Leadership
KARLA BELLINGER — FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Karla J. Bellinger has a passion for God and for preaching. In launching the Institute, she brings a vision of what effective preaching can do for the renewal of the Church and the renewal of faith. Homiletics and evangelization belong together. Karla has become known for her expertise in Catholic homiletics.
Bellinger is the past president of the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics (CATH). Before being tapped to found the Institute for Homiletics, she was the Associate Director of the John S. Marten Program for Homiletics and Liturgics at the University of Notre Dame. She earned her doctorate in preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology and her master’s degree in systematic theology from the University of Notre Dame. She also has a BS in forestry from North Carolina State University. She and her husband Daniel are the parents of five adult children with eleven grandchildren. When not working on homiletics, she can be found digging and planting in her large organic garden.
Karla is the author of Connecting Pulpit and Pew: Breaking Open the Conversation about Catholic Preaching from Liturgical Press and co-author of Remembering Why We Preach from Ave Maria Press. Her lectionary reflections for year A can be found here.
DEACON JAMES BAIRD — COORDINATOR FOR CLERGY PROGRAMMING
Deacon James Baird discovered the joy of preaching during his formation years in the diaconate. He was ordained to the office of deacon for the Diocese of Dallas, TX in 2018. Since that time, James has continuously served at Holy Family of Nazareth in Irving, TX, where he enjoys the diversity of the people who speak at least eight different languages.
Deacon James has a BA in History from the University of Dallas and an MA with a focus in Medieval Church History from University of Texas at Arlington. James participated in the Institute’s Preaching for Encounter program with the 2022 cohort which included deacons, priests, an abbot and a bishop. He is currently a member of the diaconal formation team for the Diocese of Dallas. Deacon James comes to us with a rich understanding of the University of Dallas, where he has served in many roles since 1989.
Outside of work, in addition to serving as a deacon at his parish and in the formation of deacons across his diocese, James enjoys reading, playing guitar, and making music. He and his wife Joanne are longtime residents of Irving, TX and have two grown children and two grandchildren. He is genuinely thrilled when he gets to go out to his family’s rural property in Arkansas for moments of peace and quiet.
EMILY LUGO — COORDINATOR FOR LAY PROGRAMMING & RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
She and her husband Felipe have five children and can be found cheering them on at their soccer games when not at work. Emily is bilingual and will be an asset for engaging the Spanish-speaking community within the Institute.
JANE KOENECKE – COMMUNICATIONS
Jane and her husband Mike have two children and one grandchild, and a dog named Bonden who loves to herd them around the house. Outside of work you are likely to find Jane spending time volunteering, on another travel adventure, or hunkering over a puzzle.
ANNA LIZA DENNY - ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Before finding her home at the University of Dallas, Anna Liza worked at Tufts Medical School, Gordon College and Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, among others. She has served the University of Dallas for nearly three years, bringing her gifts to roles in departmental administration, undergraduate marketing and public relations. She looks forward to sharing her gifts in support of the Institute for Homiletics' mission.
Anna Liza and her husband Daniel are the proud parents of seven children, and three of them are University of Dallas Crusaders. When she steps off campus, Anna Liza continues to spread her faith and creativity when she cantors at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Irving and writes songs for her family band, Graces Brothers.