The NFHS is pleased to welcome Kristine Palle as the new chair of the Swimming and Diving Rules Committee. Palle will serve a three-year term, replacing the former chair Sandy Searcy, who has transitioned to a staff position at the NFHS.

Palle is the senior assistant commissioner in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) serving the organization for the past nine years. She has a long history in the swimming world that began in the 80's when her family moved to Mission Viejo to be part of the Nadadores swim team. Palle later attended Mission Viejo High School and returned to her alma mater shortly after college to teach mathematics and coach swimming and water polo. She later became the athletic director at Mission Viejo which inspired her transition into the athletic administration work she does now serving 586 high schools in Southern California. In her spare time, she is an adjunct professor for Concordia University (Irvine CA) where she teaches in the master's program for those pursuing careers in athletic administration and leadership.

NFHS rules writing committees consist of experts in the given sport and each are nominated by state associations, as is the chair person that guides the members through their work. Each committee member represents one of the eight sections as divided by the NFHS By-laws. To allow for equal representation, there is also a member of the NFHS Coaches Association and the NFHS Officials Association on the committee. Each committee member serves a four-year term.