22 years with Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

For the Gazette

The WIAA Board of Control accepted the retirement of executive director, Dave Anderson, effective July 30, 2021.

“The WIAA has been my home, my family and much of my life for the past 22 years, and I am grateful,” Anderson said. “It has always been the people and purpose that has defined the quality of every work experience, and within this office and membership, there are no finer people to work with.

“I believe it is the right time because we have a great staff and a great Board of Control in place. Looking ahead at the challenges we know are going to be a part of coming out of this pandemic, I think it is a great opportunity for a new face, a new voice and new ideas moving forward.”

The board scheduled a virtual meeting on Dec. 10 to outline and determine the process for hiring a successor. Anderson, 67, assumed the role of executive director of the association on Aug. 1, 2009, following the retirement of Doug Chickering. He is just the fifth executive director since the position was created in 1924.

“Dave has been an advocate for education-based sports and has always put kids first in every decision, and he has provided opportunities for them in a fair and consistent manner throughout his time at the WIAA,” said Board President Eric Russell. “We want to thank Dave and express our great gratitude for all his years of service. He has done an excellent job of running the WIAA, especially through this pandemic.

“Dave is very thorough and thoughtful about each of the issues that confronts this membership. He has been diligent in exploring all the different angles before moving forward with any policies.”

Anderson is credited with eliminating membership dues and fees, providing concussion insurance to every member school student-athlete and eliminating the football scenario of three games in 10 days, transitioning to five divisions in basketball, the relocating of the girls basketball tournament to Green Bay, maintaining the association’s ownership of streaming rights, and implementing online state tournament ticketing.

Anderson came to the WIAA in 1998 as an assistant to the director, and in 2002 he was named deputy director after having been promoted to assistant director a year earlier.

In addition to his duties with the WIAA, Anderson has also been involved at the national level. He served on the National Federation of State High School Association’s Hockey Rules Committee and was a voting member of the Federation’s Football Rules Committee.