[GFCA] Coach/Association Awards Due 4/22

[Mario Herrera]

Hello, coaches!

Below are the nomination received for the awards given by the GFCA. To
vote, send an email to (you can always forward this email to him, making
sure your choice is clearly indicated)::

James Holt
jholt31525 at aol.com.

James will send a confirmation that he has received your email.

Thanks,

Mario

Here are the nominations:


*Debate Coach of the Year*

Jordana Sterberg from The Westminster Schools

It is a pleasure to nominate Jordana Sternberg for Debate Coach of the
Year. Jordana is a warm, friendly person who is a fiery, committed coach
encouraging her students to be all they can be. She is a dedicated coach to
an activity she loves very much, and that love is evident in the way she
coaches. Georgia debate is all the better thanks to her efforts.


*Speech Coach of the Year*

Sean Hickey from Starr’s Mill High School

Sean is nominated because of his dedication and respect for his team
members and other coaches in the GFCA, and his focus on healthy competition.

Laura LaChappelle from Jackson High School

It is with pleasure I nominate Laura LaChappelle as Speech Coach of the
Year.  Laura is a dedicated coach who has maintained a viable program for a
number of years at a Jackson High School.  Her students reflect her hard
work and devotion to success.  She is always available to help or share
words of encouragement to her colleagues.  It is a pleasure to work with
someone with her integrity!  Georgia forensics is much better as a result
of her efforts.

Katie Maher from Sequoyah High School

Katie works tirelessly alongside Matt Bartula to ensure students get the
opportunity to compete. Katie is the hands and feet of that organization.
Additionally, she is a phenomenal speech coach. Evidence for this is easily
attainable by looking at how her entries in Duo Interp did at our district
tournament. Sequoyah is going to nationals for the first time ever in an
interp event! Katie deserves Speech Coach of the Year.



*Richard Bracknell Service Award*

Maggie Berthiaume from Woodward Academy

Maggie tirelessly volunteers to make sure our novice policy packet is
something that every policy school can use and implement in their
classrooms. She puts in a ton of work to make sure that our novices do not
fall behind other states by making our packet stand above the others.
Without Maggie, our policy division would suffer.

Mario Herrera from Henry W. Grady High School

If you coach in the state of Georgia, you know Mario Herrera. When I first
started coaching at Sequoyah High School, the first person everyone told me
I had to meet was Mario. If I had a question or concern, I was told to go
to Mario. Even today, if I’m unsure about a rule or procedure related to
speech or debate, Mario is the first person I think to ask for
clarification. When other coaches ask me questions I can’t answer, I reply,
“You should ask Mario Herrera—the Grady coach.” Mario has coached speech
and debate for many years. His dedication to the activity is unmatched.
Whether at the state level or the national level, Mario works tirelessly to
further the cause of forensics. He deserves this award!

*Principal of the Year*

Todd Miller from Cherokee High School

Three years ago when I approached Mr. Miller and talked to him about my
desire to start a forensics program at Cherokee High School, he
enthusiastically gave me his support. To establish our program, he gave me
$1,000 to register our school with the NSDA, pay GFCA dues, and start
taking students to tournaments. We were small—10 students, but he has never
hesitated to answer affirmatively to my requests to help grow the program.
He even gave his permission for me to start a speech and forensics class.
Today, our team is over 30 members strong, and the class went from 12
students to 22 in just one year. Mr. Miller understands the importance of
speech and debate in education. Last year, when I ended the season with our
budget around $1,000 in the red, Mr. Miller did not say a single word about
the matter. The school bookkeeper just said that Mr. Miller believed in
what I was doing and so covered the balance. It means the world to have an
administrator who knows the value of forensics and supports me by both
offering our facilities for tournament use and just this year getting me a
$500 coaching stipend. For all these reasons, Mr. Miller deserves to be
recognized and given the GFCA Principal’s Award.
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