FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2000


Keith, Hester win re-election to FHSAA Board of Directors

GAINESVILLE – Bill Keith and Sonny Hester have won election to second three-year terms on the Florida High School Activities Association Board of Directors.

Keith, principal of Countryside Christian School in Gainesville, retained the Administrative Section 2 private school seat on the Board of Directors, by defeating Russell L. Richards, principal of Central Florida Christian Academy in Ocoee, on the first ballot. Hester, athletic director of Jesuit High School in Tampa, retained the Administrative Section 3 private school seat, by defeating Stephen A. Rodriguez, headmaster of Heritage Christian Academy in Englewood, and Peter N. Shepley, assistant principal of Tampa Preparatory School, on the first ballot.

Ballots in the Association’s annual general election were mailed to all 615 member school representatives in the FHSAA’s four administrative sections on April 3. The deadline for returning the ballots to the FHSAA office was April 14.

The Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association. The 15-member board is responsible for the adoption of guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures – including the setting of terms and conditions for the FHSAA state championship series – and serves as the final court of appeal in all matters pertaining to interscholastic athletics.

Incumbent members of the Board of Directors in two other sections face a run-off race. In Administrative Section 1, incumbent William S. Ward, principal of Orange Park High School faces challenger Wes Taylor, principal of Chipley High School, on a second ballot. In Administrative Section 4, incumbent Bob Burnside, athletic director of Miami Southridge Senior High School, faces challenger Catherine A. McCarthy, athletic director of Western High School in Davie, on a second ballot.

Run-off ballots were mailed from the FHSAA office today (April 17). The deadline for returning the run-off ballots to the FHSAA office is April 28.

Several other races were contested in the Association’s general election. The results all races are as follows (** – denotes election won on first ballot; * – in run-off election):

Administrative Section 1
Board of Directors – Public School Seat
Merry Ortega, Principal, Lawton Chiles High School (Tallahassee) – 18 votes
Wes Taylor, Principal, Chipley High School – 39 votes *
William S. Ward, Principal, Orange Park High School – 29 votes *
Representative Assembly – Middle/Junior High School Delegate Seat
Bobby L. Hart, Athletic Director, Greenville Middle School – 26 votes
Keith Summers, Assistant Principal, Blountstown Middle School – 55 votes **

Administrative Section 2
Board of Directors – Private School Seat
Bill Keith, Principal, Countryside Christian School (Gainesville) – 36 votes **
Russell L. Richards, Principal, Central Florida Christian Academy (Ocoee) – 24 votes
Section 2 Appeals Committee – Public School Seat
K. Alan Cox, Principal, Dr. Phillips High School (Orlando) – 14 votes
Linda McQuade, Athletic Director, Hudson High School – 17 votes *
Paula J. Steele, Principal, St. Augustine High School – 12 votes
Russell Wambles, Athletic Director, Tavares High School – 5 votes
James Yancey, Principal, Belleview High School – 23 votes *

Administrative Section 3
Board of Directors – Private School Seat
Sonny Hester, Athletic Director, Jesuit High School (Tampa) – 55 votes **
Stephen A. Rodriguez, Headmaster, Heritage Christian Academy (Englewood) – 11 votes
Peter N. Shepley, Assistant Principal, Tampa Preparatory School – 15 votes
Section 3 Appeals Committee – Public School Seat
Jeff C. Asher, Principal, Vero Beach High School – 12 votes
Robert H. Bray, Assistant Principal, DeSoto County High School (Arcadia) – 16 votes *
Michael R. Lindgren, Athletic Director, Martin County High School (Stuart) – 12 votes
Thomas McIntyre, Principal, Melbourne High School – 21 votes *
John Messina, Athletic Director, St. Lucie West Centennial High School (Port St. Lucie) – 11 votes
Tim Sparkman, Athletic Director, Astronaut High School (Titusville) – 11 votes
Representative Assembly – Division 23 Public School Delegate Seat
Thomas McIntyre, Principal, Melbourne High School – 7 votes **
Tim Sparkman, Athletic Director, Astronaut High School (Titusville) – 4 votes

Administrative Section 4
Board of Directors – Public School Seat
Bob Burnside, Athletic Director, Miami Southridge Senior High School – 41 votes *
David P. LaRosa, Athletic Director, Cypress Lake High School (Fort Myers) – 18 votes
Catherine A. McCarthy, Athletic Director, Western High School (Davie) – 24 votes *
Section 4 Appeals Committee – Public School Seat
James Colzie Jr., Athletic Director, South Miami Senior High School – 50 votes **
David P. LaRosa, Athletic Director, Cypress Lake High School (Fort Myers) – 11 votes
Ernie Modugno, Athletic Director, Naples High School – 20 votes
Representative Assembly – Division 25/26 Private School Delegate Seat
Kevin L. Gaines, Athletic Director, Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers) – 18 votes **
Ron Ream, Athletic Director, The Benjamin School (North Palm Beach) – 9 votes
Representative Assembly – Division 29 Public School Delegate Seat
Catherine A. McCarthy, Athletic Director, Western High School (Davie) – 4 votes
James Vanover, Principal, Cooper City – 6 votes **

The Florida High School Activities Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida. It has a membership of 615 middle, junior and senior high schools.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org