IHSA Announcements
March 10, 1999
Dave Gannaway to Join IHSA Staff as Assistant Executive Director
Dave Gannaway, current activities director at Morton High School, was named today (March 10) to be an assistant executive director of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) by the Board of Directors. He will join the IHSA staff July 1.
A teacher, coach and administrator in Illinois schools for 23 years, he will become the 23rd person to serve on the IHSA administrative staff in the 99-year history of the organization. Gannaway will join the staff following the retirement of IHSA Associate Executive Director Don Robinson this summer. His primary areas of responsibility will be the sports of football, wrestling and track and field.
"We are very fortunate to be able to bring to our administrative staff one of the state's outstanding athletic and activity administrators," said IHSA Executive Director Dave Fry. "Dave Gannaway has been an innovator, an organizer, a motivator, a worker and a leader in our state for a very long time. It is only fitting he can bring these great qualities to the IHSA Office. His presence on our staff will help IHSA to continue to provide strong, positive leadership into the next millennium."
A 1971 graduate of Normal (University) High School, Gannaway earned his bachelor's in education from Illinois State University in 1975 and his master's in education from ISU in 1989.
Gannaway has been activities director at Morton High School (located just outside and east of Peoria) since 1994. The Potters have been strong in most Mid-Illini Conference sports, including girls softball, where the school has earned a trophy in the Class AA State Tournament the last five straight years. Prior to joining the Morton staff, he was activities director at his alma mater, Normal (University), from 1981 to 1994. During that time, Gannaway was one of the founding fathers of the Bloomington/Normal Holiday Basketball Tournament, which has grown to be the largest holiday tournament in the state. From 1976 until returning to U-High in 1981, he was a teacher and coach in wrestling and football at Metamora High School.
He was named athletic director of the year by the Illinois Athletic Directors Association (ADA) in 1993. Gannaway served that organization on its executive board from 1990-98, and was its president for the 1996-97 school term. He has been a member of the organization since 1986.
A wrestling coach at Metamora, Gannaway served as manager of the IHSA Dual Team Wrestling State Final Tournament from 1990-96, and has been a volunteer bench official at the Individual State Tournament for many years. Dave also served at manager of the NCAA West Regional Wrestling Tournament in 1991, and was vice president of the Redbird Wrestling Club from 1982-90. He was named Administrator of the Year in 1992 by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA).
In 1998, Gannaway was the Illinois state Award of Merit winner for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
While at Normal (University), he helped develop and direct the Corn Belt Conference summer Captains (students on leadership and coping skills) program from 1988-93.
Dave and his wife, Nola, are parents of two children, son Dan, a college student, and daughter Joy, a junior at Morton High School.