The Miss DC 2026 Competition Judges

Lamont Easter

Lamont Easter is a career Civil Servant with more than 36 years of service in the Federal Government, while simultaneously building a successful career in television, film, commercial, and voice‑over performance.

He has appeared in co‑star roles on Apple TV’s Swagger and ESPN’s Peyton’s Places, and in numerous independent films including Jacqueline and Jilly. Lamont was also the host of the daily broadcast Stripes in Seven for the Stars and Stripes News and Information Network, keeping the global U.S. Military and Defense community informed on issues that mattered to them.

His on‑screen work includes recurring featured background roles on Netflix’s House of Cards, Showtime’s Homeland, HBO’s VEEP, and CBS’s Madam Secretary, along with national commercial campaigns, corporate productions, and a wide range of independent films and web series.

Beyond on‑camera performance, Lamont has been a sought‑after Master of Ceremonies and event host for engagements across the country. He has also served as an MC, host, and judge for several national pageants, and strongly believes in giving voice and platforms to women. He remains committed to using his platform to support community causes and amplify voices that often go unheard.

Howard Gordon

Howard Gordon serves as the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization's State Field Director and Recruitment Chair. Howard has been a volunteer with Miss Delaware for 17 years, having served as a Local Executive Director, State Judges Chair and assists in numerous Miss Delaware projects, and is a Miss Delaware Board Member. Howard works for a regional agricultural trade association in Philadelphia and helps small to medium sized companies export food products in international markets. He holds a 1989 Bachelors Degree in Marketing from Jacksonville University. Howard is a Delaware native, and enjoys pageantry, airlines and traveling, health and nutrition, and has helped over 200 food manufacturers in the Northeastern part of the country grow their businesses internationally.

William Gray

Will Gray was born and raised in rural eastern North Carolina. He attended East Carolina University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science and business administration. After graduating from ECU, he continued his education at Campbell University, earning a joint Juris Doctor and Master’s of Trust and Wealth Management. He later obtained a Master of Laws in taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law and proudly rolls with the Crimson Tide.

After law school, Will worked with SunTrust Bank as an estate settlement specialist in Atlanta, GA. During his time there, he was named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” in wealth management by the American Bankers Association.

He currently resides in Deep Run with his wife, Jaymie. Will works for the North Carolina State Banking Commission, where he specializes in trust compliance, and also serves as an instructor with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, training financial regulators from state banking agencies nationwide. Additionally, he is a North Carolina licensed attorney focusing on estate planning and probate.

Will has been involved with the Miss America Opportunity in various capacities for more than eight years. He is active in his community, serving as Vice Chair of his county’s Department of Social Services Board of Directors and as Board Secretary for the Lenoir County Board of Elections. He is also a member of the Bishopric of the Woodington Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paige Hunt

Paige is an experienced destination marketer who has worked at both the state and local level. She joined The Greater Starkville Development Partnership in 2021 as the Director of Tourism. In her role, she works to develop and implement programs to further the vision for tourism in Starkville: Mississippi’s College Town. She focuses on the promotion of Starkville as a destination market for conventions, sporting events, and cultural tourism efforts that directly benefit the Starkville economy.

Prior to joining The Partnership, Paige most recently served as Director of Sales & Visitor Services at VisitHATTIESBURG, where she actively sold Hattiesburg as both a leisure and corporate destination. Prior to VisitHATTIESBURG, Paige served as Senior Bureau Manager for Tourism Communications at the Mississippi Development Authority. Paige currently serves as Vice President for the Mississippi Destination Marketing Organization Association, as President for the Mississippi Tourism Association, as Vice President of the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area Alliance and as President of the Board of Directors for Visit the Cities of the SEC.

Paige has been involved in pageants for more than 20 years. She served as the local director for Miss Hospitality in both Starkville and Greenwood and was a judge for the state competition. In her role at VisitHATTIESBURG she served on the staff for the state Miss Hospitality competition. Additionally, she has assisted with interview preparation for numerous ladies competing in Miss Mississippi and Miss Hospitality and as a volunteer with the Miss Amory Railroad Festival preliminary competition. In addition to her passion for tourism marketing and pageants, Paige enjoys reading, attending live theater and attending Mississippi State sporting events. She and her husband Andy have a 13-year-old son

Kelsey Nicole Nelson

Kelsey Nicole Nelson aka "KNN" is an award‑winning D.C.-based sports journalist, George Washington University professor and multi-business owner. She currently serves as a host and reporter for FOX Sports Radio, a studio host for the Atlantic 10 Conference, and a color analyst for American University women’s basketball. Kelsey is also the founder, host and executive producer of “Listen In With KNN” podcast network and owns KryptiaNN consulting firm. Her career includes work with NBC/Peacock, Bally Sports, the Washington Commanders, and The Draft Network, along with appearances on major media outlets across the U.S. and abroad. She is commonly seen on FOX 5 DC locally. The Heisman voter was named to the 2026 Women Making History Award by the Montgomery County Commission for Women in partnership with Montgomery Women, Maryland’s Top 100 Women of 2025 and Leading Women Under 40 by The Daily Record. She's also a former national pageant title holder. Kelsey has also been recognized by the DC Chamber of Commerce and SERVPRO.

Kelsey has covered the top sporting events globally including the FIFA Club World Cup, WNBA Finals, NBA Finals and Super Bowl.

Today, she serves as the Co-Chair of the communications committee for the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter Emmy Awards of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Kelsey also serves as the Social Media and Digital Marketing chair for the Entertainment and Sports section for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Kelsey sits on the board of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame and on the Washington, D.C. Regional Advisory Council of Tickets for Kids.

Lisa Nulph

Lisa Seagroves Nulph
Miss West Virginia 1988

Lisa is a graduate of The American College of the Applied Arts with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. Trained in ballet, tap and jazz, she performed professionally throughout the United States. As a Communications student at West Virginia University, she won the title of Miss West Virginia 1988 and went on to compete in the Miss America Pageant.

Lisa worked in the advertising, tourism and lottery industries. She hosted the nightly televised drawings of the West Virginia Lottery. An Account Executive with the West Virginia Tourism Office and Virginia Tourism and Film Office, she worked on marketing the “Wild Wonderful West Virginia” and “Virginia Is For Lovers” advertising campaigns. As an Account Executive with Scientific Games International, she worked with State Lotteries across the US. Continuing her career in the gaming and marketing industries, she was Vice President of Game Content for GAMESHARK CONSULTING, a company that placed patented gaming products in the casino and lottery industries.

Lisa was Vice President of the Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant Corporation where she served on the Judges committee and co-chaired Miss America preparation. She had the honor of working with many incredible young ladies including Miss Georgia and Miss America 2016, Betty Cantrell. She has judged and hosted State pageants in the Miss America system. Lisa and her husband Jim retired in 2024 and moved to her home state of North Carolina. Daughter Jamie works in the financial industry and lives in San Francisco. They are also parents to fur babies Remy, Ozzie, Duke and Chapel.

Michael Terragnoli

Michael Terragnoli volunteered for the Miss America Organization between 1992 and 2022. In his tenure he worked on the local and state level in his state of New York as a local director and on the state executive committee. He has judged many state competitions for the Miss America Organization and other organizations. Mr. Terragnoli taught in the Buffalo Public Schools for 36 years as well as owned his own tutoring company. He is a former model. He retired in 2024 and now substitute teaches. He lives in a suburb of Buffalo with his cats Nigel and Reginald.