Come to the Lynx on Friday evening to meet the final round judges and learn about their advocacy in Gainesville and the North Central Florida Region.
Gainesville City Commissioner
Commissioner Bryan Eastman is serving his first term on the Gainesville City Commission, with a term ending in 2027.
Since taking office, he has focused on strengthening transportation, protecting local control, expanding affordable housing, supporting small businesses, protecting our environment, and promoting the arts.
Teacher and Director Forensics Lincoln Middle School
Marna Weston is a seasoned educator, speech consultant, and historian with a deep commitment to civic engagement and the preservation of African American history. As the founding graduate coordinator of the African American History Project for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida, Marna has played a pivotal role in bringing to light the stories that shape Florida’s rich history. His academic journey, which began at Santa Fe Community College and continued at Florida State University before culminating at the University of Florida, was significantly influenced by his involvement in speech and debate—a discipline where he honed his ability to navigate the competitive arena of ideas
A proud graduate of two of Florida's finest institutions, UF and FSU, Marna leverages his extensive network of state, national, and global contacts to serve his community and foster a deeper understanding of the histories that have shaped it. He is the Director of Forensics at both Lincoln Middle School and Eastside High School in Gainesville and serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Debate Initiative.
Director of Public Speaking Lab, Assistant Instructional Professor
Dr. McCarty is an educator and social scientist specializing in the communication of social and interpersonal influence, particularly within the spheres of compliance gaining, deception, and intergroup communication. He came to UF from the University of Tennessee, where he studied the strategic use of pseudo-reasoning, and he has taught public speaking and other dimensions of communication for several years. Dr. McCarty has contributed research and teaching presentations to the National Communication Association and Southern States Communication Association, and he has contributed to published research in the journals Communication Research and the Journal of Family Communication.
Assistant Treasurer, Pride Center of Central Florida
Florida Sun (they/them) is the Assistant Treasurer of the Pride Center of North Central Florida, a safe haven in Gainesville for the last 25 years. It's mission is to foster and enhance the wel-being and visilibilty of LGBTQ+ people and to promote public understanding and affirmation of people of all gender expressions and sexual orientations.
Education Director, Hippodrome State Theater
Gabrielle Byam is a theater educator with strong roots in theater for social change. She is the founder of We the People Theater Artis Initiative.
9:00 AM Round
Reitz Union Chamber
Scott Newsom
Founding member at Newsom Law, PLLC and UF Speech and Debate Alum
Brianna Mahoney
Vice President at Morgan Stanley and UF Speech and Debate Alum
Dr. Emily Rine Butler
Director, William and Grace Dial Center for Speech and Communication Studies
Dr. Tehquin Forbes
Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Coordinator for UF Honors Program
Marianne Vernetson
Interim Director, Bob Graham Center for Public Service
10:30 AM Round
Reitz Union Chamber
Dr. Kellie Roberts
Acting Director, UF Honors Program and former DOF of UF Speech and Debate
Joy Fechtel
UF Speech and Debate Alum
Dr. Gene Witmer
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy
Dr. Jaime Ahlberg
Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Humanities in the Public Sphere
UF Speech and Debate Alum.