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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-Oct. 10, 2002
Contact: John Johnson or Randy Allen
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Oct. 9 - Two school administrators have been elected by member schools to serve two-year terms on the Michigan High School Athletic Association's governing body, the Representative Council.

The new members of the Association's board are Saginaw's Peter Ryan, athletic director at Heritage High School, who was elected to fill a vacancy to represent Class A and B schools in Northern Michigan; and James Derocher, superintendent at Negaunee High School, elected to fill the spot designated to represent Class C and D schools in the Upper Peninsula.

The Representative Council meets three times annually to discuss and pass legislation concerning the interscholastic athletic activities of the Association's 1,300-plus member senior and junior high/middle schools. The Council is made up of 19 members, with all but seven elected by a vote of member schools to represent different geographic regions, different sizes of schools, private schools, and junior high/middle schools. Two members are elected to statewide at-large positions. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.

From the Council, three officers are elected. These officers and two other representatives form the MHSAA's Executive Committee, which meets on a monthly basis during the school year to review eligibility appeals from member schools and other current Association business.

In addition to Ryan and Derocher being added to the Council, six individuals were reelected to two-year terms which expire in December, 2004. Winning reelection bids were: Michael Shibler, superintendent, Rockford Public Schools, representing Class A and B schools in the southwestern section of the state; Eric Federico, assistant superintendent, Gibraltar Schools, representing Class A and B schools in Southeastern Michigan; William Newkirk, superintendent, Sanford Meridian Public Schools, representing Class C and D schools in the Northern Lower Peninsula; Scott Grimes, principal, Grand Haven High School, a statewide at-large representative; Keith Eldred, athletic director, Williamston Middle School, representing junior high/middle schools; and Thomas Rashid, director of health, physical education and recreation, Archdiocese of Detroit, representing private and parochial high schools.

Eldred was elected to the Representative Council for the tenth time; his service on the board since 1983 is the longest of any active member. Federica, Newkirk and Rashid were each elected to their eighth term on the Council; Shibler will be serving his fourth term on the board; and Grimes won election for a second time.

One additional Council seat will be up in December, with the retirement of Norm Johnson, administrative assistant of Bangor High School, representing Class C and D schools in Southwestern Michigan. That election will take place in the coming weeks.

In addition, the Council will have the opportunity to replace one of its four appointed members, Judy Raica-Green of North Branch, whose employment no longer will allow her to serve on the board. Appointed members supplement the election process to assure fuller representation by females and minorities, as well as better geographic representation than the election process might create.

Two positions on the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee were also filled by a vote of U.P. schools.

Paul Polfus, faculty member, Carney-Nadeau High School, won an appointment representing athletic coaches on the committee; and Joe Reddinger, athletic director, North Dickinson High School, was chosen to a position representing Class D schools.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.