Tournament Staff
The Yale Debate Association
YDA Board
- Andrew Rohrbach, President
- Spencer Stackhouse, Tournament Coordinator
- Haley Nix, Membership Director
- Grant May, Treasurer
- Erin Miller, Development Director
Tournament Board
- Spencer Stackhouse, Tournament Coordinator
- Shaina Wright, Tournament Director
- James Luccarelli, Tournament Director
- Kristin Briggs, Hospitality Director
- Pam Brown, Judging Director
- Austin Kase, Facilities Director
Tabulation Staff
Chris Palmer, Director
The pathologically over committed Chris Palmer returns for his ninth year as Tab Director. Chris is an assistant coach at Newton South High School. He is the president of the Massachusetts Forensic League, and co-director of the EXL institute in extemporaneous speaking. He also directs the Columbia and UPenn tournaments. Yale runs on speech tournament software he created, which has also been used at NCFL Nationals as well as tournaments in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida. By day he is Manager of IT at Gene Network Sciences, Inc. Chris sleeps very little.
Debate:
Jenny Cook, Director of Public Forum
The irrepressible Jenny Cook returns for her sixth year of tabbing Debate events at Yale, and no one makes it seem easier than she does. She is Director of Forensics at the University School in Florida. She is also the director of Summit Debate, which holds the National Speakers Forum forensics institute and the National Debate Forum, among others.
Jim Menick, LD Tab
The erudite Jim Menick adds his verbal flair for bile to LD tab for the third year. Jim coaches at Hendrick Hudson HS in New York, directs and hosts the Hendrick Hudson Malcolm Bump Tournament, and runs tab at many others, including Lexington, Columbia, the Mid-Hudson League, and many others.
Joe Vaughan, LD TabThe passionate Joe Vaughan returns for his fourth year of scouring the halls for recalcitrant and dilatory judges, who tremble to hear his voice. He is coach of Scarsdale HS in New York. Joe has worked the Yale and Columbia tournaments and most of the NYCFL tournament schedule among others, and is a member of the TOC LD Advisory Board.
Sheryl Kaczmarek, Policy Tab
The upbeat and affable Sheryl Kaczmarek comes back again to tab Policy Debate. Sheryl is coach at Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, NY, and serves on many the same traveling roadshow tab circuses as the rest of this crazy bunch, including Lexington, NYCFL policy tournaments, and I’m sure many others I’d know about better if I had any idea about the world of Policy. Sheryl serves on the TOC Advisory Board for Policy.
Speech:
Jonathan Chavez, Director
The dangerously competent Jonathan Chavez returns for his seventh Yale tournament, taking on the job of Speech Tab Director so Chris has more time to mess up other parts of the tournament. Jonathan has coached at Milton Academy, Newton South High School, James Logan High School in CA, and Creekview High School in TX, and is co-director of the Experimental Extemp institute. By day, he is Director of Research at Social Sphere, Inc.
Lisa Honeyman
The unfathomably just and fair Lisa Honeyman returns for her sixth year in Speech tab. She is the founding coach of the Newton South forensics program in Massachusetts, Vice President of the Massachusetts Forensic League, and can add a row of numbers together in her head faster than you can read them.
Dave Yastremski
Barb Giuliano
Student Congress:
Alicia Slavis, Director
The meticulous, yet warm Alicia Slavis returns for her eighth year of directing Student Congress at Yale. Alicia is the head coach of Christian Brothers Academy, and has directed numerous Congress tournaments. She serves on the board of the Congress Tournament of Champions.