Executive Committee of the IPDA

The Executive Committee of the International Public Debate Association is charged with serving as the permanent executive branch of governance for the organization.  Composed of a President, Executive Secretary and Managing Director, they are charged with providing the vision for the day-to-day management and future growth of the IPDA.

  • 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 served as IPDA’s Executive Secretary from 2011 to 2014 and as President from April 2014 to present.

  • Sheila Ritchie is an alumna of Abilene Christian University receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 1993.  She received her Master of Arts in Communications from Abilene Christian University in 1987. 

  • Patrick (Pat) Richey received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi. He earned his M.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University and his B.A. from Louisiana College. 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.

Advisory Officers

  • (Biography to come)

  • (Biography to come)


  • 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 Debate 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.  He was reelected to the Governing Board in 2014 when Lee College returned to full-time IPDA competition in 2013-2014.  Lee College debaters have won sixteen team and individual national championships, as well as becoming the first community college to win the prestigious 2015 James Madison Cup hosted by James Madison University.  Joe was named the 2016 Bennett Strange Coach of the Year, and currently serves as the Director of Forensics at Lee College.