The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors announced on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, that IHSA Assistant Executive Director Craig Anderson will be the seventh individual in the 114-year existence of the Association to serve as the organization’s Executive Director.

“I am excited, proud and humbled,” said Anderson, a 1987 graduate of Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Illinois. “I have incredibly big shoes to fill, but certainly look forward to that challenge. Dating back to my time as a teacher, coach and administrator, I have always had an affinity for the IHSA and its mission. I said in 2010 that working for the IHSA was a dream job. To ascend to the Executive Director role is beyond words.”

Anderson will officially transition to his new position on Monday, January 18, 2016 following the retirement of current IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman, whose forthcoming retirement was announced in January.

“I am incredibly thankful to the committee and Board of Directors for their belief in me,” said Anderson, who was a three-sport athlete that also participated in music, band and drama as a student at Cambridge. “I look forward to continuing to work with the talented team of individuals here at the IHSA, as well as the dedicated administrators and coaches at our member schools. There is great tradition to uphold at the IHSA, while also preparing to face new challenges ahead.”

The Association’s storied history includes hiring its first Executive Director, Charles W. Witten, in 1922. Witten held the position until 1942 and was followed by Albert Willis (1942-1968), Harry Fitzhugh (1968-1978), Lavere L. Astroth (1978-1991) and H. David Fry (1991-2002). Hickman followed Fry in 2002.

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