Tom Welter has announced that he will retire as executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association, effective July 31.
Welter, 67, informed the OSAA executive board of his decision at a work session Monday. He has worked for the OSAA since 1995, the last 15 years as executive director. Welter is also in final year of a four-year term on the NFHS Board of Directors. As the board’s president this year, he attended eight sectional meetings during a 40-day trip that began Sept. 4.
“After 45 years in education, it’s time to take a break and let somebody else do it,” Welter said. “I love my job, I love my staff, but there comes a time when it’s time to do other things. And while I’m still healthy enough to do it, I want to do that.”
Welter graduated from Regis High School and Oregon State University (1971). He joined the staff at Central Catholic in 1974 and served as the school’s athletic director for 18 years before accepting an assistant executive director position with the OSAA in 1995.
He replaced Wes Ediger as executive director in 2001. During his tenure, he was instrumental in establishing the OSAA Foundation and the Oregon Athletic Officials Association, which has its office in the OSAA’s Wilsonville headquarters.
Welter said that starting the foundation was a “significant accomplishment” for the OSAA.
“I look at all the stuff we do with a whole bunch of kids over the year that nobody knows about, giving to needy kids so they can participate in high school activities, and it’s a wonderful thing,” he said. “The whole purpose of the foundation was to be able to do things that we didn’t have the budgeted money to do.”
Through the formation of the OAOA, the OSAA has developed sport-specific officials committees.
“They’re an integral part of high school activities,” Welter said. “They provide more training for our high school officials than we ever did prior to that. We have requirements that they have to go through not only to officiate, but other requirements if they want to officiate in our state playoffs. That’s been an asset for the association.”
On Welter’s watch, the OSAA underwent a dramatic and controversial change in 2006 when it realigned from four classifications to six. The move has had its detractors, but Welter said the overall effect has been positive.
“I think more communities and more kids and more schools have been able to enjoy being in the state playoffs and state championships,” he said.
