Page 160 - 2023-24 By-Laws

History of IHSAA

alma mater as Butler University’s Director of Sports Marketing and Corporate Sponsorships.
Ress announced the hiring of Chris Kaufman as Communications Director on November
28, 2006. Kaufman joined the Association Office after a 16-year career at Cathedral High
School in Indianapolis, the last eight as the school’s Director of Marketing and Communications.
On February 21, 2008, Associate Commissioner Ray Craft announced his retirement ef-
fective June 30, 2008. Craft was appointed Assistant Commissioner in July, 1983, and later
promoted to Associate Commissioner in 1994. He also served on the IHSAA Board of Directors
from 1980-83 while Principal at Shelbyville High School.
On April 28, 2008, Phillip E. Gardner, Principal at Wes-Del High School and a member of
the IHSAA Board of Directors, was selected by the Executive Committee to serve as an As-
sistant Commissioner filling the vacancy left by Craft. Gardner joined the Association Office
after serving 14 years as Principal at Wes-Del (1994-2008) and previously was Principal at
Cowan for seven years (1987-94). As a member of the Board of Directors, Gardner had one
of the longest tenures in Association history having served continuously since 1990. He was
elected president of that group in 1995-96 and also elected chairman of the Executive Com-
mittee in 1999-00 and 2002-03.
On June 24, 2010, Commissioner Blake Ress announced his intention to retire after 10
1/2 years leading the Association. The title of “Commissioner Emeritus” was bestowed upon
Ress on February 1, 2011.
On August 6, 2010, the IHSAA Executive Committee appointed Bobby Cox as the eighth
commissioner. An assistant commissioner since 2000, Cox assumed his responsibilities on
February 1, 2011.
On October 7, 2010, Robert Faulkens, principal at Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High
School in Indianapolis and a member of the IHSAA Board of Directors, was approved as as-
sistant commissioner effective January 10, 2011.
Theresia Wynns, who had served as an assistant commissioner since 1997, announced
her resignation effective June 22, 2012, to join the Indianapolis-based National Federation
of State High School Associations (NFHS) as its Director of Sports and Officials Education.
At its monthly meeting on May 1, 2012, the Executive Committee approved two personnel
moves announcing Sandra Walter and Chris Kaufman as assistant commissioners effective
June 4, 2012.
Walter spent 12 years at Lawrence Central High School, the last 10 as athletic director
and was active in the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and
Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA).
Since becoming Communications Director in 2006, Kaufman had overseen the IHSAA’s
marketing efforts with corporate partners and helped form the IHSAA Champions Television
Network.
The Executive Committee approved a portion of an Indiana Football Coaches Association
(IFCA) proposal on June 22, 2012 in adding a sixth classification to the football state tourna-
ment beginning in 2013-14. The Committee also voted in favor of a two-year tournament
success factor in each team sport (baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball volleyball),
an accumulation of points by which any school would move up one class based on tourna-
ment series performance during that time. That measure would take effect in 2013-14 as well
using tournament results from the prior two years. The Board of Directors formally ratified the
Tournament Success Factor at its April 29, 2013 meeting.
The IHSAA added its 21st sport and first co-ed one on November 8, 2013 when it approved
a state tournament for Unified Track & Field for the spring of 2014.
A further enhancement of the IHSAA’s partnership with Special Olympics Indiana allowed
IHSAA-member schools to form teams composed equally of students with and without intel-
lectual disabilities to compete for a state championship. Schools scheduled regular season
competitions during the spring before two sectionals meets – one north and one south – with
participants then advancing to the state championship meet held just prior to the start of the
IHSAA Boys Track & Field State Finals in Bloomington. Events included were the 100 meter
Dash, 400 meter Dash, 4x100 meter Relay, Shot Put and Long Jump.
In June 2015, the IHSAA Executive Committee created and formed the IHSAA Foundation
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