Professional Staff
NAUDL STAFF | LOCAL UDL DIRECTORS
Executive Director:
Linda Listrom
Phone: 312-427-0384
Email: LindaListrom@UrbanDebate.org
Manager, Development & Communications:
Kerri Allen
Phone: 312-427-0388
Email: KerriAllen@urbandebate.org
Director of Development:
Barbara Carney
Phone: 312-427-0176
Email: BarbaraCarney@UrbanDebate.org
Chief Program Officer:
Diana Dunker
Phone: 973-494-4023 (PST)
Email: DianaDunker@UrbanDebate.org
Financial Officer:
Kathleen Petitti
Phone: 312-427-0175
Email: KathleenPetitti@UrbanDebate.org
Office Manager:
Laura Wright
Phone: 312-427-0175
Email: LauraWright@urbandebate.org
Executive Director Linda Listrom joined the NAUDL in September 2010 following her tenure on the NAUDL's Governing Board of Directors. She was a partner at the law firm Jenner & Block LLP for more than twenty-five years, representing corporate clients in complex civil litigation. For many years Ms. Listrom served on the firm's governing committee, the Policy Committee, and for several years chaired the firm's Litigation Practice.
During her legal career Ms. Listrom received many honors and awards. She was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the country's premier organization for trial lawyers. LawDragon Magazine named her as one of the country's 500 Leading Lawyers and one of its 500 Leading Litigators. The Minority Corporate Counsel Association included Ms. Listrom in its list of the Top 20 Women Litigators. Ms. Listrom held numerous leadership positions in the American Bar Association's Section of Litigation and also taught trial advocacy at Northwestern University Law School.
Ms. Listrom graduated from Harvard Law School in 1977, and received her B.A. degree magna cum laude in 1974 from the University of Houston, where she was a nationally ranked policy debater.
Director of Development Barbara Carney joined NAUDL in January 2011. Ms. Carney has more than 20 years of professional experience as a development officer serving cultural institutions, education, youth development, and advocacy organizations. Most recently Ms. Carney was Director of Grants Administration for the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention/CeaseFire.
Ms. Carney serves as Treasurer of the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is Vice Chair of the Friends of Jones, a service organization serving Chicago's Jones College Prep High School. She earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2008 and graduated from the University of Iowa, with a BA in English Literature in 1978. Ms. Carney lives in Chicago with her husband, writer Paul Engleman, and their two sons.
Chief Program Officer Diana Dunker leads the NAUDL's core programmatic efforts to bring debate to more students, schools, and cities. She is primarily responsible for increasing the breadth, depth sustainability, and local ownership of each of the UDLs with which she will work. Ms. Dunker joined the NAUDL from Legal Services of New Jersey, where she served as Chief Section Counsel for Child Welfare and Supervising Attorney for the Youth Law Project. She has twice argued successfully in front of the New Jersey Supreme Court, securing major advances in the protection of family bonds for urban and/or poor children.
Ms. Dunker currently serves as the Chair of the Jersey Urban Debate League (JUDL) Advisory Board. JUDL serves eight high schools and twenty-one middle schools in the greater Newark area and is one of the strongest and most vibrant UDLs in the country. Ms. Dunker debated for Science High School of Newark from 1985-89 during a time when very few urban school debaters competed on the high school national circuit. During her varsity years she and her partner were invited to numerous national round robins and qualified for the NFL National Tournament as well as the Tournament of Champions.
Ms. Dunker graduated from Rutgers University, and worked extensively with the Science High School debate program during her undergraduate years, including coaching the team to the national finals. She has a J.D. from Rutgers Law School and has worked as a legal advocate for GLBT rights, criminal justice rights, and family and child rights. Ms. Dunker also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Women and AIDS Network and is a member of the Parent Representation Attorney Board of the American Bar Association.
Financial Officer Kathleen Petitti oversees the financial management, budgeting, reporting, accounting, and controls of the NAUDL. She joined the NAUDL after a career at JPMorgan Chase, where she served in a number of roles in reporting, forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. As Vice President / Finance Manager, she provided in-depth financial analysis for the Law, Compliance, and Government Relations Department and the commercial bank. She also managed the Legal Billing Units, and provided financial support for projects sponsored by JPMorgan Chase's Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Petitti brings to the NAUDL a steadfast commitment to prudent fiscal management of our investors' resources. She guides our efforts to maintain the highest financial and management standards.
In addition to her work with the NAUDL, Ms. Petitti works with Advance Illinois, is the Chairperson of her parish Finance Council, and the Treasurer of the local St. Vincent DePaul conference. Kathleen holds a M.B.A. in Finance and a Bachelor's Degree in History from DePaul University.
