Frequently Asked Questions

As of October 2008, the Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees is the sole representative body of the Jackson Hewitt franchise owners. The ICJHF operates as a non-profit with revenues from annual membership dues. Leadership is regionally elected and membership encompasses all Jackson Hewitt franchisees. As the independent voice of the franchisees, the Association can address issues that affect franchisees separately from the interests of the franchisor. The ICJHF Board of Directors meets face-to-face with JHI several times throughout the year as well as on conference calls.

As set forth in Section 4.3 of the By-Laws for the purpose of representation on the Board of Directors.

The Board may revisit the alignment of the Regions any time the Franchisor changes the alignment of its regions or once every two (2) years, whichever is sooner, but in each case must strive to maintain approximate parity in the number of franchisee entities, and it may not unseat an incumbent Regional Director in the process.

All Jackson Hewitt franchisees are Associate (non-dues-paying) Members by default according to the ICJHF By Laws. Franchisees who wish to support or get involved in the Association apply annually for Full Membership and pay dues ($99 for one territory, then $75 per territory for maximum of 11 territories).

We strive to align all benefits with our ultimate goal of enhancing franchisee profitability and asset value. As a Full Member, you will have access to the ideas and wisdom of hundreds of fellow franchisees, the exchange of good ideas, the review of best practices, and the critique of problem areas handled on our Message Board. You will have contact information for your fellow Full Member franchisees across the country, from which you can gain support and advice. Full members receive a discount on Annual Meeting registration as well as an invitation to (periodical) regional meetings across the country and topical webinars every other month. All ICJHF communication, including meeting records, requests for input and suggestions, reminders, announcements and much more are emailed to Full Members throughout the year. As a Full Member, you also qualify to serve on the Board of Directors, Committees or Focus Groups.

Most importantly, Full Members are able to vote in all ICJHF matters with the benefit of a weighted voting system tied to the number of territories owned. This means, at the very least, Full Member ballots are worth two votes. Full Members owning more than ten territories receive the maximum number of votes per ballot, five.

Learn how you can get involved in the Association by serving on the Board of Directors, participating in ICJHF Committees, and sharing your knowledge with fellow franchisees.

Officers 

Tom McNamara, President
At-Large
Williamsport PA
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Steve Wions, Vice-President
Northeast Region/ Small
Owings Mills MD
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Carol Kennedy, Treasurer
At-Large
Georgetown TX 
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Yvette Rupp, Secretary
At-large 
Fresno, CA
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Directors

Tom Babbitt
South Region/ Small
Slidell LA
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Terri Cantrell
At-Large 
Fort Gibson OK
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Lee Cunningham
Pacific Region/ Small
Phoenix AZ
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Prasad Inampudi
At-Large 
Basking Ridge, NJ
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Morgan Jerry
Frontier Region/ Small
Emory TX 
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Debbie Jones
Midwest Region/ Large
Brandenburg KY
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Todd Kirchenberg
Midwest Region/ Small
Milwaukee WI
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Joe O'Rourke
Northeast Region/ Large
Pittsburgh PA 
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Jason Welnel
Frontier Region/ Large
Helena MT
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Structure
The ICJHF Board consists of 15 volunteer Director Members, two from each of the six ICJHF regions, plus three at-large Directors.  In each region has one large-operator Representative, having processed more than 6,000 returns in the most recent tax season and one small-operator Representative, having processed less than 6,000 returns in the most recent tax season.

Qualifications
Directors must be Full (dues-paying) Members in good standing. 

Responsibilities
Board Members attend regular and special meetings as well as serving on and heading ICJHF Committees.  They also serve on JH Focus Groups and NFA Committees.

Meetings
Regular meetings are held via conference call every two weeks.  Special meetings are held via conference call as needed and face-to-face meetings are held twice per year (usually spring and fall) at a location agreed upon by the Board.  Face-to-face meetings last approximately two days and usually include face time with JHI.

Special Committee and Focus Group meetings are held via conference call as needed.

Nomination
A slate of candidates is created the ICJHF Nomination & Election Committee.  This process starts every year in November and is usually complete by the end of February.  Full members who wish to serve on the Board of Directors may make their interest known to a current Director or to the Administrative Director.  Independent nominations may also be submitted in accordance to the By-Laws.

Election
Members from each region only elect Directors for their region.  The election is held every year in March.  Immediately following the election of Regional Directors, the Board elects At-Large Directors.

Term
All Regional Directors serve three-year terms.  Terms are staggered so that five Directors are elected each year.  At-Large Directors serve one, two or three-year terms, determined by the Board of Directors.

More details regarding the Board of Directors are available in the By-Laws.

Regionally elected Directors share dialog with constituents throughout the year and relay these questions and concerns to the ICJHF Board, NFA Committees, Focus Groups and JHI. The Board maintains an “Action Items” list, which is revisited every two weeks and addressed at face-to-face meetings with JHI.