IHSA Assistant Executive Director
sknoblauch@ihsa.org
On June 14, 2004, Susie Knoblauch became the 28th person to serve on the IHSA administrative staff and the 11th female to serve. Knoblauch served the Association from 2004-2014 and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) as Director of Performing Arts and Sports from 2014-2016 before returning to the IHSA Staff in July of 2016.
Knoblauch currently serves as the IHSA administrator for cheerleading, speech, drama, debate, music, and tennis. She is also the coordinator of spirit activities and is staff liaison for the state’s activity directors.
Among her accomplishments at the IHSA, Knoblauch developed state tournaments in cheer and journalism, implemented online scoring for activity tournaments, administered the state’s online music entry and adjudication process, started an advisory committee for activity directors and implemented an adjudicators’ database to align with officials licensing.
At the national level, Knoblauch has served on the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee, including a term as chair, and served as the performing arts representative on the NFHS Hall of Fame Screening Committee.
Knoblauch was a teacher and coach for 17 years before joining the IHSA staff coming from Low Point-Washburn High School where she taught in the English department, coached speech individual events and directed the school play. From 1987-2002 she taught speech, broadcasting and drama and coached individual events at Morton High School. She also directed school musicals at Morton and coached cheerleading. During the 2002-03 school term she was an English and speech teacher and cheerleading coach at Washington High School. Knoblauch has also been an adjunct instructor at Illinois Central College.
Susie has served as manager and judged for IHSA speech regional and sectional competition. She has served on the State Speech Tournament Committee, and judged at the State Speech Tournament. She is an Illinois Speech and Theatre Association member and presenter, and a National Forensic League judge.
A graduate of Lowpoint-Washburn High School, Knoblauch participated in girls volleyball, girls basketball, cheerleading and performing art activities. Susie earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Education from Illinois State University in 1987. In 1997 she received a Master of Science in Communication from ISU.
While at Illinois State University, Susie was a member of the ISU cheerleading team and ISU speech team.
Susie and her husband, Herb, reside in Washington and are parents of two sons, Evan and Kyle.