Bob Alexander earned his B.A. at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he was an active member of the ULM Speech and Debate Forum in CEDA debate, LD debate, and Individual Events and was named to the 1998 Cross Examination Debate Association All American Team.  From 1999 to 2002, Alexander served as an assistant with the University of West Florida speech and debate team while earning his M.A.  From 2003 to 2008, Alexander returned to ULM to coach the ULM Speech and Debate Forum to nearly 600 awards including national finalists in Individual Events at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament and the National Forensics Association Championship Tournament, and Novice Nationals, as well as in Debate at the International Public Debate Association Championship Tournament.  In the fall of 2008, Alexander returned to his home of Bossier-Shreveport, Louisiana to found an intercollegiate speech and debate team at Bossier Parish Community College, where he is currently an Instructor.  Alexander served as a member of the IPDA’s Governing Board from 2004 to 2009 (chairing the Board from 2008-2009), served as IPDA’s Executive Secretary from 2009-2010, and has served as IPDA’s President from April 2010 to present.

"Whether you’re considering academic debate for the first time, are considering the IPDA format, or are a veteran of our organization, on behalf of our membership I would like to extend the welcome of our community.  The International Public Debate Association represents a healthy and far-reaching assemblage of students and coaches who give of their time to not only advance rhetorical discourse, but to grow as citizens and scholars.  Both as a student and as a coach, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with most formats of academic debate and, while I recognize the value in each form, it is because of the accessibility of this format and the sense of community embodied by this organization’s membership that I have chosen to make this organization the home for my program.  I trust that your experience with IPDA will be equally fulfilling.  If there is ever anything I can do to be of assistance to you or your program, please feel free to contact me at any time." -- BEA

Mary G. Jarzabek is an alumni of LSU-Shreveport, receiving her Bachelor of Degree in Communications in 1975.  She received her Master of Arts from the Univ. Of Louisiana - Monroe (then known as Northeast Louisiana University) in Technical Theatre Arts in 1978.  She is currently ABD in the doctoral program at the University of Southern Mississippi where she is pursuing a mass communications degree with advertising as her major field of study.
 
Ms. Jarzabek pursued a career in technical television production for 13 years before becoming an instructor at LSU-Shreveport.  She served as Producer/Director at KNOE-TV in Monroe and KSLA-TV in Shreveport.  She joined the faculty at LSU-Shreveport in 1990.  She teaches classes in theatre, public speaking, television production, and media law.  She currently is serving as Director of Electronic Media Journalism at LSU-Shreveport.
 
During her tenure at LSU-Shreveport she has served as the debate coach and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the International Public Debate Association.  She has also written an instructor’s manual to accompany the classroom text, The Challenge of Effective Speaking.  She earned the LSUS Service Award in 1995 and again in 2005.
 
Most recently, Ms. Jarzabek has been named Associate Director for the LSUS Theatre Program.  She has also been awarded the Dalton Cloud Professorship in the Communications Department.
 
"Welcome to IPDA.  I am sure that you will be impressed with our format of debate.  After teaching debate and public speaking for more than 20 years, I am convinced that public debate is the format that BEST prepares our students for communication in the real world.  Since that has been my goal throughout my teaching career, I am confident that IPDA is a debate structure that will truly develop the thinking, listening, and speaking skills we all need to be better leaders, better citizens, and better people." -- MGJ

Keith Milstead earned his B.A. at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, where he was a three-time captain of the team, competing in CEDA debate, Parliamentary debate, Individual Events, and IPDA debate. He also competed for four years in cross examination debate for the nationally recognized Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport where he was a senior during the 1996-97 National Championship campaign. From 2008 to 2010, he served as the graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas at Monticello while earning his M.A. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Milstead was elected to the National Council for Pi Kappa Delta, where he served from 2007 to 2009. From 2008 to 2009, Milstead also served on the IPDA Governing Board. While a competitor, he won three season-long National Championships in the Professional division in IPDA, winning the National Tournament in that division twice and finishing runner-up twice.  In 2007, Milstead won the Pi Kappa Delta National Championship in the IPDA competition and represented Louisiana in the Interstate Oratory Competition after winning the state championship for Persuasion. In the fall of 2010, Milstead was hired as the Assistant Director of Debate and Forensics at UAM, where he is currently an instructor in the Speech department. Milstead has served as IPDA’s Executive Secretary from April 2011 to present.

“It is truly an honor to serve an organization such as IPDA given its fundamental aspiration for teaching the true art of persuasion through debate. I would like to tell anyone who is a current member of this community, or one who considering membership, that IPDA blends collegiate competition with debate and persuasion as well, if not better, than any other forum available. I do see very positive learning experiences in various other forms of debate, and have competed in many of them myself, but in overall value and education, I firmly believe that ours provides a more enhanced experience than any other. Members of this community, past and present, have all gained invaluable skills in real-world decision making and professionalism. I look forward to helping maintain an environment where these skills are at the foundation of our event and I am certain that everyone who partakes will have every opportunity to experience the value of this practice. I whole-heartedly believe in the principles of our organization and am thrilled to give back to something that has given so much to me. On behalf of the organization, I would like to welcome all those that are new to our organization and challenge current members and students to value the accessibility, community, and persuasion-based rhetoric that our event holds so dear. Please feel free to contact me at anytime with questions, comments, or concerns about our organization.” --KM

Bob Steinmiller earned his Ph.D. from The University of Iowa in Iowa City, his M.A. from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, and his B.A. from Carthage College in Kenosha Wisconsin.  Bob received a fellowship from the School of Speech at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.  Bob taught English and speech courses for the Elgin Academy in Elgin, Illinois where he was chair of the English department and Director of Theater.  He holds teaching licenses from Illinois, Iowa and Colorado. He directed a number of plays for school, college, and community theater programs.  Bob and his wife Georgine came to Henderson State University in 1987.  Georgine is Professor of Special Education for the Graduate School and Teachers College.  Bob is Professor in the Communication, Mass Media and Theater Department where he teaches Argumentation and Debate, Debate Practicum, Interpersonal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Organizational Communication, Oral Interpretation of Literature, Readers Theater, and Special Methods of Speech and Theater Education.  He is coach of the Henderson State University Intercollegiate Debate team since 1994.  Bob served on the Governing board of IPDA.  The Henderson Intercollegiate Debate participation in IPDA goes back to the early days of the organization.  Bob is currently editor of the Journal of the International Public Debate Association.

 “The International Public Debate Association adds much value to the education of our participants.  Debate is accessible and doable.  Not only can one participate immediately, one learns to create and critique persuasion that benefits public discourse for a lifetime.  Our future leaders and citizens are well served.”

Mark Porrovecchio (PhD, University of Pittsburgh) is Director of Forensics and Assistant Professor of Rhetoric at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore.  In the mid-1990s, Porrovecchio served as assistant coach to the Oregon State forensics team before transitioning into the assistant position at San Jose State University.  His scholarly interests include the history of Speech Communication and the relationship between pragmatism and rhetoric. Porrovecchio is the editor of, and a contributing author to, Reengaging the Prospects of Rhetoric: Current Conversations and Contemporary Challenges (New York: Routledge, 2010).  He is also the author of “Cracks in the Pragmatic Façade: F. C. S. Schiller and the Nature of Counter-Democratic Tendencies” (Pragmatism & Democracy, special issue of Etica & Politica, 2010); “Lost in the WTO Shuffle: Publics, Counterpublics, and the Individual” (Western Journal of Communication, 2007);  “Flowers in the Desert: F. C. S. Schiller’s [Unpublished] Pragmatism Lecture” (William James Studies, 2008); and “Apocalypse Documented: An Audiovisual Representation of Sept. 11, 2001” (Media and the Apocalypse, Peter Lang Publishing, 2009).  His next book, A Rebel’s Rhetoric: F. C. S. Schiller and the Dawn of Pragmatism, a rhetorical biography/intellectual history of Schiller (1864-1937), the foremost of first generation British pragmatists, is scheduled to be published in late 2011 by Lexington Books. 

Joe Ganakos earned his B.A. in Political Science and M.A. in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL.  Joe served as Interim Head Coach of the UWF Forensics Team in 1998, assuming the role of Head Coach in 1999 and eventually Director of Forensics in 2001.  During his time at UWF, the program ranked nationally in Individual Events and various forms of Debate, including IPDA, as well as having state and national titles for his individual competitors while amassing over 700 awards and honors.

In 2006, Joe founded the Lee College Forensics Team at Lee College in Baytown, TX.  Upon his move to Texas, Joe was elected to the Governing Board of the IPDA, and hosted the IPDA National Championship & Convention in 2007.  Upon completing his term as a member of the Governing Board, Joe was appointed as Communications Director for the IPDA in 2010.

Patrick (Pat) Richey is ABD from the University of Southern Mississippi. He earned his M.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University and his B.A. from Louisiana College. Pat is well versed in debate. He began his debate career in middle school and debated for Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Mo. He debated for Longview Community College before transferring and debating for Bennett Strange at Louisiana College. While in Iraq as a Civil Affairs Sgt. In 2002-2004, Pat participated in the email debate tournament. Upon his return he debated and was the Assistant Coach at Stephen F. Austin State University with Coach Stephen Jeffcoat. Pat is currently the Director of Forensics at Middle Tennessee State University. Pat has competed, coached, or judged IPDA, NPDA, Worlds Championship Debate, CX, LD, Public Forum, Student Congress, and multiple IEs for the past 20 years.
        His capacities in IPDA include or have included; former IPDA Governing Board member, Founder and editor for the IPDA Journal for four years, tab room for two National Championships, published a chapter in the upcoming IPDA Textbook (2nd ed.) and is currently the IPDA Historian.
        Pat’s academic interests include debate history and theory, especially ethos. As well as rhetoric, specifically post-modern thought, military rhetoric, and Islamic rhetoric. He has published multiple articles and book chapters including recently in the Louisiana Communication Journal and attended dozens of conferences.
        Pat is married to his former college debate partner, Rebecca (Becky) Joyce Teater, whom he met through debate and proposed to at The Worlds Championship Debate in Toronto, Canada. Pat and Becky have two children, Abigail Marie (4) and Robert Josef (4 months) as of August 2011.