The DIAA Board of the Directors and Secretary of Education Steve Godowsky are pleased to announce that Thomas E. Neubauer has been selected as DIAA’s new executive director. Neubauer becomes the 7th executive director of DIAA/DSSAA since the organization’s inception in 1945, taking over for the retiring Kevin Charles.
“I am humbled and honored that the DIAA Board of Directors and Dr. Godowsky have placed their confidence in me. I strongly believe in DIAA’s mission and the positive impact that interscholastic athletics has on students attending our member schools. Over the past decade DIAA has experienced tremendous growth and I pledge to work to continue to build on the growth created by the executive directors who preceded me,” Neubauer said.
Neubauer is a1980 cum laude graduate of West Chester State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in education with a concentration in social studies. He began teaching in 1980 at Caravel Academy. In 1986 he began teaching at Middletown High School in the Appoquinimink School District. During his 20 years of teaching social studies at Middletown he also was chair of the Social Studies Department for five years [1991-1996] and athletic director for eight years [1998-2005].
He officiated interscholastic football from 1984 to 2008 with the Northern Delaware Football Officials Association (NDFOA). While with NDFOA he officiated high school state championships in both Delaware and Maryland. He served NDFOA as youth league assignor for 12 years. Neubauer began softball umpiring for the Delaware Softball Umpires Association (DSUA) in 1987. In his 20 years with DSUA he worked high school state championships in both Delaware and Maryland. He served as DSUA president from 1996 to 1998.
Neubauer joined the Delaware Department of Education in October 2005 as the DIAA coordinator of officials and events and continues to serve in that capacity. He is a lifetime member of the National Interscholastic Association of Athletic Administrators, achieving Certified Athletic Administrator status in 2000 and Certified Master Athletic Administrator in 2007. In 2006 he received his Master of Science in athletic administration from Ohio University. He has been a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Softball Rules Committee since 2014. And he was recently selected as the chairman of the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee.
Neubauer has been married since 1980 to Annie [De Sousa]. They have two children, Elizabeth [Bethie] and Matthew, and reside in Bear.
He will begin duties as executive director on July 11.
