FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2004


Board approves four finalists for commissioner position, inaugural state water polo series

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors today approved four finalists to be interviewed for the position of commissioner.

The commissioner search committee reviewed 13 applications and recommend four candidates – Dr. Dan Boyd, Tom Seitz, Gary Shiffrin and Dr. John Stewart – to the Board for its approval. The Board will conduct interviews with the four finalists and select Hughes' successor at its June 10-11, 2004 meeting at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa. The commissioner-designate will join the staff on Aug. 1 and have a few months to work with Hughes in facilitating a smooth transition.

"I am impressed with the list of finalists the Board approved today," said Hughes. "Those candidates look really strong, and I am impressed with the diligent work the search committee did."

The four finalists are:
• Dr. W. Daniel Boyd – Boyd is currently the Associate Commissioner for Compliance for the FHSAA, a position he has held since August 1999. Prior to his tenure at the FHSAA, Boyd spent four years as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction for the School Board of Alachua County and 24 years as principal of Gainesville High School. Boyd graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a Master of Education Degree in 1966 and from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale with a Doctor of Education Degree in 1976.
• Tom Seitz – Seitz is currently the Executive Director and CEO of U.S.A. Water Polo based in Colorado Springs, Colo., a position he has held since April 2003. Prior to his tenure at U.S.A. Water Polo, Seitz spent three years as Director of Athletics at Jacksonville State University (Ala.) and seven-and-a-half years as Director of Athletics at Jacksonville University (Fla.). Seitz, an alumnus of Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. with a Master of Business Administration Degree in 1982.
• Gary Shiffrin – Shiffrin is currently the principal at Merritt Island High School, a position he has held since the summer of 2003. Prior to his tenure at Merritt Island High School, Shiffrin spent nine years as principal of Jefferson Middle School (Merritt Island) and six years as assistant principal for facilities and instruction at Rockledge High School. Shiffrin, who has served as Cape Coast Conference commissioner since 1991, graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park with a Masters of Educational Leadership Degree in 1975.
• Dr. John A. Stewart – Stewart is currently the Associate Commissioner for Athletic Operations for the FHSAA, a position he has held since August 2003. Prior to his tenure at the FHSAA, Stewart spent three years as deputy superintendent for Pinellas County Schools, two years as Deputy Commissioner of Educational Programs for the Florida Department of Education and 13 years as Superintendent of Polk County Schools. Stewart graduated from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton with a Master of Education Degree in 1970 and a Doctor of Education Degree in 1981.

The Board of Directors also approved terms and conditions to govern the Inaugural FHSAA State Water Polo Series, which will take place on an invitational basis in the 2004-05 school year. The Inaugural FHSAA Water Polo Finals state championship tournament is slated to take place April 29-30, 2005 at a site yet to be determined.

In other action, the Board of Directors:

• Approved a recommendation to exempt middle schools and junior high schools from the sanctioning process and fees.

• Approved a recommendation to modify volleyball officials uniforms to include a white polo shirt with the FHSAA patch instead of the traditional black-and-white striped polyester shirt, effective on a volunteer basis for the 2004-05 school year and mandatory for the 2005-06 school year and thereafter.

• Approved a recommendation to provide champion and runner-up trophies at the FHSAA's expense for each regional meet in the FHSAA State Cross Country Series.

• Approved a recommendation to amend the "Policy on Foreign Exchange and Other International Students" to require member schools to submit the same specific information on foreign exchange students as is required of other international students.

• Approved the following appointments to fill vacant seats on the 2004 FHSAA Representative Assembly: Ricky Ardley, athletic director, Rickards (Tallahassee); Susie Morris, athletic director, Munroe (Quincy); Mike Wingate, principal, Orange Park; Charlotte Lord, principal, Dixie County (Cross City); Linda McQuade, athletic director, Hudson; Gary Belger, athletic director, Trinity Catholic (Ocala); Patrick Todd, athletic director, Mount Dora Bible; Greg Yancey, athletic director, Williston Middle; Jon Hampton, athletic director, Booker (Sarasota); Dave Samler, athletic director, St. Stephen's (Bradenton); George Smith, athletic director, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale); Debra Davis, principal, LaBelle Middle.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of 700 middle, junior and senior high schools.

The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association, establishing guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures within the framework of the Association’s bylaws. The Board of Directors also has the sole authority over all terms and conditions of participation and competition in the FHSAA state championship series. The Board of Directors meets five times annually. Its next meeting is June 10-11, 2004 at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa.

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