacy fields before
discovering the Paralegal profession. He then decided to cultivate his
long-held passion for the law by enrolling at Wilbur Wright’s A.B.A.
approved Paralegal Studies program. He
officially transitioned into the legal field in 2018, first volunteering as an Administrative
Assistant at Legal Advocates for Seniors & People with
Disabilities, then by working as a Special Assignments Legal
Administrative Assistant & later as a Project Assistant at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, before graduating with an A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies in 2019.
Secretary/Director of Operations
Alicia Figueroa
secretary@chicagoparalegals.org
Alicia Figueroa is a litigation paralegal and an adjunct instructor at Triton College's School of Business. Alicia possesses a strong foundation in legal practice and has had the opportunity to teach nearly every course in the Paralegal Studies program, as well as Business Law I and II in the businesses Associate's Degree program. She also serves on the School of Business Advisory Board and the Triton College Legal Advisory Board. Alicia has been a member of the Chicago Paralegal Association since 2022.
As a board member, Alicia would like to promote minority representation in the paralegal field. Her passion for the paralegal profession and to her students are why she would like to help guide the board's work and support the continued development of the paralegal field. Her diverse background as a Latine LGBTQIA+ female allows her to bring a valuable perspective to the board, helping to safeguard its success in serving the Chicago paralegal community.
Director of Professional & Student Development
Caitlin Elliott
education@chicagoparalegals.org