Rooted in teaching. Growing together. Always focused on you.
Born in the classroom; built for the stage.
At NSCTA, we're teachers who believe in the power of performance and communication. United by a common goal, we work to make Nebraska debate, play production, and speech better for every student, coach, and judge. Because we know where teachers lead, like they do right here at home in Nebraska, the arts thrive.
Here are the leaders who help make that happen.
President
Tyler Thompson, Gering
Tyler Thompson, currently in his 18th year as an English educator and Head Varsity Speech Coach at Gering High School, is a seasoned and dedicated member of NSCTA. He joined the organization in 2010, quickly becoming an active participant by attending conventions and contributing to the leadership team as the District 6 Representative. In 2020, Tyler transitioned to the role of Curriculum Committee Chair, a position he held until 2023. Between 2022 and 2023, he served as Vice President of the NSCTA Convention, overseeing the coordination of the annual fall event, which provided invaluable opportunities to connect with colleagues and exchange ideas from across the state. His leadership culminated in his election as President at the 2023 Fall Convention—a position he views as a great privilege, allowing him to advocate for and represent his peers at the state level. A passionate educator and coach, Tyler has received multiple accolades for his contributions to the field of speech and education. Among his honors are the Dale E. Black Outstanding Young Teacher Award, the John S. Thurber Distinguished Teacher Award, and Gold and Platinum Coaching Endorsements through NSCTA. In 2024, he was named the Nebraska English Teacher of the Year by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Additionally, he was recognized by the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) with the Outstanding Speech Educator of the Year Award in the spring of 2025. Since taking the helm at Gering High School from his mentor and coach, Mary Winn, Tyler and his teams have consistently excelled, earning numerous conference and district championships, along with two state speech championships in Class B. Whether he’s judging at the State Play Production Contest, guiding his own students to find their voices through competitive speech, or empowering colleagues through NSCTA, Tyler champions Nebraska fine arts with a passion rooted in purpose— he has seen firsthand how these activities transform lives, giving both coaches and students the chance to grow, achieve, and thrive.
Membership VP
Carolyn Enevoldsen, Raymond Central
I have been teaching and coaching at Raymond Central High School since fall of 2007 after the birth of our third child. In 2011, I stepped back from coaching One Act, but have remained the Central Players Speech coach ever since. My husband and I live in Lincoln, have been married since 2001, and have four beautiful children: Isaiah, Eleanah, Gavin, and of course, Princess Lillian. If you haven’t ever read a Lilli Logic on Facebook, I definitely recommend it. I have taught everything from 7th Grade Skills to dual credit classes for Southeast Community College in Public Speaking, Composition, and Introduction to Literature. I have three Masters degrees: Curriculum and Instruction, English, and Strategic Communications. I have a lifelong love of reading and learning and will probably tackle a few more degrees at some point in the future. I love being a part of the NSCTA because of the ability to make friends across the state, hearing about our programs from a variety of perspectives, and being able to collaborate with so many amazing and intelligent educators, judges, admin, and friends.
Recording Secretary
Kaitlyn Clark, Gothenburg
Kaitlyn began her teaching and coaching career in 2011 at Lexington High School. She spent 3 years at LHS helping to direct the one-act and coach speech. In 2014, Kaitlyn was given the opportunity to return home to Gothenburg to teach. She teaches a combination of Social Studies and Communications classes which keeps her love of learning active. Kaitlyn is also blessed to coach the Swede Speech team - she loves watching new generations of speakers find their voice! When she's not teaching, Kaitlyn also loves judging both Speech and One-Act competitions! NSCTA is the heart of fine arts in Nebraska and being a member of this incredible organization truly makes our activities better for us and, ultimately, our students!
Executive Secretary
Matt Heimes, Lincoln Southwest
Matt has been a member of the NSCTA since 1989, serving the organization in a multitude of capacities. NSCTA was instrumental in his career, giving him the opportunity to network with and learn from the very best teachers and coaches in the state! He has taught, coached and directed at South Platte, Wauneta-Palisade, and most recently at Lincoln Southwest HS, where he serves as the head speech coach. Matt is a five-diamond coach in the National Speech & Debate Association, along with a founding member of the NIETOC, for which he directs the national tournament.
Convention Vice-Presidents
2025 Convention Vice-Presidents
Jenn Dillinger and John Boyd, Gering
2026 Convention Vice-Presidents
Becca Hier and Dan Christie, Bellevue West
District 1
Allison Finn-Couch, Lincoln North Star
Alison Finn-Couch is the Speech Coach at Lincoln North Star High School. She is new to this position as District Rep, and she is very eager to learn more about NSCTA and how she can represent District 1 members well.
District 2
Jessica Schlichtemeier, Conestoga
Jessica Schlichtemeier has been serving as the one act director at Conestoga High School since 2006 and she successfully started the high school speech team the same year. In 2018, she started a junior high school speech program as well. Jessica has served as the District 2 Representative since 2017.
District 3
Aaron Wyatt, Boone Central
A mediocre extemper and slightly above average duet partner in the mid-1990s, Aaron Wyatt currently serves as the District 3 representative. After being away from speech for the better part of two decades, Wyatt joined the Boone Central coaching ranks in 2020. Known by many in his circle as “The Scary One” who can't do simple math, other known aliases include Herbie Husker, Captain, and cat herder. He currently resides with his family in Battle Creek.
District 4
Katie Davis, Central Valley
Katie Davis lives in Scotia with her long-suffering husband of 27 years, Randy, and is a mom to five and “Mimi” to seven cute grandkids. She is currently pursuing her teaching degree and still manages to be the head junior high and high school speech coach at Central Valley. As an NSCTA member for nearly 15 years, she has worn many hats: VP for two conventions, current District 4 Representative and Hospitality Committee member, and the undisputed “Bingo and Raffle Ticket Queen” (a title she takes very seriously). Katie has earned both Gold and Platinum level coaching endorsements from NSCTA. She stays involved because NSCTA firmly supports the speech, theatre, and debate programs across Nebraska, and because she’s not about to give up the networking, amazing friendships, laughter, and occasional bingo and raffle-ticket-induced chaos that come with it.
District 5
Tonya McCroden, Holdrege
Tonya McCroden is the head speech coach at Holdrege. She has been involved with speech for 19 years now either as an assistant coach or a head coach. Even though district 5 is small, they are a mighty district in speech and play production with many member schools frequently placing in the top six at state.
District 6
Jenn Dillinger, Gering
Jenn Dillinger is a recovering science teacher who currently certifies seed potato crops by day and, when she can, helps coach the Gering speech team by night. Before teaching and coaching in Gering, she coached speech and play production in Kimball, which may have began her coaching career, but certainly not her love for the activities. She has been obsessed with the performing arts since she terrified her first audience at the tender age of four with her one woman show about her imaginary friend that she wrote, directed, and starred in titled, "It Wasn't Me, It was Him." Truly groundbreaking. From there she went on to audition for the role of Dr. Frankenstein's fiance in her high school production of, you guessed it, Frankenstein to fulfill her dream of a dramatic death scene on stage. Instead she was cast as the maid and stood backstage screaming for the girl who was cast as the fiance, because that girl was unable to die properly. Jenn holds no bitterness about this. Just ask her. She has continued to act in and direct numerous community theatre productions as well as emcee various tractor pulls and hot dog eating contests. She is occasionally serious and regularly writes for several potato-themed publications. Most importantly, she is thrilled to be representing the great coaches and judges of District 6, who she personally feels are among the best in the state.
Publicity
Brett Baker, Malcolm
Senior Producer for Straight Arrow News, with 35+ years of broadcast journalism experience, Brett Baker is a wealth of communication knowledge. He is also a Malcolm HS Speech & Play Production coach/director, with 14 years of experience. He's the father to an amazing young woman and a proud Air Force veteran. Becoming involved with NSCTA has helped him broaden his horizons for not only what he can do for his students and himself, but also introduced him to so many amazing coaches and educators from across the state.
Endorsements/Hall of Fame
Tommy Bender, Lincoln Pius
Tommy Bender has been teaching for over 30 years. His first stop was at Crete where he taught and coached High School Speech, as well as 8th grade Language Arts. He was also the technical director for the theatre and eventually directed plays. He moved to Lincoln Southeast High School in 2002, where he also taught and coached high school speech. He currently teaches middle school English at St. Michael School in Lincoln, and coaches Speech at Lincoln Pius X High School. He’s been a member of the NSDA and NSCTA since starting his career in 1994, and is a five-diamond coach with the NSDA. He has served on the NSDA Nebraska South Committee for most of his career, including ten years as chair. He has served as various positions on the NSCTA Executive Committe - including President - and now serves as the Endorsements and Hall of Fame chair. He also now serves as the Secretary for the Nebraska English Language Arts Counci (NeLAC). He’s taught thousands of students, and has had the opportunity to coach students who have placed at the highest levels at the district, state, and national levels. He’s also received teaching and coaching awards from the NSDA, NSCTA, NFHS, and NeLAC. His passion is helping students realize they can accomplish something today that they never thought they’d be able to do yesterday.
Hospitality
Steph Bippes, Falls City Sacred Heart
Stephenie Bippes has had a passion for theatre and speech since she could first step into the spotlight, and she’s still not ready for the curtain to fall. As English teacher, play production director, and head speech coach at Falls City Sacred Heart, she channels this passion (and a little bit of dramatic flair) into every rehearsal. A proud NSCTA member, she’s honed her skills while helping foster creativity in her students. When she’s not shaping future performers, she can often be found with a fidget in hand—particularly the slow-rise cubed variety of NeeDoh—her favorite fidget and secret weapon for staying calm, cool, collected, and spotlight-ready.
Technology
John Boyd, Gering
In his 7th year teaching, John Boyd is a Criminal Justice instructor, speech coach, and mock trial coach at Gering High School. Born and raised in western Nebraska, he took a small detour to the east to attend the University of Nebraska Lincoln and then teach and coach in Grand Island for three years before returning to the Panhandle. For as long as he can remember, John has loved three things: Husker Football, being outdoors, and performing for a crowd. Naturally this led him to find the world of competitive speech in high school where he was a state champion as sophomore; he has been hooked ever since. From coaching extemp arguments to getting crazy in humorous prose, he loves every aspect of teaching and coaching at the high school level and simply cannot stay away from the performing arts. When he isn't doing something speech or school related (which is almost never), you can find him spending time with his family, working around his house, and taking as many trips to the mountains as possible. Above all else, John wants Nebraska's speech community to grow and be a welcoming place for all to enjoy!
Convention Site Coordinator/State Contest Liason
Rachel Fox, Central Valley
Rachel Fox has been immersed in the world of theatre and speech since the age of 23, directing more than 45 productions across Community Theatre, middle school, and high school levels. Rachel brings her love of communication and creativity to life daily as the Marketing Manager and Polka Show Host at KNLV Radio in Ord. She also pours her passion into students as the One-Act Coach at Central Valley Public Schools in Greeley and as an Assistant Speech Coach at York Public Schools. Rachel is actively involved in NSAA activities, supporting both Speech and Play Production, and deeply values the impact these programs have on students’ growth and confidence. Her active involvement keeps her crisscrossing the state so frequently that most people aren’t quite sure which school she’s actually with — and honestly, she’s started to lose track herself. A proud member of the Nebraska Speech Communication and Theatre Association, Rachel has served as the Convention Site Coordinator and State Contest Liaison for nearly a decade. She is passionate about advocating for speech and theatre programs across the state, and helping plan conventions that celebrate the creativity and dedication of Nebraska’s fine arts educators. When she's not behind the scenes, the mic or the wheel, you can likely find her enjoying a well-deserved nap.
Debate
Toni Heimes, Lincoln Southwest
Toni Heimes is the director of debate at Lincoln Southwest High School. She first joined the NSCTA board in 1988 as a college student representative and has since held the office of District 6 representative, convention vice-president, and publicity chair. Toni currently serves as the debate chair and director of the NSCTA state debate tournament. Before teaching and coaching at LSW, Toni was the speech coach and play production director at Red Cloud High School and Wauneta-Palisade High School. She has spent the last 24 years as the debate coach at LSW.
Advocacy
Becca Hier, Bellevue West
Becca is the head speech coach at Bellevue West High School. Aside from coaching she teaches various English classes and, occasionally, health science. When she's not working, Becca is an avid runner who loves spending time with her mini Goldendoodle, Penny, and fostering her niece's growing love for the theatre.
Scholarship
Jeffrey Horner, Minden
Jeffrey began his teaching career in 1994 at Guide Rock High School teaching English, speech, and journalism along with coaching play production and speech. In 1997, he moved on to the same job duties at Red Cloud High School for one year. In 1998, he moved to Minden High School as an English/speech teacher and has been head coach of the speech team the entire time at Minden. His job duties at Minden have changed across his time at Minden. While he originally taught only high school classes, in 2004, he became the elementary school counselor along with teaching some high school classes. He transitioned to full-time high school counseling at Minden in 2007. He has had the honor of coaching speech for the entire time he has been in education. He coached play production from 1994 through 1998 and then got back into coaching it in 2013 and is the current head coach for play production at Minden. He and his wife, Laura, are empty nesters as all four of their children, AJ, Jadyn, Kenan, & Raegan, are adults.
Scholarship
Sheelagh Lucas, Maxwell
Sheelagh Lucas is a Special Education Teacher and Activities Director at Maxwell Public Schools. She has coached Speech for 8 years and Play Production for 5 years. In her spare time, Sheelagh is the Director of Training at Operation Shine Camp, a summer camp for children with Autism; volunteers with the Kids & Dreams Foundation; and speaks at conferences on Behavior Management and De-Escalation techniques for children with disabilities. She loves to travel with her family and spend as much time as possible on her boat during the summer.
Curriculum
Brittany McDaniel, North Platte
Brittany McDaniel is the communications and theatre teacher at North Platte High School. With her Undergraduate and Master's degree in Theatre, she is in love with all things stage-related. As Curriculum Chair, Brittany loves learning from others and sharing resources to help us all feel a bit less lonely as stand alone teachers in our district. Joining NSCTA provided an instant community for McDaniel during her transition to head coach of the theatre department, and convention is the highlight of her career because of the networking and learning opportunities it provides. When not directing (four shows as director and assistant director for the musical), you can find her making a mess with watercolor, watching her husband and three kids play Fortnite together, and begging her cat to love her.
Hospitality
Alex McKeown, Battle Creek
Alex McKeown works at Battle Creek High School where he is in his fourth year as a speech and drama coach and second as a paraeducator. Outside of school, Alex dedicates much of his free time to the art of theatre, whether that’s working with students and directing shows at BC or working with Norfolk Community Theatre, where he sits on the Board of Directors, or Norfolk Youth Theatre, which he assistant directs. Prior to coaching, Alex grew up in rural Northeast Nebraska, then moved to New Orleans where he spent time working as an actor. He currently holds an A.A. in Theatre Studies and is working towards a B.A. in English. His biggest goal in life is to present students in Nebraska with opportunities in the world of theatre and is thrilled to be able to work with NSCTA to achieve that. He has already felt the connections and grown from the opportunities NSCTA presents and hopes to be a part of giving every coach and judge in the state those same benefits.
Mentorship
Jodi Meyer, Fillmore Central
Jodi Meyer, Mentorship Chair, is passionate about pairing new members with experienced coaches and teachers. She is the head speech coach at Fillmore Central High School, where she also teaches a variety of ELA classes. With over 20 years of experience as a coach, educator, and certified judge at district and state levels, Jodi is dedicated to helping students and colleagues excel in speech and communication.
Forensics
Jarod Ockander, David City
Jarod Ockander is entering his 28th year as a part of Scout Nation in David City and his 29th year of education overall. He has been able to coach the Speech and Play Production teams to great success thanks to mentors who have helped him learn and grow in his craft. Mr. Ockander advocates for the arts by serving on the Nebraskans for the Arts as treasurer, serving on the Butler County Arts Council, and promoting student opportunities. While currently serving as the Forensics Chair, Mr. Ockander has held numerous positions historically on the NSCTA Board.
Parliamentarian
Janet Rose, Retired
Janet Rose is serving as the NSCTA parliamentarian. She also facilitates the monthly Sage Zoom meetings and is a member of the NSCTA history committee. Janet is a retired communication instructor and long time member of NSCTA. During her many years of teaching she also coached speech, mock trial , and debate as well as directing one act plays. Since retiring from Kearney High in 2010 she has been judging debate, play production, and speech .
Social Media
Kris Simon, Centura
Kris Simon is a dedicated educator and coach from Centura, serving as the head speech coach and play production director for over a decade. Throughout her career, she has built a thriving program that fosters student growth, creativity, and confidence. Kris credits the Nebraska Speech, Communication, and Theatre Association (NSCTA) as an essential part of her professional development, noting that the connections made and the knowledge gained through the organization have significantly contributed to her program’s successes. She remains committed to sharing her expertise, supporting fellow coaches, and continuing to inspire students through performance and competition.
Theatre
Becky Stahr, York
Becky J. Stahr is a Secondary Language Arts educator at York High School, where she also serves as Play Production Director, Speech Coach, and Musical Director. Since 2007, she has been an active leader in Nebraska fine arts education, guiding her students to numerous regular season, conference, district, and NSAA state championships in both speech and play production. A certified NSAA state Play Production and Speech judge and coach, Becky has also been a frequent presenter for NSCTA and NSAA events. She is a past president of the Nebraska Speech, Communication, and Theatre Association (NSCTA) and currently serves as the organization’s Theatre Chair. Her leadership previously extended to the Nebraskans for the Arts Board, where she has served as Education Committee Chair, advocating for arts programs across the state. She currently serves as a member of the York Fine Arts Booster Club, York High School Mentorship Chair, and York High School Strategic Team Human Resource Chair. Becky is honored to have been recognized by the educational and arts community, including the NFHS Outstanding Theatre Educator Award, the NCTE Nebraska English Teacher of the Year, the NSCTA Dale E. Black Outstanding Young Educator of the Year Award, the Central Conference Female Coach of the Year, and the Focus on York Award. She has also achieved the Level One and Level Two NSCTA endorsements. Dedicated to fostering creativity, performance, and communication skills, she strives to inspire students and educators alike.
College
Cherri Thieman, McCool Junction
Cherri Thieman has been the head play production and speech coach at McCool Junction High School for ten years. She has been an active member of the NSCTA for twelve years, including 8 years on the executive board. She is currently the College Chair, which entails a variety of duties, including actively working with colleges in Nebraska to share resources and openly communicating the needs of Nebraska students across all forms of education. This organization has provided her with amazing peer relationships with coaches and judges across the entire state. This networking allows all coaches and judges to support each other as we create strong programs in our schools. She believes that when one school program grows stronger, we all do as a group.