Black Executive Roundup

This month, we celebrate Black directors from around the debate community. Although this list does not list every single Black director, we hope to start a conversation about the importance of Black leadership.

Nicole Nave, WDI executive director

NICOLE NAVE - The Women's Debate Institute

https://womensdebateinstitute.org/

Nicole Nave is Executive Director of the Women’s Debate Institute was a debater for the University of Rutgers Newark. She is the 2017 NDT & CEDA National Champion. She is also the assistant coach for Northstar Prepatory Academy in Newark New Jersey. Nick has been a part of the activity of debate for almost a decade now.She is also a National Forensics League (NFL) Lincoln Douglas national champion. Nick is well versed and read in quare theory and black womanism.

SHAUNTRICE MARTIN - Bay Area Urban Debate League

www.BAUDL.org

Shauntrice is a long time youth advocate who trained with Ella Baker Freedom School + the University of the West Indies. She has raised more than $1 million for urban debate leagues across the country. After debating with the University of Louisville, she coached a competitive policy team at the Oak Hill Youth Detention Center. Shauntrice has earned numerous awards. She was named a Silicon Valley Business Journal 2017 Woman of Influence. She won the 2017 Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) Public Debate Award, and she was awarded a 2016 KBLX Bay Area Educator Award.

COLEEN REYES - Baltimore Urban Debate League

www.budl.org

Coleen Reyes currently serves as BUDL’s Executive Director. As a former classroom teacher, school administrator, coach, facilitator and youth developer, Coleen leads an amazing team that helps teachers successfully engage in argumentation and debate inside and out of the classroom. Joining BUDL first in 2012, Coleen served as Director of Professional Development and Director of Programs. For many years, she has also worked to connect education and community partners to better serve the needs of students. While working as a coach, Coleen has assisted school leadership teams, trained instructional coaches, and helped after school coordinators/providers to strategically use their resources to meet student needs. Coleen felt immediately connected to using debate as a tool to engage students in critical thinking, critical consuming, and engaged learning. Coleen’s higher education endeavors began at Howard University and continue even now at George Washington University as she pursues her Ed.D. in Education Leadership and Administration. As a leader, Coleen supports her co-worker’s endeavors by helping them strive for success, strengthening BUDL’s mission and the greater community.

Cameron Ward - LAMDL executive director

CAMERON WARD - Los Angeles Metro Debate League

www.LAMDL.org

Cameron Ward is a former nationally competitive high school and college debater, and has volunteered in Urban Debate Leagues since 2000. He has coached teams at different experience levels to elimination rounds at every major national tournament. In 2010, the original Executive Director for LAMDL left to be replaced by Ward.

JAMES ROLAND - Atlanta Urban Debate League

http://www.atlantadebate.org/

Among another prestigious titles, James Roland is the executive director for one of the longest standing urban debate leagues.He has coached champions from Emory University and enabled hundreds of marginalized children to access the power of competitive debate.

Roland joined Emory in 2000 to work with the Barkley Forum Center for Debate Education, the University’s award-winning intercollegiate debate program that supports competitive debate, community outreach and campus engagement activities. More recently, the Barkley Forum has stepped into a leadership role on campus, helping model civil discourse by moderating public campus dialogues and debates on pressing topics and offering student advocacy trainings.

ADAM JACKSON - Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle

http://lbsbaltimore.com

Adam Jackson is dedicated to Black liberation. He is a Black Nationalist who was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. Adam is responsible for the management and oversight of the daily operations of the organization and the execution of our mission. As a West Baltimore native, Mr. Jackson observed how city planning dictates how the City of Baltimore functions politically, economically, and socially. His academic endeavors have helped to increase his knowledge of how to plan long-term, sustainable strategies that will result in a better quality of life for Baltimore City residents. His volunteer efforts are aimed at connecting young people to public policy and creating transformative change in the city of Baltimore.

AARON TIMMONS - Global Debate Symposium

https://www.gdsdebate.com/

Aaron W. Timmons is the Director of Debate at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas (near Dallas), in addition to serving as the Head Coach of the USA World Schools Debate team. A former President of the Texas Forensic Association, Mr. Timmons has published several educational publications, and is a frequent presenter at workshops on debate pedagogy in Texas, across the United States and in recent years, on an international stage at workshops in Qatar and Slovenia. In 2000, Mr. Timmons was recognized as one of the top coaches of the 20th century. Mr. Timmons has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for the National Speech and Debate Association, the Texas Forensic Association, and the Tournament of Champions. Mr. Timmons is one of only three coaches in the history of the National Speech and Debate Association, to win National Championships in policy debate and Lincoln Douglas Debate, and the only coach to have multiple champions in both divisions. He has also coached the top speaker in policy and Lincoln Douglas debate, as well as champions in both formats, at the Tournament of Champions. Since becoming a coach of the USA Debate, the team has won events in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Slovenia, Germany, and Croatia. At the World Championships in Bali, Indonesia in the summer of 2017, the USA Debate Team placed third in the World! The best showing for the United States since 1999! In the past five years alone, Mr. Timmons' students in Lincoln Douglas have won the championships at the Greenhill Round Robin (close out), St. Marks School of Texas (close out), Apple Valley Round Robin, Apple Valley, The Glenbrooks, The Meadows School, Harvard Westlake invitational, Emory, University of California at Berkeley, Bronx Science and TFA State (close out). Mr. Timmons is a full time teacher and has taught at debate workshops for over 30 years.

Can you name 10 Black executives in the debate community? Post more names here so we can continue to celebrate Black excellence!