CR Leadership Committee Candidacy Statements

Meet the Candidates

Christopher Berdnik

Pennsbury High School, PA

Hi, my name is Chris Berdnik, from Pennsbury High School in Pennsylvania, and I am submitting this candidacy letter to serve on the new Competition and Rules Leadership Committee for the National Speech & Debate Association.

I have been a long-time participant in speech and debate, from a student more than 30 years ago to a long-time coach. My relevant experience includes serving as the Valley Forge (PA) district chair, past president/president of the Philadelphia Catholic Forensic League, executive board member for the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL), and district 12 chair for PHSSL. I work in the Public Forum tab room at NSDA Nationals, the Lincoln-Douglas tab room at NCFL Nationals, and run the debate side of the PHSSL state tournament. I also host one of the larger invitationals in the northeast, the Pennsbury Falcon Invitational.

In my professional career, I have been a school business administrator for 29 years, which gives me a keen eye for details. I received Pennsylvania’s lifetime achievement award from the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials in 2023. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Lyndsy Denk

Falmouth High School, ME

On behalf of the Maine District, I would be proud to serve on this committee. Systemic constraints on this district, including socio-economic demographics, funding, recruitment, and coach succession, place an exponential burden on our talented and enthusiastic students and coaches who desperately want to participate in speech and debate. Under these constraints, it is extremely difficult to maintain operational stability in the district. To ensure equity and accessibility, districts like ours must be represented in conversations at the national organization level. I would like to help answer, “How will speech and debate evolve with the world?”

I have served the Maine organization since 2005 in almost every capacity: district chair and now District Committee, state president and now (since 2016) secretary, speech events moderator, technology lead, and coach. I am one of the few in our organization’s history who has lasted longer than a handful of years, and even more rare as someone who has never worked in a school. I offer a professional background in technical documentation and proposal writing, instructional design, talent development, and platform system administration. My background and skills can directly support competition and rules governance for speech and debate.

As a rural district, we appreciate being able to leverage rules and guidelines from a well-funded, broad reaching governing organization like the NSDA. However, we often cannot run tournaments in alignment with these rules and guidelines because we simply do not have the engagement to meet the requirements. Our leadership spends much of its time devising creative solutions, which reduces our capacity to focus on sustaining our district, much less growing it. It also limits our community’s ability to prepare for national competition. The COVID-19 pandemic gutted our district. Now we are reckoning with the same reprioritization of personal and social priorities that the rest of the globe is, but with even fewer bodies and minds to support it.

Recognizing that speech and debate is one of the most direct paths to civic engagement for young adults, it’s imperative that we sustain and grow participation. We need the NSDA’s help; the more the national organization’s rules and guidelines can prioritize accessibility, the more we can grow our community. We need the Competition and Rules Committee to advocate for increased participation by considering the needs of rural districts like Maine.

Manuel Halkias

Canton McKinley High School, OH

I am an individual who has witnessed the growth and changes in the NSDA since the days of being a competitor in the 1980s through to the year 2024 as a head coach. I would like to believe that I am progressive in thought and forward thinking. As an educator in the classroom as well, I have seen the impact the involvement has on our young people.

I have had the opportunity to work on linking speech and debate to Ohio’s state standards in ELA. I have looked at each of the speech events and found how they correlate with that which our state expects young people to be able to do. I would like to be part of looking at rules and competition and how they tie in as well.

I am a firm believer in the benefits of competition. The competition must be conducted in a fair and just manner. I would like to make sure that the rules are in step with issues of equity as well.

I have stayed involved with the NSDA in a variety of roles and I would like to become part of this committee. In my now 41 years as a part of this activity as both student and coach, I think that I bring a unique perspective.

David Yastremski

Ridge High School, NJ

Entering my 30th year as a speech and debate coach, it’s impossible to quantify the benefits my students and I receive as members of the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA). Whether through competition, curricular, or advocacy resources, the NSDA empowers my ability to promote this inspiring activity, both within my school and my state of New Jersey. For that reason, I, David Yastremski, ask for your support as the East/Northeast representative for the Competition Rules and Leadership Committee.

The majority of states in the East/Northeast region rely on volunteer coach-leaders who manage and sustain speech and debate through state leagues rather than state-sanctioned associations. For these servant leaders, managing these state affiliates, in addition to coaching their own teams, working full-time jobs, and attending to family and personal wellness, has become increasingly taxing, leading to increases in burnout and attrition. Furthermore, a significant percentage of teams in our region are purely extracurricular, requiring more of our after-school hours, in addition to weekend competitions.

I believe the NSDA’s new leadership model can help promote competitive models, beyond the current national qualification system, for those states without recognized activity associations. With such resources, our servant-leaders can access research and guidance to advocate and forge new visions for speech and debate activities within their states and regions, including resources for engaging our education policymakers at local and state governmental levels.

In addition, the NSDA should continue building relationships with other affiliate and ally organizations to provide spaces for discussion and deliberation beyond our NSDA member schools. We frequently encounter programs that participate in speech, debate, and performing arts yet don’t become members of the NSDA. By expanding our reach beyond the member-wall, the NSDA can inspire creative avenues to expand, beyond the competitive arena, into other curricular and accessible pathways for higher school participation and greater student experience.

As a proud coach in New Jersey, I enjoy working with colleagues who have long promoted cultures of opportunity, fairness, and transparency at our local tournaments. At the regional level, I strive for that same standard of access, equity, and integrity in tab rooms throughout the Northeast/East. I would be honored to serve as our representative on the Competition and Rules Leadership Committee. I believe the East/Northeast region offers unique perspectives, which I will earnestly contribute to the conversation to embolden and invigorate this new leadership vision for the entire NSDA.

Meet the Candidates

Stan Austin

Hinsdale Central High School, IL

​​I have been a member coach of the NSDA for nearly 50 years and am now a six-diamond coach. Over that time, I have seen the many changes that have taken place in the competition arena, particularly in the expansion of the number of events and participants at both the district and national level. So there is a lot of institutional history of which I am aware. I was the head coach at Wheaton North High School in the Illini District for 30+ years, and we regularly qualified multiple students to the National Tournament. I have been privileged to coach a national champion and numerous national finalists as well as multiple state champions here in Illinois. I now serve as an Assistant Speech Coach at Hinsdale Central High School, which also has a successful record in the NSDA. My involvement in the NSDA has been a very rewarding experience for me, and I want to continue to give back to the organization in ways beyond coaching students. Serving on this committee would allow me to do that, and I think I would bring a unique perspective given my long history with the NSDA. I believe that knowing from whence we have come can be of great benefit when assessing where we are and trying to determine where we should be going. It would be a great honor and privilege to serve on this committee, and were I to be elected, I would use every effort to look out for the interests of individual programs as well as trying to do what is best for the NSDA as a whole. I welcome and solicit your support as I seek this position and your input if I am successful in attaining it. Thank you for your consideration.

James Harris

Andover High School, KS

My name is James Harris, and I am the current head coach at Andover High School in Kansas and the chair of the Sunflower District. I am a four-diamond coach, with this being my 21st year coaching in the Wichita, Kansas, area. For most of that time, I served on the Sunflower District Committee until 2019 when I was elected chair, a position I have held since. The way that our district functions puts me in charge of all our national qualifying tournaments. This means that I am familiar with NSDA rules and procedures. As the only coach on my team, I coach all NSDA events and have qualified students to Nationals in most of them. Besides the main events, my students have also competed in World Schools and supplemental events at Nationals. At Nationals, I worked in the Policy Debate tab room during the two virtual National Tournaments in 2020 and 2021. For the past two years, I worked on ranking Congressional Debate legislation for Nationals.

As a coach for a school who doesn’t travel the national circuit, but regularly brings a large group of students to Nationals, I am interested in making sure that the rules for competition are clear and fair for all schools—specifically, that they do not provide an advantage to a school just because they have resources. I am also interested in crafting rules that allow all students to compete and be successful, and that there are no barriers to students with disabilities.

Christopher McDonald

Eagan High School, MN

Throughout my 37-year career as a debate and speech coach, I have assisted and supported the NSDA in many different capacities. As a district chair for 16 years, I led one of the nation’s top districts in terms of members and degrees. In 2007, I was the chair of a national committee re-examining Extemporaneous Speaking, and more recently, I spent two years chairing the committee re-examining Public Forum Debate. I have also served on the National Tournament tabulation committee for Public Forum Debate both as a member and as its chair. I believe that these experiences give me an excellent background to help the NSDA by serving on the Competition and Rules Leadership Committee. It would be an honor to once again serve the NSDA and its mission to provide fair and equitable opportunities in both speech and debate.

Zachary Prax

Eastview High School, MN

In my 25th year of membership within the National Speech & Debate Association, I am humbled to ask for your vote to serve the organization as the Northern Midwest Region representative to the inaugural Competition and Rules Leadership Committee.

In many regards, I consider coaching to be my “second job”; at my alma mater, I am fortunate to teach the subjects I love (AP and Developmental Psychology) during the day, and to coach the events I love (both in speech and debate) when the school day is done. Though coaching and administrating speech and debate can be demanding, I continue to find moments, colleagues, and students that continually re-spark my excitement for our work in this important activity.

While I consider coaching to be my “second job,” I consider service to the Association and its coaches and students to be my “passion project.” For over a decade, I have served as chair of the Central Minnesota District; in that role, I have had the opportunity to mentor new coaches, interpret rules, engage and collaborate with an outstanding District Committee, and particularly during the pandemic, craft new rules to guide virtual competition at both the local and national level. During its tenure, I served on the NSDA Unified Manual Revision Committee, where I helped clarify and modernize not just that document but also various NSDA pilot initiatives and new National Tournament qualification methods. Finally, I have had the opportunity to work with coaches throughout the country as an on-call district tournament referee, supporting local committees with both protest and rule interpretations and Tabroom.com support; I truly enjoy seeing those coaches (and many more of you!) in person each June in my tournament office and logistics role at the National Tournament. My mission is to serve coaches so that they can serve the most important members of our organization—our students.

As an elected member of the Competition and Rules Leadership Committee, I would do my best to continue to serve you, our students, and our organization; to continue to include, listen to, and advocate for all voices in our community; and to continue to prioritize our organization’s core values of equity, integrity, respect, leadership, and of course, service! I believe my “passion project” of service would align with and advance the mission of the CR Leadership Committee, and I humbly ask for your vote to further allow me to serve our organization.

Cort Sylvester

Rosemont Senior High School, MN

As an old extemper, I have three reasons why I am a good candidate for this committee. First, I have significant experience as a competitor and coach. Second, I have long been involved with drafting and applying competition rules. And third, as a lawyer, I have unique training and experience that is highly relevant to this task.

First, I started forensics almost in the Carter administration. In high school, I was a Minnesota state champion and a national runner-up. In college, I cleared at the National Debate Tournament and won a national speech championship. As a coach, I have qualified students for Nationals in both debate and speech. My colleagues have honored me with coaching awards, and I have been inducted into the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame. I got my start in this activity at a small rural high school and currently coach at a large suburban school. We have competed locally and nationally. Thus, I have interacted with a large variety of competition rules and know very well how they affect many different students and tournaments.

Second, I have assisted both the NSDA and the Minnesota State High School League with drafting and revising debate and speech rules. I am familiar with the substantive aspects of the process and the need for transparency and community input. I also serve on our District Committee and tabulate many tournaments. In that capacity, I am called upon to interpret and enforce the rules, so I see them from both sides. I will admit that I am baffled by the rationale behind some of the existing NSDA district tournament rules and would welcome the chance to participate in critically examining and possibly amending them. My many years of serving the community in an administrative capacity have prepared me well for that task.

Third, I am a (nearly retired) lawyer. My education and professional experience heavily involve laws and rules. That experience has been invaluable every time I have dealt with competition rules. I doubt many candidates will have similarly deep experience in both law and forensics. In my opinion, the committee would benefit from that perspective.

My goal on this committee would be to balance fundamental fairness, students’ freedom to express their creativity, and efficient tournament administration. It should be possible to achieve that balance and also enable coaches to understand both the rules and the rationale for them.

Brandon Thornton

Bloomington High School, IL

Like many, I was thrust into speech and debate in order to keep the program alive. This was 10 years ago, and since then I have become a diamond coach, coached two state finalists, coached a national finalist, coached numerous national octa/quarterfinalists, and served as a tab member for supplementals at the National Tournament (Fort Lauderdale and Dallas). Throughout that time, I had to learn both speech and debate as separate entities. As someone who didn’t participate in high school, and a math teacher far removed from the English and Theatre department, I stayed glued to the rules and guidelines provided by the NSDA. They served as a framework to me, and I firmly believe they can do the same for others. I belong to the small minority of schools in the region who participate in Districts and Nationals, but I hope to increase that number by bringing more awareness to what the NSDA does. With Nationals moving to the Midwest region for two consecutive years, I am hopeful that more schools in the region will see the NSDA as a viable destination for their speech and debate programs, rather than something that happens parallel to their programs. We are at a turning point in this activity. More and more states are removing public speaking and debate from their grad requirements. Some are removing it as English credits completely. As these programs leave the curriculum, the funding for speech and debate programs leave with them. The NSDA has the opportunity to serve as a beacon for programs struggling to stay afloat through not only resources (i.e., grants, textbooks, videos, mentoring), but also rule changes (i.e., non-advancing supps, Last-Chance Qualifier, Big Questions). Right now, more than ever, it’s so important that we continue to examine our competition and rules to make sure the NSDA continues to be at the forefront for keeping speech and debate accessible and equitable.

Meet the Candidates

Vicky Hyde

Chiawana High School, WA

I have had the privilege of coaching in three of the Northwest states—I began my coaching career with a year in Oregon. I learned from some of the best in Montana for six years, where I also served on the memorized rules committee for the state forensic association. And I’m in my 13th season in Washington. In that time, I’ve served as the Inland Empire District chair and am the eastern vice president for the Washington State Forensics Association, where one of my duties is to align state rules with NSDA rules.

That’s the official part. What it boils down to, really, is that, with all my heart, I believe this is the best activity for kids. There are differences from region to region in how we do things, but the NSDA’s rules, as often as not, are the ones people look to. The need to be sure that those rules are as equitable and inclusive as possible is paramount. The rules need to be crystal clear, yet at the same time allow the students the freedom to make their voices heard. It’s a tall order! We have probably all heard some of the myths and urban legends—”If you cry in your DI, your tears are a prop!” “You can’t stand in Grand Crossfire because once a debater stabbed his opponent with a pencil!” Having clear rules that enable the students who shop at Goodwill for a jacket to compete on equal footing with the students who spend their summers at expensive debate camps will keep our activity alive and thriving.

Daniel Johnson

Skyview High School, MT

Hello everyone,

My name is Dan Johnson, and I am writing to ask for your vote to represent the Northwest/North Central Region on the NSDA’s Competition and Rules Leadership Committee.

I am a coach at Billings Skyview High School in Montana, representing the Montana East District. During my coaching tenure, I have worked at every classification of high school in the state of Montana including the smallest of schools that competed in Montana forensics. I have served on our NSDA Committee’s leadership since our district’s inception in 2018, serving as district chair from 2021-2023. In 2021, our district was recognized by the NSDA for substantial growth among member chapters. Additionally, I have served as the coach of district World Schools teams in 2020, 2021-2023, and I was honored to serve as a member of the tab staff for WS at both the 2022 and 2023 National Tournaments. I also served as a member of the WS topic wording committee for the 2023 National Tournament.

Beyond my work for the NSDA, I have served a variety of different roles in state organizations throughout my tenure. I have coached numerous state champions in debate events as well as national qualifiers. Additionally, I served as a member of our state organization’s rules and debate committees, and I served as the president of the Montana Forensic Educators’ Association (MFEA) from 2021-2023. I also served as the digital tournament manager for AA schools in the 2020-2021 season. During my time in state organizations, I oversaw the alignment of our rules across classifications and guided their alignment to more closely mirror the NSDA’s guidelines. I have been nominated four times for state awards, and in 2021 was the recipient of the Anne Sullivan AA Debate Coach of the Year award from the MFEA as well as the Montana East District Coach of the Year in 2023.

I am highly passionate about rules working to provide positive experiences for all stakeholders, particularly students. I also have worked really diligently to increase engagement with the NSDA for our more rural schools and bring rural state perspectives to work that I do within the NSDA. I have always wanted the NSDA to be an organization that serves members of all varieties in all sorts of geographical contexts well. I hope to use an opportunity like this to continue that work to the fullest.

Thank you for your consideration!

Kelley Kirkpatrick

Mount Vernon High School, WA

When I joined debate, I had no idea how this world would impact my future. Now, after nearly a decade of coaching, I thrive on watching the developing voices that will impact all of our futures.

As a candidate, I’m fueled by the transformative impact of speech and debate. Our vibrant community of students, coaches, and stakeholders hone the skills of civil discourse weekend after weekend, preparing for a future that demands we all offer our best. Weekend after weekend, we deliver. The question then becomes: how do we go further?

Here’s why I would be grateful for your consideration…

Each Voice Matters: I advocate for those often unheard in the process. Every voice at the table needs to be valued in order for our community to flourish.

Elevating Excellence: One of my team’s goals is to “celebrate every day in many ways.” Each competitor has a unique journey through our world—some may never come near a trophy—but that doesn’t make the journey less valuable. It is on us as an institution to find ways to celebrate the victories that often escape our attention.

Setting the Stage: When I was new, the NSDA was a quagmire of rules and procedures that nearly scared me away! Wiser coaches showed me the way and taught me the why; now, it’s my turn to return the favor! Leading with transparency and fairness, I would like to help others in the same way.

Celebrating Diversity: I coach a proudly quirky group: one young man using debate to avoid gang involvement, three students who are the children of migrant workers, a mix of neurodivergent teens, an ASB president, a cheerleader, musicians, and more—and they come together to form a feisty team that supports each other. I know I am not alone in this—the bonds that form in our activity are our greatest strength. Now, it’s time to celebrate this diversity so that others will join us.

Passion Personified: My heart belongs to this incredible community. I’m not just an advocate—I’m a fan, an enthusiast, and a true believer. I believe that every school should have a debate program, I believe that speech and debate should be as well funded as soccer and football, and I believe that we are coaching the kids who will change our world.

Thank you for reading this… If you have any questions, please contact me at kkirkpatrick@mvsd320.org.

Kerry Konda

Aberdeen Central High School, SD

For the past 16 years, I have taught introduction to debate and speech courses and have been head speech and debate coach at Aberdeen Central High School (SD). As an educator and coach, I have directly worked with students to prepare them for all forms of debate and speech events that the NSDA has to offer. In the course of 16 years, our rural public school has found national success in debate, speech, and supplemental events.

I believe speech and debate has the power to transform students into powerful advocates, not just for community change but for personal growth. In order for that transformation to take place in four years—for the majority of our students—our activity needs to stay accessible to all who want to compete and improve their skills that they can use outside of a speech and debate competition room. The influence of speech and debate is a testament to the impact my four National Student of the Year finalists are making in their communities.

If elected, I would work to keep our activity accessible to all levels of students and programs. Success and skill development should not be reserved to those teams and students who can attend weeks long camps in the summer, have to pay for evidence, or define success by earning a bid to the TOC. The NSDA is here for all programs and all students regardless if they hail from Omaha, Tacoma, Idaho Falls, or Milbank. It is imperative that the rules and events reflect that. A way to achieve this is keeping the debate formats distinct from each other, allowing for our activity to appeal to different types of students and programs. For example, I believe Public Forum should be accessible for any person to judge and should focus on arguments related to resolution. Rules, common practices, competition, and events should be based in a pedagogical framework because we are a high school academic event. I would bring a rural perspective to the group.

I have served in several leadership roles in school—local union president, vice president, and negotiations team. I bring possible solutions and push for workable solutions. Those roles have given me the skills to be an effective group member. As a member of our state’s activity board, I helped change our Congress season to prevent coach burnout and got Informative Speaking as a sanctioned state event.

Jethro Smith

Highland High School, ID

I wish to be a part of the Competition and Rules Leadership Committee because I believe that the structure of our events is the starting point for all of the amazing things that the NSDA seeks to accomplish. The rules offer our students a starting point, rather than a ceiling, that can shape lives. Ensuring the clear wording of our rules helps new coaches and competitors learn the events equitably. I believe several of our events need rule changes to guarantee their growth, and in some cases, survival. As a Gen Z coach, member of the LGBTQ community, and coach from a rural-adjacent Idaho school, I represent several voices that are typically underrepresented in decision-making bodies in this organization. As a coach who has competed within the last 10 years, runs a YouTube channel for speech and debate content, and frequents social media groups with debaters and coaches, I believe my finger is on the pulse for rules-related concerns in the community. I’ve earned my first diamond, helped start a new program in our district, manage tournaments frequently, and coach kids across every event in which the NSDA participates. I’m the Commissioner for Debate in the state of Idaho and a member of our Idaho Mountain River District Committee. I believe that I can represent the needs of my state and region well on this committee.

Jeffrey Stoppenhagen

Ridgevue High School, ID

As a lifelong member of the NFL (1978 induction), the mission of the NFL and the NSDA is to provide accessible, equitable, and robust opportunities to participate and attend not only the National Tournament, but to be an active voice in the direction that our honorary will move in the years and decades in the future. My experience as a multi-year member of the Gem of the Mountain District (as chair and as a member) will help provide the committee an experienced perspective. Additionally, my years as a collegiate coach and national president of Pi Kappa Delta, the collegiate forensic honorary, could provide the committee a new and fresh perspective on how future rules and policies might better align with those who wish to go onto colleges and universities and might want to further their forensic education. My various leadership positions at the state level in our teacher’s association (ISATA) also has equipped me with the skills necessary to bring experiences to this new committee and their mission.