NIAAA to Present Distinguished Service Awards to Eleven High School Athletic Directors

SOURCE: National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (November 29, 2018) — Eleven individuals who have made outstanding contributions to interscholastic athletics have been named recipients of the 2018 Distinguished Service Awards given by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).

These individuals will be honored December 18 in San Antonio, Texas, during the banquet at the 49^th annual National Athletic Directors Conference conducted jointly by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the NIAAA.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to individuals from within the NIAAA membership in recognition of their length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. Nominations are submitted by state athletic directors associations, screened by the NIAAA Awards Committee and selected by the NIAAA Board of Directors.

This year’s award winners include Bill Clements, CAA, athletic director, Dakota Valley High School, North Sioux City, South Dakota; Lisa Corprew, CAA, student activities coordinator, Bayside High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Alfred “Bunky” Dow, CAA, student activities director, Mt. Desert Island High School, Bar Harbor, Maine; Scott Garvis, CMAA, athletic/activities director, Centennial High School, Ankeny, Iowa; Tol Gropp, CMAA, athletic director, Timberline High School, Boise, Idaho; Lorell Jungling, CMAA, executive director, North Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, Mandan, North Dakota; Ken Mohney, CMAA, principal, Hartford Middle School, Hartford, Michigan; Jamie Sheetz, CMAA, athletic/activities director, Park City High School, Park City, Utah; Marianne Shultz, CMAA, retired athletic administrator, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Annapolis, Maryland; Kevin Simmerman, CMAA, activities director, North Star High School, Lincoln, Nebraska; and Dave Tikker, CAA, executive director, Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association; Spokane, Washington.

Following are biographical sketches on this year’s award recipients:

Bill Clements, CAA

North Sioux City, South Dakota

Bill Clements has served 24 years as athletic director of Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, South Dakota, and he is recognized as one of the state’s most accomplished activities directors. Clements is a past recipient of the NFHS Citation (2009) and was a 2014 finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) Athletic Director of the Year.

Clements came to Dakota Valley in 1994 after serving 10 years as a physical education teacher at Wilber-Clatonia High School in Wilber, Nebraska. Clements also was an assistant football coach, head boys and girls track and field coach, and head girls basketball coach during his years at Wilber-Clatonia.

Clements has been activities director at Dakota Valley since arriving at the school in 1994. He also coached track and field for 15 years. As the school’s activities director, Clements has also served as the tournament director at the conference and regional levels on numerous occasions. In those instances, Dakota Valley’s facilities were spotlighted as the tournament host for boys and girls basketball, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.

At the district level, Clements has been involved in building two new high schools (1997, 2016), as well as a $1.1 million weight room/outdoor stadium expansion and a $1.7 million renovation of the football and track complex.

Clements remains active at the state level with the South Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (SDIAAA). He was the SDIAAA president in 2008 and has been a member of the SDIAAA Executive Committee since 2001. He has served on the South Dakota High School Coaches Association Board of Directors for 20 years and was president in 2014-15.

Clements also taught 18 Leadership Training classes as a member of the NIAAA Leadership Training Program state faculty. Additionally, Clements has been a vital part of the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s (SDHSAA) advisory committees for baseball, dance, softball, soccer, track and field, as well as out-of-season/in-season rules.

Nationally, Clements has held multiple positions with the NIAAA. He has been NIAAA liaison for South Dakota for 16 years, a four-year member of the NIAAA Awards Committee, and served on the NIAAA Resolutions Committee for two years. He received the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2010. Clements also served a term on the NFHS Coaches Education Committee.

Clements is a 1985 graduate of Doane College in Crete, Nebraska.

Lisa Corprew, CAA

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Lisa Corprew returned to where it all started in Virginia Beach, Virginia, when she joined Bayside High School, her alma mater, in 1995, as a teacher and coach. Twenty-three years later, Corprew continues to serve Bayside as its student activities coordinator. She was named to the position in 1999 and has since made significant contributions to athletics and activities at the local, state and national levels.

Before becoming Bayside’s student activities coordinator, Corprew was a teacher assistant and adaptive health/physical education teacher, as well as a junior varsity girls basketball coach and softball coach. Her experience includes time served as tournament director for conference baseball, regional forensics, beach district gymnastics and district swimming.

With administrational experience, Corprew began serving the state as a member of the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (VIAAA) and Eastern Virginia Athletic Directors Association (EVADA).

Since 2005, she has been a member of the VIAAA Board of Directors, including chair of the VIAAA Membership and Technology Committees, and she became VIAAA secretary in 2012 and VIAAA president in 2015. Corprew was the EVADA secretary from 2006 to 2008 and its president from 2008 to 2010.

Corprew was recognized as the 2013 Athletic Administrator of the Year, and she earned an NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2014. In 2015, Corprew was named to the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Selection Committee that was formed to select the new VHSL executive director.

Since 2017, Corprew has served as a member of the NIAAA Publications Committee. Her national contributions also include time on the NIAAA Blue Ribbon Panel in 2016 and as a three-time state delegate (2012-14). In 2016, she was a moderator for the “Is Your Role One of Leadership or Management?” workshop.

Corprew earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management from East Carolina University. In 2009, she returned to obtain her certification in athletic administration.

Alfred “Bunky” Dow, CAA

Bar Harbor, Maine

Alfred “Bunky” Dow has been the embodiment of an athletic administrator, providing leadership and displaying an eagerness to improve his league and state on a consistent basis. He boasts a 28-year career as the student activities director of his alma mater, Mt. Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, Maine.

In that time, Dow has also coached several sports and provided unlimited service to the Maine Principals Association (MPA) and the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA).

Dow’s coaching experience is highlighted by a 14-year career as varsity baseball coach (1988-2002). He also was an assistant football coach for seven years, freshman basketball coach for nine years and junior varsity girls soccer coach for two years.

As athletic director, Dow has led renovations to the school’s gymnasium, and the track and tennis courts. He also established the school’s hall of fame and the Mt. Desert Island Unsung Hero Award. Since 1990, Dow has been secretary of the school’s athletic conference, as well as a chairperson for the conference’s Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Cheer and Outdoor Track Committees.

Dow has been a member of the MPA Cheering, Softball and Advisory Committees. He is currently chair of the MPA Classification Committee, and is a member of the MPA Rules Review Committee. His state service also includes a stint on the MIAAA Board of Directors. Dow currently as the MIAAA’s associate director, as well as chair of state awards. He was MIAAA president in 2003-04.

In 2014, Dow received the NFHS Citation and the MIAAA Robert Lahey Athletic Administrator of the Year Award for the state of Maine. He added to his accomplishments in 2016 with the Gerry Durgin Excellence in Leadership Award. Dow earned his Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) designation in 1999 and received the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2011. He also received a Special Achievement Award from the MIAAA.

After graduating from Mt. Desert High School in 1978, Dow earned his bachelor’s degree from Husson College in Bangor, Maine.

Scott Garvis, CMAA

Ankeny, Iowa

Scott Garvis has implemented his vision for athletics and activities across three states for the past 20 years. He was the athletics and activities director at Newton (Iowa) High School for six years, and he is currently in his first year as athletic/activities director at Ankeny (Iowa) Centennial High School.

During his six years as athletic director in Newton, Garvis was instrumental in the development of the $1.1 million softball facilities, as well as its renovated stadium and baseball field. While serving as the athletic director of Eastside Catholic High School in Seattle, Washington, from 2010 to 2012, Garvis was responsible for directing a campaign that resulted in a $2.2 million baseball stadium and $1.1 million football stadium and track.

At the state level, Garvis has been a prominent figure with the state athletic directors associations in Iowa and Minnesota. He was president of the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association (IHSADA) in 2016. From 2004 to 2006, he was the IHSADA newsletter editor and media relations chair. Garvis has also served as the IHSADA strategic plan task force co-chair, IHSADA Strategic Planning Review Committee chair, and on the IHSADA 50^th Anniversary Planning Committee.

An active member of the NIAAA since 2004, Garvis has served on the NIAAA Accreditation Committee since 2012 and the NIAAA National Faculty since 2015. In addition to receiving the NIAAA Quality Program Award in 2012 at Eastside Catholic and in 2015 at Newton, he has been asked to present at the national conference on five occasions.

Garvis was awarded the IHSADA Ken Beverlein Award in 2017 and the IHSADA-NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2016 and 2018. In 2015, he was a finalist for the NHSACA National Athletic Director of the Year. Garvis has also earned national attention with his 2010 United States Army All-American Bowl Excellence in Education and Athletics Center of Influence Award.

Tol Gropp, CMAA

Boise, Idaho

Tol Gropp has been a prominent figure in Idaho during his 15 years as athletic director of Timberline High School in Boise. Among his achievements, Gropp has assisted the school’s booster club, which has raised more than $630,000 since 2004.

Dating to 2006, Gropp has served as the Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) tournament director for 36 local tournaments and 10 state tournaments, including the state football tournament and state girls basketball tournament four and six times, respectively. In 2010 and 2014, Gropp was recognized as the SIC Athletic Director of the Year, and from 2012 to 2014, he was the conference president.

Within the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA), Gropp is currently serving a term on the IHSAA Board, and he has been heavily involved with football scheduling for the association.

Gropp has been a member of the Idaho Athletic Administrators Association (IAAA) Board since 2013 and is the State Certification Coordinator. He taught Leadership Training Institute (LTI) 501 at the 2013 and 2017 state conference. In 2014, the IAAA named Gropp its 5A Athletic Director of the Year.

Nationally, Gropp has attended the National Athletic Directors Conference for 11 years, and he serves the NIAAA in multiple ways. Since 2013, Gropp has been a member of the NIAAA Certification Committee, including co-vice chair since 2017. In 2014, he took on the task of proctoring the CAA exam at the national conference. Among his awards are the 2014 NIAAA State Award of Merit, 2015 State Distinguished Service Award, 2017 State Citation and 2018 IAAA State Athletic Director of the Year.

Lorell Jungling, CMAA

Mandan, North Dakota

Lorell Jungling, CMAA, is in his third year as executive director of the North Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NDIAAA) after serving as a teacher, coach, principal and athletic director for 32 years in several North Dakota schools.

Jungling retired in 2016 after 14 years at Mandan (North Dakota) High School, where he was the activities director for 24 athletic programs. He also supervised the middle school athletic director, which involved 20 additional programs for grades 6-8.

While athletic director at Valley City High School, Jungling helped promote and gain passage of a city sales tax referendum to build a new activities center next to the school. During his time at Mandan High School, Jungling led efforts to fund more than $2.5 million in improvements to facilities, and he hosted more than 250 local, region and state tournaments.

In addition to his extensive duties at the local level, Jungling has been one of the key leaders in the NDIAAA. He served on its Board from 2000 to 2016, and he is currently the membership coordinator and fall workshop coordinator. Jungling spent three years as treasurer and a term as NDIAAA president in 2004. As the NDIAAA publications coordinator since 2008, he has developed the online newsletter.

Among Jungling’s other roles at the state level, he has served as the NDIAAA representative to the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) Board of Directors (2004-08), and he also served on the NDHSAA Constitution and Bylaws, Tournament and Class A Region Committees. He also was chair of the NDHSAA Football Committee. Jungling was a member of the NFHS Board of Directors from 2005 to 2009.

Nationally, Jungling has held multiple positions with the NIAAA. He has been a state delegate for three years. He is currently in his third year as member of the NIAAA Membership Committee, NIAAA Liaison and Section 5 assistant representative for the NIAAA National Initiative and Assistance Network.

Jungling, a three-time finalist for National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Athletic Director of the Year, was a proponent of dual membership for North Dakota. Working with the NDHSAA, NDIAAA/NIAAA membership has increased 10 out of the past 11 years.

Among his other honors, Jungling was selected by his peers as Class A State Athletic Administrator of the Year in 2004. He was also the 2010 recipient of the NFHS Citation and the 2012 NIAAA State Award of Merit.

Jungling received his bachelor’s degree from Valley City (North Dakota) State University in 1984 and his master’s from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1997.

Ken Mohney, CMAA

Hartford, Michigan

Ken Mohney was a key leader in athletic administration in Michigan for 18 years as assistant principal, athletic director and activities director at Mattawan Middle School and Mattawan High School. In 2017, Mohney accepted the position of principal of Hartford (Michigan) Middle School.

While working toward his degree at Western Michigan University in the early 1990s and continuing after he earned his degree in 1996, Mohney coached multiple sports at Vicksburg High School, Paw Paw High School and Mattawan High School. He coached baseball, football and wrestling from 1991 to 1999 before becoming athletic director.

Mohney had extensive contributions to the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA), including serving as president (2012-13), and on the MIAAA Executive Board (2009, 2011-14) and MIAAA Board of Directors (2002-09).

Mohney has worked with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) as a MHSAA Coach Advancement Program (CAP) instructor since 2008. He has also been a member of numerous rules committees and hosted several MHSAA championships since 1999.

Nationally, Mohney was the Section IV representative on the NIAAA Board of Directors from 2012 to 2014. He also served on the NIAAA Resolutions Committee in 2016 and the NIAAA Leadership Training Institute (LTI) National Faculty from 2014 to 2016, and he was a workshop presenter at the National Conference in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

Mohney earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Western Michigan University in 2001. He is currently working toward his specialist degree in educational leadership from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Jamie Sheetz, CMAA

Park City, Utah

Jamie Sheetz has become one of the key leaders in athletic administration in Utah – and nationally. Sheetz, the athletic and activities director of Park City (Utah) High School since 2013, has many accomplishments in just five years in the Park City School District (PCSD).

At Park City, Sheetz oversees 23 athletic programs and nine activity programs. In his five years with the school, Park City has had 19 student-athletes recognized as academic all-state and 33 teams win state championships.

Prior to his involvement with athletic administration five years ago, Sheetz spent 20 years as a baseball coach, instructor, teacher and scout at multiple levels. He coached baseball at Missouri State University, which reached the 2003 College World Series.

Sheetz recently became the president of the Park City Education Foundation Men4Ed Grant Committee. Through 2017, he was the athletics subcommittee chair of the PCSD Master Planning Steering Committee, PCSD Design Team and Calendar committees, and is a former member of the PCSD Start Times Committee.

Within the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (UIAAA), Sheetz was president in 2016-17 and is chair of the UIAAA Third Strategic Plan. He helped develop the UIAAA Second Strategic Plan in 2014. Sheetz has served as the association’s website manager since 2015 and as the assistant coordinator for the UIAAA Leadership Training Institute (LTI) and Certification since 2016.

The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) has benefited from Sheetz’s leadership as the UIAAA representative on the UHSAA Realignment Committee (2019-21) and a UIAAA representative/judge for the UHSAA Battle of the Fans.

Sheetz, who received the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2016 and an NFHS Citation in 2017, currently serves on the NIAAA Resolutions Committee and will become its vice chair in 2019. He also is vice chair of LTC 790 and the NIAAA Revision Committee. To date, Sheetz has taken 41 Leadership Training courses.

Sheetz is a Certified Interscholastic Coach (CIC) through the NFHS and a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) through the NIAAA.

Marianne Shultz, CMAA

Abingdon, Maryland

Marianne Shultz has been involved with Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, Maryland since 1985. In 2005, she became athletic director of Northeast High School in Pasadena, Maryland for five years. She then became athletic director at North County High School in 2010, remaining there until she stepped down in 2015. Her passion as an athletic administrator has been felt by more than 30 athletic teams.

As athletic director, Shultz implemented an athlete of the month program, captains table, coaches handbook, monthly coaches meetings, hall of fame and a senior sports banquet. Shultz helped to design, budget and implement an athletic program for students with disabilities in Anne Arundel County. She also worked on an online coach’s exam, restarted the county coaches association and assisted in the development of a program for athletic trainers.

When Shultz arrived in 1985, she hit the ground running as a junior varsity basketball and field hockey coach. Before she was named assistant athletic director in 1998, Shultz also coached varsity indoor and outdoor track, soccer and softball. Her teams won state softball titles in 1992 and 1999. In 2017, she was an assistant coach for the state champion Unified tennis team.

Shultz has served the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association (MSADA) in multiple capacities, including currently as a Section 2 delegate and as secretary of the MSADA Executive Committee. She has also been on the MSADA Scholarship Selection Committee and MSADA Strategic Planning Committee.

Shultz has assisted with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) softball and soccer tournaments for 31 years and has directed the MPSSAA state soccer tournament the past 31 years. 

Nationally, Shultz has been a member of the NIAAA Resolutions Committee since 2016, and a Leadership Training Institute (LTI) facilitator since 2014. In 2012, Shultz received the NIAAA State Award of Merit, as well as the 2014 State Distinguished Service Award.

Shultz graduated in 1985 from West Chester (Pennsylvania) University with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. She became a Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) in 2008 and a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) in 2012.

Kevin Simmerman, CMAA

Lincoln, Nebraska

A 21-year veteran of athletic administration, Kevin Simmerman has been activities director at Lincoln (Nebraska) North Star High School since 2015. Simmerman began his career as an athletic director in 1997 with Humphrey (Nebraska) Public Schools, where he served for four years.

In addition to stints with Humphrey and Lincoln Public Schools, Simmerman has experience as an athletic director and principal at four additional school districts from 2001 to 2015. Simmerman’s coaching responsibilities from 1991 to 2005 include baseball, basketball, football and track.

Simmerman has served his local community as the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) District I Managing Committee chair for eight years (2010-11, 2016-21). He is also a delegate to the NSAA Representative Assembly (2006-11, 2016-present). As activities director at Lincoln North Star, Simmerman has hosted the baseball, girls basketball and volleyball state tournaments on multiple occasions. He has also been the assistant director for field event scoring at the state track and field meet since 2011.

At the state level, Simmerman’s service includes prominent roles with the Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NSIAAA) since 2001. First elected to the NSIAAA Executive Board in 2011, Simmerman served a four-year stint, which included serving as the vice president in 2011-12, president-elect in 2012-13 and president in 2013-14. Simmerman has remained on the NSIAAA board serving as the professional development coordinator. Starting this year, he was named the Leadership Training Institute (LTI) Certification State Coordinator after previously serving as an assistant since 2014.

Simmerman has taken on multiple roles with the NIAAA as a 14-year member of the organization. He is presently the vice chair of the NIAAA Coach Education Committee and a representative of the committee for Section V since 2012. Simmerman presented “Foundations of an Education-Based Athletic Philosophy” at the 2017 National Conference.  He was awarded the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2014.

Dave Tikker, CAA

Spokane, Washington

Dave Tikker has been involved in teaching, coaching and athletic administration at the middle school, high school and college levels for more than 40 years. Since 2008, Tikker has been the executive director of the Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSAAA). He was the first middle school administrator to be appointed as executive director of a state athletic directors association.

Soon after graduating in 1976 from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, Tikker was a teacher and coach at the high school level for three years before his life took a different direction. In 1980, Tikker was hired by Mead Middle School. As part of the Mead School District starting in 1980, Tikker coached and received his first experience as an athletic director (1989-2012). Mead Middle School closed in 2008, resulting in Tikker’s transition to Mountainside Middle School. From 1997 to 2012, he was also a school counselor.

Tikker became the first middle school member of the WSSAAA Board of Directors in 1998. Since becoming the organization’s executive director 10 years ago, he has injected his ideas through numerous roles. In addition to previously serving as president and conference chair, Tikker has been a conference presenter and facilitator, as well as a writer for the WSSAAA Newsletter.

Tikker has assisted the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) in multiple capacities. He has served as an honorary board member since 2008 and as a state golf coordinator since 2015. He is also state basketball coordinator, and has been on the WIAA Middle Level Ad Hoc Committee and WIAA Sportsmanship Committee.

Nationally, Tikker has worked with both the NIAAA and National Executive Directors Council (NEDC). Since 2011, he has been with the NEDC, providing assistance as part of the Region 3 Executive Council and as the organization’s chair (2017-19). Tikker has presented at the National Athletic Directors Conference in 1995 and 2008. In addition to completing many Leadership Training Institute (LTI) courses, he was a facilitator at the 2013 National Conference and a co-reader of LTI 700.

Tikker earned his master’s degree in education with an emphasis on guidance and counseling from Whitworth University in 1982.

About the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA)

The NIAAA is the professional organization for interscholastic athletic administrators. The association is accredited by AdvancED and North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIAAA promotes and enhances the profession of athletic administration for high school and middle school athletic administrators. Since 1977, the NIAAA has served those who lead education-based athletic programs in the nation’s schools. With current individual membership of nearly 11,000, the NIAAA consists of members from athletic administrator associations in the 50 states, and the District of Columbia, as well as over 40 international countries. Through its 48-course curriculum, and four levels of certification, the NIAAA is the national leader in providing professional development for athletic administrators, directors, coordinators, and supervisors, as well as those serving in assistant principal/athletic director, or activity/athletic director combined roles that lead school-based sports programs. While providing best-practices and serving as a resource for safe and plentiful participation opportunities for student-athletes, the NIAAA places further focus on member benefits, standards, communication, outreach, and recognition, while emphasizing the exchange of ideas among athletic administrators throughout the nation and the world. NIAAA champions the profession of athletic administration through education opportunities, advocating ethics, developing leaders and fostering community. For more information, visit the NIAAA website at www.niaaa.org. 

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,500 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including almost 8 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.