About Us
Our Mission
We Believe
Every human being has a right to live life to his or her fullest potential. Desperation and fear are Mankind’s oldest enemies. A society may fairly be judged by the extent to which it spares its most vulnerable citizens from having to endure them.
Our Heritage
Self-sufficiency is less satisfying to the soul than caring for one another. As Mankind truly is one family, what benefits any one of us enhances the lives of us all. Those of us with greater needs enable their loved ones by enabling them to feel needed.
Our Goal
Make it possible for people (both the less and more fortunate) to achieve peace of mind. To love one another means you can’t feel things are OK until you know they feel that way. Your peace of mind depends on knowing you’ve helped bring peace of mind to the other.
Our Battle Cry
Live and help live. Provide a person with the means to live a fuller life, and you give more meaning to yours.
The Key
Help those with special needs attain greater independence and security. If only the strong were to survive, wouldn’t all our lives be greatly diminished?
Our Values
Prepare. Protect. Provide.
The families who count on us expect nothing less.
Our Spirit
The rock.
We are dedicated, dependable and enduring.
Testimonials
"Omg this speaker was AMAZING! I didn't even realize this stuff was around. Thank you!" "Really helpful and knowledgeable speaker." "Such helpful info to hear in person - great resources and Mary Anne is clearly very knowledgeable." "Overall, our community has always been so grateful to learn from Mary Anne whenever she or her team is available for Cure SMA’s programs."
Thank you for explaining terms, giving examples and providing information. Very Informative
Awesome! Much Needed Information.
Mary Anne was extremely knowledgeable and inspiring to listen to. She laid out a doable plan that I’m ready to tackle. She made saving for the future seem not as scary as I’ve always felt it to be.
Very knowledgeable & informative speaker, with important information. All questions answered so that material was fully understood. Very informative, lets you know you have to start early.
Such helpful information and on a detailed level! Very informative presentation-I'm leaving class confident about my child's future. Thank you!
I was very touched by the story that you shared. The real life examples were very helpful as well as all the financial information you shared. We were given a lot of great information, especially on starting a Special Needs Trust. I enjoyed the passion you showed as you spoke about helping us plan for our special needs children’s future. You gave me hope that my boys can live a fulfilling life. I enjoyed your speech even more the second time I attended. Thanks for giving us the motivation to document our boys’ stories. This was my second time hearing your presentation. I learned a lot and you confirmed things that I had questioned.
“Mary Anne, thank you for your participation in the LADSE Parent Academy. Your information and impactful presentation style really hit home with the participants. I for one, can admit I went home that night adding 1,000,002 things to my ‘to do for the future’ list! Protected Tomorrows is a wonderful organization and I wish you the best of luck in your current endeavor with the bakery! Please keep me in the loop of its progress, and I hope to have you back to address parents again in the future.”
“Mary Anne, thank you so much for speaking at our parent meeting last Thursday. As we both know, planning for a special needs family member can be quite daunting. I felt as though you presented the material in a understandable and non-threatening way. I appreciate the time you took and the expertise you shared. Again, thank you!”
“On behalf of the CFI board of directors, Dr. Boas and all of our CFI volunteers, I want to thank you for presenting at our CFI education retreat last Saturday at the Glen Club. For the limited amount of time you had, everyone I spoke to was very impressed with your presentation, your message and explaining a tough topic in terms they could understand. Thanks for making our 3rd annual retreat the best ever!”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have felt so completely alone in my concern for our son’s future care. I know there is much ahead for me to do but you have taken away most of the fear for me. There is not enough money anywhere to pay you for the good you are doing to help people like me! If my name pops up in a Publisher’s Clearing House you will definitely benefit from it!!!! Seriously, please know that I am truly grateful for whatever you can do to help us.”
“This note is to let you know that my mom passed away. She was ready to leave us and she had no fear. While you worked for us and for Mom you were so kind. I’m sending along our picture so you will always remember that you do help real people. Behind the voices on the phone are folks just like my Mom and I who need your help and guidance. I want you to know that you do make a difference in our lives.”
“I met Mary Anne through her work with Special Olympics and have come to value her expertise and appreciate her ability to create an immediate sense of trust with families having to make very difficult and emotional decisions. Her great empathy for others is apparent. As an advocate for the disabled, and as a neutral advisor, she is able to bring family members together and guide them through the steps needed to care for their child, sibling or parent.”
“Any family with a family member with disabilities definitely must know the information provided in these workbooks and tapes. There is a tremendous need to plan ahead to ensure that everything is in place for the care of a family member with disabilities and these materials are stepping-stones to accomplishing your goals. Mary Anne Ehlert has guided hundreds of families through this very complicated and confusing maze of processes and regulations and has had great success in helping them plan for their family member with disabilities.”
“It was for me a great deal of experience going through what I did in the past 16 months. Thanks to you for being of such great help with your service. It was remarkable and always courteous. I will recommend you to others if I have the chance.”
“On behalf of the parents and the Philip Rock Center, thank you for your excellent presentation on ‘Planning For The Future - Guardianship, Wills & Trusts.’ You received rave reviews from the parents in their comments and on evaluation forms. We greatly appreciate your giving up a day to share your expertise with us. Many thanks!”
“I’m sorry that my sister’s tragic situation brought us together. I am, on the other hand, extremely pleased to have met you. Thank you for your words of advice. I am better prepared to face the next couple of months because of you and I will always be grateful.”
“Thank you for helping me to worry less.”
“Mary Anne spoke at our 5p-minus conference in Minneapolis in August and I didn't get a chance to hand in my evaluation form at the end of the meeting as my daughter had an ‘emergency’ in the day-care room. I just wanted to say thank you so much for the informative and heart-warming session. I learned so much and I am so thankful that I attended this session. You are truly an inspiration, and what a gift you’ve given to your sister to carry on and give what you know to others. Again, thank you so much!”
“With gratitude and many thanks, we appreciate all your efforts so very much.”
Team Members
Mary Anne Ehlert
President & FounderMary Anne Ehlert
President & FounderMary Anne Ehlert is a financial professional and sister to an individual with disabilities. She is a highly regarded specialist working with families of individuals with disabilities and serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Special Olympics of Illinois. She speaks at conferences nationally and locally on planning for families with special needs. She recently completed her book entitled The Gift I Was Given.
Mary Heil
Executive Assistant & Corporate Operations ManagerMary Heil
Executive Assistant & Corporate Operations ManagerMary Heil joined Protected Tomorrows as Operations Coordinator in July, 2010. She has over 30 years of experience in credit unions, working her way up from Branch Manager to Accounting Manager to CFO. One of the reasons Mary stayed with credit unions is because of the industry motto, “Not for profit, not for charity, but for service.” She graduated from City Colleges of Chicago with an AS in Accounting, and from DePaul University with a BS in Business Management. She is currently in the process of enrolling for her Masters Degree in Accounting.
Jeanine Geraci-Dubs
Special Needs Service CoordinatorJeanine Geraci-Dubs
Special Needs Service CoordinatorJeanine Geraci-Dubs joined Protected Tomorrows, in 2021 as Special Needs Services Coordinator. Jeanine has spent 15 years working and advocating in the disability community with a background in psychology, social work, and mental health. Jeanine became passionate about this line of work, having grown up with and caring for family members with special needs. She hopes to use her existing knowledge and love of learning to continue to improve others well-being. She lives in Lake County with her husband Jason and their cat Gus-Gus. In her free time, Jeanine loves to cook for her family, travel, and spend time with friends. She is currently in the process of obtaining her Series 65 License.
Ramesh Gulatee
ArchitectRamesh Gulatee
ArchitectRamesh, a licensed architect in the U.S. and Canada, is the owner and principal of the LifeCare Design Studio, a sister company to Protected Tomorrows. The LifeCare Design Studio emphasizes barrier-free and universal access strategies by offering ADA consulting, planning, design and building services. These are offered for existing and new businesses, specialized homes, assisted-living and community settings. Ramesh has more than 25 years of experience on numerous projects around the world. Since 1997, Ramesh has focused on building projects in the Chicagoland area.
Braden Monahan
Financial AdvisorBraden Monahan
Financial AdvisorBraden Monahan joined Protect Tomorrows in 2023 after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in finance, and a minor in informatics. Braden previously worked for a children’s sports instruction company, where he helped dozens of individuals with disabilities with some of their first athletic and social experiences. He is a devoted learner and listener looking for ways to help people secure their financial futures. Braden is currently preparing for the Series 65 exam, with hopes to move on to his CFP designation soon after. In his free time, Braden enjoys playing disc golf and playing with his elderly dog, Crosley.
Kim Woodsum
Financial AssociateKim Woodsum
Financial AssociateKim Woodsum joined Protected Tomorrows in 2022 as an Operations Coordinator. Kim earned a degree in mathematics and economics from Baylor University. After graduation, she taught 8th/9th grade algebra and 6th grade math as a part of Teach For America. For the last 5 years, Kim worked for a competitive horseback riding stable where she managed day to day operations, accounting, payroll, and client services. Kim became passionate about working with individuals with special needs during her time as a teacher. She was fortunate enough to share her passion of horseback riding with children with special needs. Kim hopes to use her years of experience to help families reach their future goals. Kim is a huge animal lover. She enjoys spending time with her dog Charlie and her two cats, Zoey and Lyla.
Barbara Gier
Operations SupportBarbara Gier
Operations SupportBarbara Gier, joined Protected Tomorrows, in 2014 as an Accountability Coach. Barbara’s work experience has been 30 years in the Customer Service arena in the insurance industry. Additionally, her main focus for much of that time has been as a fierce advocate for her son John who has Cerebral Palsy. John now lives independently in the community. Barbara enjoys giving back and would like to use her experiences to help others secure the services they need.
Advocates
Mary Anne Ehlert
President & FounderMary Anne Ehlert
President & FounderMary Anne Ehlert is a financial professional and sister to an individual with disabilities. She is a highly regarded specialist working with families of individuals with disabilities and serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Special Olympics of Illinois. She speaks at conferences nationally and locally on planning for families with special needs. She recently completed her book entitled The Gift I Was Given.
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