Meet the Team

Erik Altman joined the NSDA in 2019. From 1992-2002 Erik spent 10 years in the United States Army Reserves where he gained valuable people and leadership skills. He graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with an A.A. in Commercial Design in 2001. After graduation, Erik gained experience in web management and marketing with The Art Store in Des Moines. At the NSDA, Erik provides web content changes and updates.

Matt Bopes joined the NSDA in 2019. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Political Science in 2013. After graduation, Matt gained management and organizing experience on various political campaigns and projects. Most recently, Matt worked in customer service for two years. At the NSDA, Matt provides customer support to members, manages membership data, and coordinates recognition efforts.

Emily Bratton joined the national office in 2010. She graduated from Ripon College where she double-majored in History and Studio Art, gained experience in business management, and dabbled in freelance illustration. Her responsibilities include design projects, marketing initiatives, research requests, and other inter-departmental projects.

Alan Coverstone joined the National Speech & Debate Association national office in 2025 as Director of Regional Partnerships. In this role, he leads efforts to launch and sustain regional offices across the United States, raise local and national funding, and build coalitions with state associations, districts, schools, coaches, and community partners to expand access to speech and debate. He also champions advocacy initiatives aimed at securing policy and legislative support for universal participation in speech and debate programs.

Alan brings more than 30 years of experience as an educator, leader, and consultant working at the intersection of teaching, school innovation, and educational equity. He has served as a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he directed more than $59 million in investments to support Networks for School Improvement; as Executive Officer for Innovation at Metro Nashville Public Schools, where he launched Tennessee’s first Innovation Zone and built nationally recognized charter authorizing systems; and as Chair of the Education Department at Belmont University, where he created the Metro Nashville Urban Teacher Residency to recruit and prepare teachers of color. He is also the founder of Covariant Education, a consulting practice focused on student voice, youth participatory evaluation, and the role of artificial intelligence in education.

Alan’s involvement in speech and debate began as a high school competitor in Illinois and continued at Wake Forest University, where he earned his B.A. in Speech Communication and Theatre Arts with a focus on argumentation and rhetoric. He coached debate at Wake Forest and later at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville for 14 years, including the 2005 co-national champions in Policy Debate. He has served on the Nashville School Board and boards of the National Speech and Debate Association, the National Debate Coaches Association, the Nashville Teacher Residency, and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

Alan earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Outside of work, he is an avid hiker and recently completed a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango with his brother.

Amber Gracia joined the National Speech & Debate Association in 2021. She is an alum of the NSDA, having competed in Interp with her team at Harlingen High School South (TX). Amber began a career in non-profit work after graduating with her A.A.S. degree in 2015. As Student and Alumni Engagement Specialist at the NSDA, Amber is responsible for student and alumni programming, volunteer opportunities, and connecting alums to resources and each other. She is always ready to schedule some time to hear your speech and debate story!

Karen Jansen joined the National Speech & Debate Association in 2023. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Business Administration and a master’s in Sports Management from Western Illinois University. Prior to joining the NSDA, Karen co-owned and managed a family-owned sport construction business for 25 years where she administered all the company’s finances, marketing, and human resources areas. Karen looks forward to working with the finance department and other NSDA staff in her new role.

Vicki Joss joined the national office in 2009. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Speech Communication and Studio Art from Ripon College in Wisconsin. In addition to being a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Lambda Pi Eta, she competed with the Ripon College speech team and later served as an assistant coach. Vicki has more than 20 years of experience with graphic design and marketing. At the NSDA, she works extensively with Rostrum magazine as Assistant Editor, oversees the production of the National Tournament Book, and helps copy edit a range of organizational resources, correspondence, and other materials. Outside of work, Vicki has been an active community member. She was on the Ripon Area United Way Board for three years, where she served as President in 2007-08, and as Past-President and Secretary in 2008-09. She also served as Vice Chair for the Ripon Public Library Board of Trustees and was a member of that board from 2006 to 2013. She was a member of the Ripon Rotary Club from 2009 to 2015.

Dr. Athena Murray joined the NSDA in 2025. She is an award-winning speech and debate educator and curriculum developer. She has a Ph.D. in Communication Studies and graduate certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Georgia, an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. in Philosophy and Women, Gender & Social Justice from Michigan State University. She was a competitive high school and college Policy debater and coached high school state champions and college national champions in Policy Debate. Dr. Murray was a college professor for 10 years and is passionate about supporting new teachers and coaches. She believes that speech and debate curriculum should be innovative, engaging, and impactful.

Chris Palmer joined the National Speech & Debate Association as an independent contractor in 2014, bringing with him Tabroom.com, a free online tournament management site he created in 2000 and has maintained ever since. Tabroom has run more than 7,500 tournaments since its creation and continues to expand worldwide. He has also coached extensively in speech and debate, and his students have won many tournaments, including the 2012 TOC in LD and the 2008 National Speech & Debate Tournament in United States Extemp. He is a recipient of the Jenny Cook Mentorship award, the Lexington Michael Bacon coaching award, and the NDCA Outstanding Service Award. He is a member of the TOC Hall of Distinguished Service and the Barkley Forum Gold Key Society. His professional background includes roles in IT and technology management, in academia supporting engineering and computer science research, and in industry in the field of biotech and drug discovery. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Harvard University. At the NSDA, he works primarily to create new ways of assisting tournaments, coaching, and the Association as a whole with technology.

Tova Prax joined the National Speech & Debate Association in 2019. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Master’s degree in Social Work. As the Development Manager, Tova is responsible for overseeing the daily philanthropic activities of the National Speech & Debate Association.

Alyssa Rivera joined the NSDA in 2022. Alyssa received her BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Ithaca College and continued her education with a focus on digital marketing at Georgetown University. Alyssa loves connecting with NSDA students, coaches, and teams and sharing in the mutual love of spoken word and performance via our social media channels. In addition to her work at the NSDA, Alyssa is a comedian and also teaches and performs improv at The Second City in Chicago.

Kara Smith joined the national office in 2023. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education (English and Communications) in 1999 and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2006 both from the University of Idaho. From 2000-2022, Kara taught and coached speech and debate in the state of Idaho, serving as a district chair in the Inland Empire District and later in the Gem of the Mountain District, and was the Idaho State Speech Commissioner from 2018-2022.  Kara is a four-diamond coach, an NFHS Section Winner for Outstanding Speech, Debate, and Theatre Educator, and an Idaho Speech Arts Teachers Association Hall of Fame Member. Kara coached numerous students to state titles in every discipline—interpretation, public address, and debate—and qualified students, including several four-time competitors, to the National Tournament every year of her coaching. At the national office, Kara’s responsibilities include overseeing the district tournament series and international outreach.

Lisa Vossekuil has been a staff member of the National Speech & Debate Association since 2003. As Operations Coordinator, Lisa serves as office manager, oversees shipping and customer service for sales merchandise, honor society insignia, membership materials, and recognition mailings, and manages the organization’s history digitization.

Becky Wagner has been a staff member since 2015 working in the Trophy Shop assembling, packaging, and shipping awards not only for the NSDA but also for the many schools and universities that order awards for their tournaments across the country. Becky has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Currently, Becky serves as treasurer for the town of Princeton, Wisconsin. Previously, she was an EMT for 15 years with Princeton Ambulance Service and a supervisor for 28 years at Ripon Good Cookies. Most recently, she worked in IT for SSM Healthcare.

Megan West joined the NSDA in 2025 as Campaign Director. She is a former NSDA national champion (2004), NSDA district chair (Manatee, FL), and National Tournament host. She has a B.S. in Communication from West Texas A&M University and an M.A. in Rhetoric from California State University, Long Beach. Prior to joining the NSDA, Megan was a partnership manager for the non-profit Collaborative Classroom and coordinator of the Broward County Public Schools Debate Initiative, where she worked to ensure over 250,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade had access to speech and debate. As Campaign Director, Megan leads our campaign to engage alumni to support the organization‘s bold vision of speech and debate programs in every high school across the country.

Shelby Young returned to the National Speech & Debate Association in 2025. Having previously served in the Marketing Department and as a consultant with the NSDA, she officially joined the team as Content Specialist in 2025. Shelby graduated with two degrees in marketing and communications and journalism from the University of Iowa. As a consultant, Shelby has worked with large and small non-profits, entrepreneurs, education organizations, and diverse clients across the country, strategically supporting their business and communications goals. As NSDA Content Specialist, she spearheads a collaborative process to develop and implement a content strategy that furthers the success of the National Speech and Debate Initiative. Shelby has been involved in the speech and debate community since she began competing in high school. She is thrilled to be back at home with the NSDA!

Byron Arthur is a two-diamond coach from The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men in Louisiana. His years working as a corporate communications professional and as a practicing trial attorney lend a unique and important perspective to the Board of Directors. During his years of coaching at Jesuit High School and Holy Cross School in New Orleans, he has served the NSDA as a member of the Louisiana District Committee, the Lincoln-Douglas and Public Form Wording Committees, and the ad hoc committee studying the future of Public Forum Debate. Byron has worked as an NSDA National Tournament official and gave the keynote address at the Summer Leadership Conference in 2016. In 2014, he was recognized with the very first Director’s Commendation and in 2016 was elected to the National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame. Most recently, he is the 2024 recipient of the Pelham Commendation. As he begins his term as Board President, he has a particular interest in ensuring greater access and voice for urban and rural schools, developing programs and opportunities for recruiting and mentoring the next generation of coaches, and finding solutions to the challenges of gender equity.

Jamelle Brown is a three-diamond coach from The Pembroke School in Kansas City, Missouri. Jamelle recently moved to The Pembroke School as the co-director of competitive speech and debate after 21 years at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science in Kansas City, Kansas. She has served on the East Kansas District Committee, as an NSDA Women’s Coaches’ Caucus leader, a Belonging and Inclusion Advocate, an NSDA National Tournament event chair for Extemporaneous Speaking, and on several other NSDA committees. Jamelle also served on the NFHS Theatre, Speech and Debate Committee as the Section 5 leader. Mrs. Brown has received several awards, including the Milken National Educator Award, the NFHS National Speech and Debate Coach Award, the National Association of Urban Debate League’s Coach of the Year Award, Kansas Speech and Debate Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the Kansas Speech and Debate Hall of Fame. She has a passion for ensuring students and coaches from marginalized communities are supported and wants to make sure our middle school programs continue to thrive.

Adam J. Jacobi (he/him/his) has worked in communication and theatre education since 1997. He is executive director of the nonprofit Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association and coordinates Congressional Debate programming and curriculum for the nonprofit Harvard Debate Council. In 2018, he was elected to the NSDA Board of Directors and was appointed to a four-year term on the Speech, Debate, and Theatre Committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Adam previously worked for the NSDA in membership and education programs; taught and coached speech at Ripon College; taught middle and high school debate in China for a semester; and taught theatre and speech communication as well as coached at his alma mater, Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, WI, for 11 years. Through his contributions to books, articles, professional development, academic presentations, and leadership of speech and debate organizations, he strives to make speech and debate accessible to coaches and students at all levels, as well as to root the activity in sound pedagogical practices. As a product of, and educator in diverse inner-city schools, Adam understands the importance of inclusivity and overcoming barriers in education. He and his husband, J. Scott Baker, Ph.D., are both three-diamond coaches and were both NFHS National Citation Honorees for Speech, Debate, and Theatre Education. In 2024, Adam was inducted into the NSDA Hall of Fame.

Anoop Mishra is the regional executive for the Birmingham office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is responsible for collecting and synthesizing economic intel from business leaders throughout the state to help guide monetary policymaking. He oversees the Birmingham’s board of directors, the Atlanta Fed Agriculture Advisory Council, and the Fed’s community and economic development outreach efforts in Alabama.

Before joining the Bank, Anoop owned a business consulting firm and was previously the chief executive officer of WorkforceQA, a national employment screening and compliance provider. He served as the chief operating officer for EDPM for 12 years prior to its acquisition by WorkforceQA. While there, he served on the Atlanta Fed’s Human Capital Advisory Council. Anoop also worked for Accenture in Atlanta in its Financial Services / Strategy practice.

Anoop debated at Homewood High School in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1985 to 1989 and was the national champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate in 1988. He went on to receive a BA in political science from Birmingham-Southern College and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is active in the Birmingham community serving on the boards of the United Way of Central Alabama, Alabama Economics Club, American Cancer Society, and Goodwill of Alabama. He is also on the board of the Downtown Kiwanis Club and an alumnus of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama. Anoop and his wife, Manisha, live in Birmingham and have two kids, Annikah (19) and Adesh (17).

Wendy Orthman has more than 25 years experience in global public relations and marketing experience, primarily in the automotive industry. Currently, the Executive Director of Marketing for Genesis Motor America where she leads all brand, advertising, social, multicultural and experiential efforts for the Korean luxury automaker. During the COVID-19 years (2020-2022), Wendy served as the global head of marketing and communications for INFINITI, where she led the global marketing and communications efforts from Yokohama, Japan. She spent the years prior managing lifestyle and product lifecycle communications and organic social media for Nissan North America and serving as the Midwest Regional Communications Manager for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. She began her career at General Motors as an intern and subsequently held assignments with GM China, HUMMER, and Oldsmobile brands. Wendy holds an MBA from Northwood University and a bachelor’s in telecommunications and advertising from Michigan State University. Her passion for speech and debate was born at Chesterton High School in Indiana where she competed at the state and national level in Lincoln-Douglas, Impromptu, and Congress under NSDA Hall of Fame coach Carol Biel. At home in Michigan, Wendy and her husband Kevin are recent empty nesters as well as food and travel enthusiasts.

Holly Williams is retired from Mesa Public Schools in Mesa, Arizona. She served as Associate Superintendent for the past four years. She began her career as a high school English teacher and Dean of Students in the Chandler Unified School District. Holly was a part of Mesa Public Schools for 24 years and has served as an Assistant Principal and High School Principal before transitioning to a district-level position. As a district-level leader, Holly has been the Assistant Superintendent for Special Education, an Area Assistant Superintendent (East Area and High Schools), and the Chief of Staff. Holly graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from Arizona State University and a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University. Holly serves on the COPA Health Board of Directors and the Mesa Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors. Her oldest daughter competed in speech and debate at Mountain View High School, and Holly has served as a judge at local tournaments.