Debate Moderators and judges
Excited to introduce the forest school’s 2024-2025 debate moderators and judges for middle and elementary school exhibitions!
Join us for some mock Presidential debates for Middle and Elementary School! The Lower Elementary School debate is on Tuesday, October 8th from 3:45pm - 4:45pm, followed by the Upper Elementary debate from 5pm - 6pm. The Middle School debate is on Wednesday, October 9th from 4:30pm - 5:45pm.
Middle School Moderators
Samuel Wakefield
Samuel Wakefield is a social entrepreneur whose work is focused on building a movement of liberated, organized, and mobilized black and brown families defining success on their own terms. As the Founding Partner of The Wakefield Group and co-founder of Manager EQ™, central to his theory of change has been the concept of collective leadership. Systemic change requires collective leadership. Transforming systems is ultimately about transforming the relationships among the people who control those systems and the people who those systems impact, so his work seeks to do just that.
Samuel has nearly two decades of experience in education as both a practitioner and a thought leader. Much of his work currently is as coach and chief facilitator for school leaders through Innovation for Liberation (™), an organization dedicated to helping black families thrive. As a member of DEI Works he also helps schools and organizations advance issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their strategy and organizational development. Samuel has also chaired or co-chaired multiple school boards and educational nonprofits, and currently serves as chair of Chattahoochee Hills Charter School. Most recently he has served as the Interim Head of School for the Acton Academy at Serenbe, helping to reset culture, onboard new leadership, and articulate a clear vision for this innovative model.
Prior to this, he has served in a variety of leadership roles including at Teach For America leading Teaching and Learning, Fulton County Schools serving as their Strategy and Innovation Facilitator for South Fulton, and Atlanta Public Schools where he first began as an elementary teacher.
Samuel's undergraduate background from Emory University is in Political Science and Economics, with a minor in Community Building and Social Change. He acquired his Master's in Public Administration from Georgia State's Andrew Young School of Public Policy with concentrations in Nonprofit Management and Leadership Development.
Ever the character, his most important roles are those of husband and father to four precocious daughters. He’s also a published author on fatherhood, avid education blogger.
Kat Coiro
Kat Coiro is an American filmmaker currently executive producing and directing CBS’ new hit show Matlock starring Kathy Bates. She is also known for directing the 2022 romantic comedy Marry Me (starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson) and for Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, where she served as director and executive producer. Coiro has directed pilots of popular TV series such as Girls5Eva, Spiderwick Chronicles and Florida Girls as well as episodes of Modern Family, Shameless, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She began her career directing independent films such as Tribeca favorite And While We Were Here, which she also wrote. In addition to her filmmaking career, Coiro has a history of environmental advocacy, focusing on denormalizing single use plastic in the entertainment industry through her initiative #lightscameraplastic via Habits Of Waste. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she splits her time between Los Angeles and Fayetteville, where she is a mom at The Forest School and lives with her husband, actor Rhys Coiro, their three children, dog, horse, chickens and too many goats.
Kim Learnard
Kim Learnard, Mayor of Peachtree City, Georgia, has a strong background in engineering and public service, holding degrees in Electrical Engineering and Adult Education. She served eight years on the City Council and worked in workforce training and economic development, including roles with General Motors and the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Since becoming mayor in 2022, Learnard has prioritized infrastructure improvements, recreational facilities, and economic growth. A resident for 24 years, she and her husband Rob raised their three children in Peachtree City, where she enjoys the community’s parks and events, reflecting her dedication to enhancing residents' quality of life.
Lower and Upper Elementary Moderators
Bobby jones
CDR Bobby R. Jones, USN (Ret.) hails from Fayetteville, Georgia, and is a graduate of The Westminster Schools of Atlanta. A 2001 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he lettered in Football and Track, he became a Surface Warfare Officer and earned a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He is now pursuing a second Master’s at the University of Georgia’s School for Public and International Affairs. His sea assignments include roles as Deck Officer, Fire Control Officer, Weapons and Combat Systems Officer, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer, participating in operations such as Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve. Ashore, he served in various leadership roles including Admissions Counselor at the Naval Academy, U.N. Peacekeeper in Liberia, and Wargames Planner for the Missile Defense Agency. He retired from active duty on September 30th, 2023, following his final tour as Deputy Commander of NROTC Atlanta Region, training midshipmen at Morehouse College and Georgia Tech. His accolades include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the 2021 Blacks in Government Military Meritorious Service Award, and several Battle "E" Awards. He also serves on the boards of Atlanta Heights Charter School and Liberty Classical Schools and is a member of Leadership Georgia's Class of 2023.
Mayor ed johnson
Edward Johnson has been a Fayetteville elected official since January 2012, serving first as a city councilman and then as mayor since January 2016. He has lived in Fayetteville since 1994. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Johnson is a retired U.S. Navy commander and educator who now serves as full-time pastor of Flat Rock African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Fayetteville area. He and his wife Dr. Vanessa O. Johnson have two sons and three granddaughters. Johnson says he moved to Fayetteville to put his sons into an excellent school system. He says he is encouraged by the city’s growing sense of community as it encounters well-managed development and growth.
Anna schrews
Anna Schrews, a Carrollton, GA native, serves as an assistant in Dan Cathy’s office, supporting his collective efforts across Chick-fil-A and Trilith. Prior to this role, Anna worked at the Georgia State Capitol, advancing the communications and marketing endeavors for the Georgia State Property Office for three legislative sessions. Anna obtained a degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia. She currently resides in south Buckhead. In her free time, she enjoys playing golf, traveling, cheering on the Georgia Bulldawgs, and spending time with her family and friends.
Jessica Eck
Jessica Craddock Eck is the Deputy District Director for Congressman Drew Ferguson. She is a Fayette County native who received her undergraduate degree in International Affairs with a minor in Communication Studies at the University of Georgia where she was a Coca-Cola First Generation Scholar. During her time at UGA she participated in the UGA Washington Semester Program and the UGA Oxford study abroad semester. Jessica received her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and returned to Georgia’s 3rd district with her husband Tyler, who works in state government. She has worked for Congressman Ferguson since his election in 2017, previously working with Congressman Lynn Westmoreland.