NAUDL 2020-21 Annual Report

Annual Report 2020-21

NAUDL Mission
Advancing debate education in metropolitan public
schools to amplify youth voices and to develop
confidence and skills for future success.
NAUDL provides its 22 league partners* with debate practices, programs, training, model resources and curricula
so that they can bring the unique “power of debate” – academic rigor, personal empowerment, civic engagement,
and community-building – to schools and students across the country.
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*League locations: Atlanta, Baltimore, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis,
Miami, Minnesota, Nashville, New York, Portland, Rhode Island, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, Tulsa, and Washington (D.C. area)

Year in Review
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I RESOLVE
NAUDL’s “I RESOLVE Public Debate Series” seeks to showcase the power of
high school debate while exploring some of the most pressing issues in our
society through the perspective, voice and values of the next generation of
leaders – high school debaters.
EXCLUSIVE
PRESENTING
SPONSOR
SERIES
SPONSOR
In 2020, NAUDL presented “I RESOLVE” for the first time with five league
partners: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley, each
one introducing a facet of the 2020-21 National Policy Debate Topic: criminal
justice reform. The 90-minute virtual programs are centered around student
arguments and subsequent feedback, discussion and Q&A from a panel of
distinguished civic and community leaders. Participants are joined by a virtual
audience of student peers, along with school district and league leaders. Urban
Debate Network donors, partners and champions are also invited to attend.
While conceived well before the 2020 national inflection points, spurred by
the Covid-19 pandemic and the calls for social justice and racial equality in
our country, the basis of I RESOLVE became even more significant at their
onset. Now more than ever, we believe in the power of amplifying voices and
fostering open dialogue in the name of sustained change for the future.
“I will say how extraordinarily proud I am of our debaters. It’s such a critically
important skill. We need your leadership, we need your critical thinking
ability, we need your teamwork, we need your problem-solving ability. And
this topic is one that is near and dear to my heart.”
– Arne Duncan, Former Secretary of U.S. Education and
Managing Partner, Emerson Collective
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NAUDL Fellows
In recent years, NAUDL has sought to expand
opportunities for debaters that extend beyond
the after-school practices and the traditional
weekend tournament experience.
While participation in debate is often a formative experience, we recognize the importance of going
beyond the rounds for active debaters and alumni alike, As such, we have intentionally worked to
increase networking and professional development opportunities in the Urban Debate community.
From this effort, the White & Case NAUDL Fellows program was established – a scalable, 10-week
internship program for qualified urban debate alumni with at least two years of college completed.
Projects engage Fellows in multiple roles and provide an opportunity for them to lead an initiative,
function or process for either NAUDL or a partner league. NAUDL senior staff provide ongoing virtual
oversight, coaching and assessment to both Fellows and league leadership. Additionally, group
roundtables are hosted on a weekly basis, featuring professional volunteers, in the widely-accepted
Eight Competencies for Career-Readiness. In the 2020 Class, 100% of Fellows self-reported they would
recommend the program to other students and that the program exposed new resources and ideas that
will transition to job and career plans. The 2020 Fellows class is listed to the right.
“This opportunity challenged me to think about what it is I desire in my academic and career ventures.
Furthermore, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the time, resources, and labor that is invested
into an organization such as NAUDL. This fellowship reminds me why I choose to come back to urban
debate leagues every year and make meaningful contributions.”
Dailyn Davis
Chicago, IL
Fisk University
Natty De Leon Urena
Miami, FL
Mount Holyoke
Norma Delgado
Los Angeles, CA
CSU Fullerton
Deigo Flores
Huntington Park, CA
CSU Long Beach
Ángel García Donjuán
Dallas, TX
University of North Texas
Javier Hernandez
Los Angeles, CA
CSU Fullerton
Leslie Pantaleon
Brooklyn, NY
Sarah Lawrence College
Nikola Stamenkovic Diez
Chicago, IL
Northwestern University
Aimee Trivino
Brooklyn, NY
Binghamton Unvierstiy
Vontrez White
Fullerton, CA
CSU Fullerton
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National Debate Expo
Elevate Debate
Designed as a celebration of the unique 2020-21 season, NAUDL’s first-ever National Debate Expo opened an
opportunity for us to craft an event that centered around community and growth, and not just competition alone. The
multi-day programming combined a Round-Robin Competition with coach and student workshops -- as well as virtual
engagement events and a special exhibition of I RESOLVE. In the future, the Expo will stand on the NAUDL calendar
each fall, coupled with our College Connector, a virtual college debate fair.

2021 Debater of the Year
Dana Agbede
Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Creative Writing, Academic
Writing & Research
Over her last four years at Downtown Magnets High School, Dana
Agbede became synonymous with the ideal student on her campus.
A 7x Top Speaker for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League
(LAMDL), Dana created a legacy as a well-known name across her
league. However, even for an ultimate competitor like Dana, debate is
so much more than winning.
“Debate has given me the agency to see my dreams in the context
of my circumstances. Debate taught me to bring my story into
the classroom and helped me grow as a writer through asserting
confidence and learning to speak with authority. Debate permitted me
to lead with honesty, both about my weaknesses and the structural
barriers that seemed to cap my success, and to free other people in
the process.”
“By using my voice to support others, I learned that I had the agency
to be an advocate,” says Dana.
“Once again, I am reminded of the phrase ‘you only have a couple of
these students during your entire career,’ and how Dana is one of my
very memorable few,” says Dana’s high school coach Arielle DePaola.
Now a freshman at Northwestern University, we know that Dana is
already shining bright on a new campus and bringing her poise, her
tenacity, and her work ethic to whatever lies ahead!
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Debater of the Year Finalists
Alexa Figueroa
Northwestern High School
Washington Urban Debate League
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Media & Film
“Debate has taught me to stand my ground and share my
experiences with others. I have been able to find my voice through
debate and give a voice to those who cannot participate in debate.”
Jason Gonzalez
Port of Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Social Justice,
Constructs and Policies
“Right here in my own town of San Pedro, I have witnessed the way
that the city has continuously attempted to crowd out the working
class, such as my own family. Exploring this philosophy in the future
is crucial for me to gain an understanding of the world in order to
change the legal systems.”
Faith Howard
Detroit School of Arts
Detroit Urban Debate League
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Theatre and
Performance Arts
“My confidence, praxis, and even life purpose, has changed
because of debate, and I will forever be grateful for it – even
for the times that it challenged me greatly. I used to believe that
my capacity and purpose was limited, but now I have found and
developed a part of myself that is ambitious and capable of so
much more than I or anyone else had anticipated.”

Samuel Libenson
Kenwood Academy
Chicago Debates
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Best Buddies International
“A high school freshman with a desperate desire to prove myself, I wanted to be the
best. Debate is a team competition, though, and – as I was so focused on my own
goal to be the best, that flew right over my head. Most importantly, debate has taught
me how to be a better community member – and through that, a better leader, better
teammate, better friend, and better person.”
Jasleen Randhawa
Silver Creek High School
Silicon Valley Urban Debate League
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Medicine, Healthcare
“I am in awe at the impact debate has had on my personal and academic life. Even as a
student and a leader, debate has taught me how to put others ahead and work with my
community to accomplish even the most difficult goals. I’ve learned how to advocate for
myself and take advantage of the opportunities in front of me. Debate opened my eyes
to the problems I saw around me, gave them a name, and gave me a cause to fight for.”
Anna Zhao
Josiah Quincy Upper School
Boston Debate League
Passion/Hobby/Interest: Climate and Environmental
Policy/Education
“Every single individual brings a uniquely different point of view. With my lived
experiences, I bring a new perspective to the traditionally male-dominated policy
debate space. My voice holds value no matter what spaces I am in. Being a part of the
debate team has also taught me the significance it has on my school community. Once
you join the team, you are always a part of the family. With all my heart, I will carry my
voice through to all my future endeavors.”
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2021 Coach of the Year
Dean Howell
Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League (LAMDL)
Coach Dean Howell has been the coach at Elizabeth Learning Center (ELC)
for over a decade and is the longest-serving coach in the LAMDL network.
Coach Howell has always made an effort to make his team feel like a
family; however, this was especially apparent over this past year, where his
leadership was essential to the team’s continued success and growth.
At every league tournament, LAMDL recognizes an outstanding coach and
Coach Howell’s students nominate him for the award time after time. Last
season, he led practices multiple times a week (5+ hours over Zoom) to
get all of his debaters ready to compete. This commitment was especially
outstanding given Coach Howell’s classroom load: AP English Language
and Composition, Journalism (school newspaper), and 12th grade English.
Over the last couple of years, ELC has gone through a renaissance. For a
long time, they were a small team from a small school, but through Coach
Howell’s efforts, ELC has become the largest and most active team for
LAMDL. Indeed, this dedicated coach has fostered generations of debaters
and is one of the most important and influential figures in the league.
Thank you to Coach Howell and to all of the coaches in the Urban Debate
Network for their time, passion, and mentorship.
2021 Alumni
Ambassadors
NAUDL’s Alumni Ambassador program
gathers a prestigious and diverse
group of dynamic and motivated urban
debate alumni leaders who are looking
to give back and stay connected to
the urban debate community. This past
spring, we were pleased to have:
Moselle Burke
Haverford College, Boston Debate League
Dailyn Davis
Fisk University, Chicago Debates
Danielle Dupree
Howard University, Washington Urban
Debate League
Joyce Korir
Emory University, Atlanta Urban Debate
League
Garshae Mowatt-McKenzie
Oglethorpe University, Boston Debate
League
Olivia Northcutt-Wyly
University of Southern California, Dallas
Urban Debate Alliance
Ernest Ntangu
Georgetown University, Washington Urban
Debate League
Ridhwan Shakil
University of Tennessee (UTK), Nashville
Urban Debate League

Expo Competition Qualifiers
The winners of this year’s Round Robin were the first-ever recipients of the Leonard A. Gail Award – representing “Hard
Work, Intellectual Rigor and Competition” – and named for former Board Chair, and steadfast debate champion, Lenny Gail.
Atlanta Urban Debate League
Rockdale High School/Roswell
High School
Jordan Freeman (1) & Aaron Gill
2021 ROUND ROBIN CHAMPIONS
Coach: Clay Stewart
Bay Area Urban Debate League
Oakland Technical High School
Liam Ryals & Nuriel Cahigas
Coach: Jazmine Pickens
Boston Debate League
Josiah Quincy Upper School
High School
Christina Do & Kevin Tan
Coach: Kelly Flores
Chicago Debates
Von Steuben Metropolitan
Science Center
Ian Vanswearingen &
Michael Gergeni
Coach: Ryan Howell
Dallas Urban Debate Alliance
The Judge Barefoot Sanders
Law Magnet High School
Sophia Sliter-Hays &
Amanda Arroyo
Coach: Mary Gregg
Dallas Urban Debate Alliance
The Judge Barefoot Sanders
Law Magnet High School
Jude Pryor & Steve Barrientos
Coach: Mary Gregg
DEBATE! - Kansas City
University Academy
Briana Tolbert &
Alesia Mcfadden
Coach: Carl Stafford
DEBATE! - Kansas City
Sumner Academy of Arts
& Science
Neymara Freeman &
Jaleon Brown
Coach: Jamelle Brown
Denver Urban Debate League
Rangeview High School
Blessed Asare &
Daniel Torres Diaz
Coach: Anna Gebhardt
Detroit Urban Debate League
Detroit School of Arts
Faith Howard (4) &
Katrina McDuffie
Coach: Brandon Reynolds
Houston Urban Debate League
North Houston Early College
High School
Angelina Martinez &
Guadalupe Blas
Coach: Janice Omoge
Los Angeles Metropolitan
Debate League
Downtown Magnets High School
Dana Agbede (3) & Andres Marquez
Coach: Arielle DePaolo
Los Angeles Metropolitan
Debate League
Vladovic Harbor Teacher
Preparation Academy
Lena Ho & Andrew Subingsubing
Coach: Joy Yoneda
Metro Memphis Urban Debate
League
Germantown High School
Robert Williams &
Ashanti Patterson
Coach: Michael Collins
Miami Dade Urban Debate League
Miami Senior High School
Marco Perez-Vazquez &
Carlos Salcerio
Coach: Yanelle Perez
New York Urban Debate League
Leon M. Goldstein High School
of the Sciences
Sheima Ben Abdallah (2) &
Cadence Mak
Coach: Lee Sharmat
Silicon Valley Urban Debate League
Downtown College Prep
Chris McGinnis & Addis Arciniega
Coach: Santalucia Hernandez
Tulsa Debate League
Will Rogers High School
Ethan Gibbs & Jamaica Reed
Coach: Eddie Perry
Washington Urban Debate League
Capital City Public Charter School
Liv Birnstad (5) & Clarke Dickens
Coach: William Hawk
Washington Urban Debate League
Northwestern High School
Dennis Martinez &
Alexa Figueroa
Coach: David Trigaux
Note: Numbers (#) indicate Top
Speaker Award Placement
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FY21 Donor List
$100,000
Anonymous
$80,000
Robin A. Steans & Leonard A. Gail
$40,000+
Jennifer Northam Wade
White & Case LLP
$20,000+
Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
Kent and Elizabeth Dauten
Joshua and Jessica Friess
The Hersh Foundation
Mark and Karen Koulogeorge
Massey & Gail LLP
Randal and Liz Sandler
M. B. Seretean Foundation
$10,000+
Jeffrey and Jennifer Allred
The Asia Group Foundation
William J. Blechman
John and Susan Graham
Nikhil and Anisha Mirchandani
Matthew Nichols and Katrina
Burton-Nichols
The Patel Family Trust
Tom and Vicki Rollins
Stuart and Rose Singer
Jason Trice
$5,000-9,999
Eric Ball
Charlene and Matthew Ehmer
Kirkland & Ellis Foundation
Eli R. Kaplan and Sasha Borowsky
Kenneth M. Karas and Frances Bivens
Spencer Nelson and Aliya Marder
Scott Segal
Richard W. Sullivan
Law Offices of Neil G. Taylor, P.A.
$2,500-4,999
Jennifer Armstrong
Wayne L. Firestone
David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn
J. Mark and Bridget Gidley
Jenner & Block LLP (Matching Gift)
NextEra Energy Inc.
Miles Taub and Susan Goldschmidt
Shaun Van Horn
David Zarefsky
$1,000 - 2,499
Joseph Angland
Howard Beales
Jessamyn S. Berniker
Noah Chestnut
Jason Cowley
Cal Ellowitz
Thomas and Gina Fulkerson
Michael J. Gottlieb and Julianna Goldman
Deirdre Hykal
Thomas A. Isaacson
Scott and Ann Michel
Stephen Perry
PLUS Foundation
Emily J. Stroud
$500-999
Alpharetta High School on behalf of Alpharetta
Debate Team
Andrew Arsht
Sashi Bach
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation (Matching Gift)
Akshay Dayal
Susan A. Dunn
Google (Matching Gift)
David and Rita Gottlieb
Matthew Harms
Linda Listrom
Johnathan Lott
Microsoft (Matching Gift)
Pascual Oliu
Joel Perwin
Barb and Monty Reed
Matthew Reedy
Cindy Moelis and Robert Rivkin
Lawrence D. Rosenberg
Michael Roytman
Kelli L. Sager
Barak Zelinsky
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Statements of Financial Position
June 30, 2021 and 2020
ASSETS 2021 2020
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash $ 416,467 $ 763,776
Investments 150,021 –
Promises to give - current 105,831 2,316
Prepaid expenses 17,390 16,717
Security deposit – 3,480
Total Current Assets 689,709 786,289
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT - NET 10,570 16,443
OTHER ASSETS
Promises to give - long-term, net 122,144 –
TOTAL ASSETS $ 822,423 $ 802,732
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable $ 15,334 $ 12,835
Accrued expenses 34,917 37,148
PPP loan refundable advance – 8,249
PPP loan payable for EIDL grant advance – 7,000
Total Current Liabilities 50,251 65,232
NET ASSETS
Without donor restrictions:
General operating 248,463 176,731
Board designated 353,388 352,978
Total without donor restrictions 601,851 529,709
With donor restrictions 170,321 207,791
Total Net Assets 772,172 737,500
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $ 822,423 $ 802,732
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NAUDL Board and Staff
2020-21 Board Members
Stuart H. Singer
Board Chair
Partner
BOIES SCHILLER & FLEXNER LLP
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jeffrey A. Allred
Partner
NELSON MULLINS RILEY &
SCARBOROUGH LLP
Atlanta, GA
Eric R. Ball
General Partner
IMPACT VENTURE CAPITAL
Redwood City, CA
William J. Blechman
Partner
KENNY NACHWALTER
Miami, FL
Kevin I. C. Donaldson
Senior Attorney
NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES
Juno Beach, FL
Wayne L. Firestone
NON-PROFIT CONSULTANT
Takoma Park, MD
Joshua Friess, Ph.D.
Founder and Consultant
TWO POINT STRATEGIC
CONSULTING, LLC
Hinsdale, IL
Leonard A. Gail
Immediate Past Chair
Founding Partner
MASSEY & GAIL LLP
Chicago, IL
David J. Glass, M.D.
Executive Director
NOVARTIS INSTITUTES FOR
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Cambridge, MA
Michael J. Gottlieb
Partner
WILLKIE FARR & GALLAGHER LLP
Washington, D.C.
John Graham
Professor, School of Public and
Environmental Affairs
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Bloomington, IN
Kenneth A. Hersh
President and Chief Executive Officer
GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER
Dallas, TX
The Honorable Kenneth M. Karas
US District Judge
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
White Plains, NY
Janet Kavinoky
Vice President, Federal & State
Governmental Affairs
VULCAN MATERIALS COMPANY
Birmingham, AL
Mark T. Koulogeorge
Managing General Partner
MK CAPITAL
Northbrook, IL
George S. LeMieux
Chairman of the Board
and Shareholder
GUNSTER LAW FIRM
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Meredith McClintock
Founder and CEO
READY SOLAR, INC.
Portola Valley, CA
Tammy D. McCutchen
Senior Affiliate
RESOLUTION ECONOMICS
Washington, D.C.
Nikhil Mirchandani
Managing Director
INHERENT GROUP, LP
New York, NY
Nirav Patel
President and Co-Founder
THE ASIA GROUP
Washington, D.C.
Stephen C. Perry
President and
Chief Executive Officer
CLARITAGE CAPITAL, LP
New York, NY

Honorary Board Members
NAUDL Staff
James R. Roland
Director of Community
Debate Programs
EMORY UNIVERSITY
Atlanta, GA
Randal Sandler
Director, Client Service
and Marketing
BRIDGEWATER
ASSOCIATES, LP
Westport, CT
Scott H. Segal
Partner
BRACEWELL LLP
Washington, DC
John Stubbs
Managing Partner
ROMULUS
Washington, D.C.
Shaun Van Horn
Partner
JENNER & BLOCK LLP
Chicago, IL
Jennifer Northam Wade
Los Angeles, CA
David Boies
Chairman
BOIES SCHILLER & FLEXNER LLP
David L. Boren
President Emeritus
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
Wesley K. Clark
Chief Executive Officer
WESLEY K. CLARK &
ASSOCIATES, LLC
Willie E. Gary
Partner
GARY, WILLIAMS, PARENTI,
WATSON & GARY, PLLC
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Alphonse Fletcher, Jr. University
Professor
Director, Hutchins Center for
African & African American
Research
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
The Honorable Ken Salazar
Partner
WILMERHALE
The Honorable
Lawrence H. Summers
Charles W. Eliot University
Professor
Director, Mossavar-Rahmani
Center for Business and
Government
HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
Laurence H. Tribe
Carl M. Loeb University Professor
and Professor of
Constitutional Law
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
The Honorable Sylvester Turner
Mayor
CITY OF HOUSTON
Paul G. Vallas
Co-Founder
VALLAS GROUP INC
David Zarefsky
Professor Emeritus,
Communication Studies
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Rhonda Haynes
Executive Director
Julie Byun
Director of Finance and
Administration
Luke Hill
Director of Data Systems &
Performance Management
Madalyn Messer-Brooks
Director of Development
Brooke Moreland
Director of Education
Sara Sanchez
Director of Programs
and Communications
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