Leadership
The Board of Directors
The Yale Debate Association is a student-run organization. Every December, the team’s members elect five members to the Board of Directors. The Board comprises the President, the Membership Director, the Development Director, the Treasurer, and the Tournament Coordinator.
Felix Leonhardt
President
Felix (he/him) is a junior in Jonathan Edwards College. He is a History major with a certificate in French. At Yale, in addition to the YDA, he coaches debate for the New Haven Urban Debate League and plays catcher for Yale Club Baseball. Last summer, he was a fellow with the Peace & Dialogue Leadership initiative studying the Israel-Palestine conflict, and he is currently a student in the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. Felix is from Bethesda, Maryland, where he enjoys playing bocce with his brother and watching his sister play basketball. You can reach him at yda.president@gmail.com.
Justin Kim
Membership Director
Justin (he/him) is a sophomore in Hopper College, double majoring in Economics and History with a certificate in Statistics & Data Science. Born in Chicago—where he broke his hospital’s record as its heaviest baby—he was raised in Hong Kong. Outside of the YDA, he is a practice player for the Yale Women’s Varsity Basketball Team, served as the Coaching Director for the New Haven Urban Debate League, has researched U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine, and explores his interest in markets through YSIG and Yale Alternative Investments. He can be reached at membership.yda@gmail.com.
Dana Ko
Development Director
Dana (she/her) is a sophomore in Saybrook College majoring in Ethics, Politics & Economics. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she developed her love for hiking, skiing, and country music. Outside of the YDA, she can be found at the Yale Daily News building, coaching debate with the New Haven Urban Debate League, reading philosophy, or trying to find the best iced lattes in New Haven. She can be reached at development.yda@gmail.com.
Fefe Montalvo
Treasurer
Fefe (he/him) is a sophomore in Timothy Dwight College studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He is from Melbourne, Florida and recently Houston, Texas. In his free time, he volunteers at New Haven Health and can also be found playing all types of video games (but especially Nintendo!). Feel free to reach out to him at treasurer.yda@gmail.com.
Kaley Alexandre-Burke
Tournament Director
Kaley (she/her) is a sophomore Economics/Global Affairs major in Morse College. She is from Orlando, Florida! On campus she’s also involved in rock climbing and, in her free time, she enjoys painting and reading. She is looking forward to a great year with the YDA 💙 Please don't hesitate to contact her via ydatournaments@gmail.com.