Speakers

Louise Kiernan is editor-in-chief of ProPublica Illinois, the first regional operation of ProPublica.

She comes to ProPublica from Northwestern University, where she was an associate professor of journalism, focusing on investigative and narrative reporting, and the leader of the program’s social justice and investigative journalism specialization.

Prior to that, she worked for the Chicago Tribune for 18 years, serving as the newspaper’s enterprise editor, writing coach, urban affairs team editor and a special projects team editor and reporter, among other roles. She was the lead writer on a project that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting and has also been a Pulitzer finalist.

She was a 2005 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, has served on the Nieman fellowship selection committee and chaired two Pulitzer Prize juries, for investigative and explanatory reporting. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia.

Our annual holiday lunch featuring the New Trier Swing Choir. Guests encouraged! 

Biography 

• 1962-  Whitefish Bay H.S., Whitefish Bay, Wis.
• 1966-  Yale College, B.A. American Studies
• 1969-  University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D.
• 1969-1970- law clerk to federal district court judge, Milwaukee, Wis
• 1970-2008- associate and partner Kirkland & Ellis law firm, commercial case trial lawyer in 50 industries including Chicago Tribune, Bears, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Catholic Archdiocese, PWC, Arthur Anderson
• 2008 -2014- assistant varsity football coach, Evanston High School
• 2008-present- arbitrator and mediator in commercial case litigation; actor in theater, commercials, films, industrials, voice overs, and print ads. 

Outline

          A. Preparation for acting career

                   - trial lawyer

                   - theater and film fan

          B. Transition  to arbitrating, coaching, and acting

                   - options considered

                   - training

          C. The actor’s life

                   - theater companies and opportunities for work

                   -agents

                   - auditions

                   -nature of the work: theater; commercials; film; industrials; voice overs; print ads

          D. High and low points

                   -high- 7 Homeless Mammoths; Naked Lunch; Onion video;

                   Rivers Casino; Looks Like Rain

                   -Low- Enron; Side Project

                  

Colleen Daley is the Executive Director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV).  She has over 21 years of experience in political strategy, public policy, legislative affairs, media relations and resource management among large-scale government and nonprofit organizations. 

 

Having lost a childhood friend in a senseless shooting in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood where she grew up, Colleen has a deep sense of purpose in her position with ICHV.  Since joining ICHV in April of 2011 she has grown the statewide outreach campaign, successfully passed common sense gun control legislation, and continues to advance ICHV’s Student Voices Program.

 

“I am honored to be a part of ICHV’s legacy of fighting to save lives.  My life and too many others have been touched by gun violence.  This experience taught me that when violence strikes, it doesn’t choose a community, a race or a political party. It is a devastating issue that ultimately impacts all of us, and the only way we will defeat it is by working together.  Here at ICHV we build nontraditional alliances to support common sense violence prevention and make all communities safe all across our state.”

 

Prior to coming to ICHV, Colleen served as the Director of Legislative Affairs to former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.  Before that, she served as the Campaign Director of Illinois for Health Care, the Strategic Sourcing Manger for the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services and the Chief of Staff to former State Representative John Fritchey. 

 

Colleen is a native of Chicago, and a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep and Indiana University. 

The Electoral College is a puzzling system that often has people scratching their heads about how it works and why we use it. Join us for a brief history of the Electoral College, a discussion of its impact on our democracy, and a plan for change.

The program will be presented by Karen Glennemeier of the League of Women Voters of Wilmette.  Karen is part of a regional League committee that has been studying the Electoral College and organizing to abolish it since the last presidential election.  Karen is a Conservation Biologist by profession and spends her free time working with local activists on issues impacting democracy and our environment.