Board of Directors

Michael Biddick, Executive Director

In 2017, Michael Biddick founded the Sharon Sharko Debate Foundation to honor former Greendale, Wisconsin, High School Debate and Forensics Coach Sharon Sharko. Michael has worked with hundreds of U.S. government and international organizations for nearly twenty years to solve complex information technology challenges. Michael also served on the academic staff of the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Michael earned a Master of Science in Information Systems from Johns Hopkins University and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Afro-American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a former high school policy debater, a former university CEDA policy debater, a former Debate Coach at James Madison Memorial High School in Madison, Wisconsin, a former debate coach for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and served as the head debate coach at James Madison High School in Vienna, VA for nine years. He received the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award in 2023, NSDA 1st Diamond Coaching Award in 2024, and Virginia High School League (VHSL) Regional Award of Merit in 2026.

Timothy Sharko, Advisor

Timothy Sharko serves as the Enterprise Architect for the State of Wisconsin Investment Board in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author of Our Turn to Lead: How the Future of Personal Finance Will Be Shaped by the Millennials and the Financial Leaders Who Serve Them in New and Relevant Ways (2010)—a pioneering analysis of how global and generational changes are reshaping the financial industry.

Timothy has lived and worked in Europe and studied in China, Russia, and Ukraine. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he specialized in Russian and Eastern European Studies.

As the brother of Sharon Sharko, Timothy brings a deeply personal connection to the Foundation’s mission:

“From early on, Sharon was more than my sister—she was my teacher, role model, and mentor. On a cross-country trip to New York, she kept my younger sister Lynda and me engaged in learning about the history, geography, and people of the United States. Sharon’s passion for travel and politics inspired my own curiosity about new places and ideas. She introduced me to debate in my thirties, and serving as an adjudicator for Greendale High School helped me grow from a technical specialist into a global business advisor. I miss Sharon’s humor, critical thinking, wisdom, and counsel.”

Mark Deaton, Advisor

Mark is president of the Washington Area Speech and Debate League (WASDL) and coaches the Westfield High School debate team in Chantilly, VA.  Mark competed in Policy debate in both high school and college and is a retired public-school teacher.   Prior to becoming a teacher, he worked for 25 years in sales and marketing for some of the world’s leading technology companies.  Mark believes that speech and debate can transform lives, improving students’ confidence and teaching invaluable real-world skills.  He loves introducing new schools and coaches to this amazing activity.  When not at a WASDL tournament, he enjoys bicycling and traveling to Estonia.

Mark has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ohio University and a Master’s of Business Administration degree from George Washington University.