TIFA Leadership
President
Chip Hall
Carson Newman University
Carson Newman University
Chip's main interests in the communication discipline fall into the speech and rhetoric
category. Besides teaching classes in the speech discipline, Chip coaches the school's
nationally competitive forensics team. Traveling around the country with some of the
school's most gifted students is rewarding for him and he enjoys the opportunity to
teach and mentor in a one-on-one environment. Chip serves as the president of the
Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association and was recently elected to be a councilman
at large by the National Forensics Association.
Vice President
Erin Blankenship
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University
Erin Blankenship is a lecturer for the Department of Communication at East Tennessee
State University. She teaches Public Speaking, Argumentation and Debate, and Introduction
to Communication Studies. She has her B.A. and M.A. from The University of Alabama.
Erin participated in a competitive forensics program for two years, and helped coach that program during her time in graduate school. She currently helps coach the ETSU Speech and Debate Team.
Secretary
Jason Stahl
Belmont University
Belmont University
Jason Stahl is the director of forensics at Belmont University. He received his undergraduate
degree at Georgetown College competing with their forensics program throughout his
education. Afterward, he received his MA in communication at Western Kentucky University
where he served as a graduate assistant to the WKU forensics program. Despite a short
break teaching algebra at a high school in northern Kentucky, he continued his studies
at LSU with an emphasis in organizational communication, also serving as the LSU director
of forensics. He currently teaches in the Belmont department of communication studies
with courses including public speaking, debate, and social networking. He also is
an advisor to the Belmont University Enactus program, a group that promotes philanthropic
concepts through entrepreneurial means.