Brooke Yunker: I Am Barnes & Thornburg

I AM...

• A resident of Walworth Wisconsin, which has a population of just 2,753 people. We only have one intersection with a stoplight in town.
• A food lover and enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. I’ve most recently started making homemade ravioli and ice cream. This summer, you can find me outside grilling regularly on my Big Green Egg grill.
• A party planner extraordinaire. I love to host, entertain and find any reason to celebrate. I am the person who has a birthday party for their dog just to have an excuse to have people over – balloons and all.
• Obsessed with true crime and documentaries. If I could do life over again, I would choose a career in forensics.
• Only 42, but I have already undergone nine knee surgeries including a total knee replacement—perhaps a testament to being a tomboy and growing up with all brothers
• Very empathetic, almost to a fault. While I can handle encountering fatal traumas any day in the ER, I will go outside and save the worms on the pavement after a storm.
• Passionate about women’s rights and long for a better world for my daughters and the future generations that follow
• One of 37 first cousins on my dad’s side. Our family holidays are huge, and it wouldn’t be uncommon for there to be 75-100 of us at my grandma’s house on Christmas Eve.
• An avid WNBA fan. I try to take my daughters to a few Chicago Sky games every year, and I would love to see Caitlin Clark from Indiana play in person.
• Grateful to be the mother of two teenage daughters and two Mini Bernedoodles. Working at Barnes allows me the flexibility to be fully involved with my family while maintaining a great career. I feel very fortunate to work here!  

This profile appeared in the June 2026 edition of I Am Barnes & Thornburg.

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