WHEREAS, The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) was formed in 1905 to create equitable playing conditions between high school sports teams in Washington; and

WHEREAS, The WIAA consists of nearly eight hundred member high schools and middle/junior high schools; and

WHEREAS, WIAA oversees athletics and fine arts in the state of Washington and hosts one hundred twenty state championship events providing students with valuable life skills; and

WHEREAS, Mike Colbrese has served from 1993-2019 as Executive Director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and is retiring August 2019; and

WHEREAS, Mike began his career in 1971 as a high school librarian, taught high school English for eleven years, and worked as a high school and college football and basketball official for fifteen years; and

WHEREAS, Prior to coming to Washington, Mike served six years as the Commissioner of the Wyoming High School Activities Association and five years as Assistant to the Executive Secretary of the Montana High School Association; and

WHEREAS, Mike has had a distinguished forty-eight year career in public education; and

WHEREAS, In his twenty-six years in Washington, Mike developed the first in the nation policy outlining procedures and paths for transgender students to participate in middle and high school sports; and

WHEREAS, Mike also helped draft the Zackery Lystedt Law, which became the national model for concussion management, and was signed into law in 2009 by Governor Christine Gregoire; and

WHEREAS, The Zackery Lystedt Law requires policies for the management of concussion and head injury in youth sports and this model has been adopted by all fifty states; and

WHEREAS, Mike has served on numerous national committees through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and served as a board member of that organization; and

WHEREAS, Mike also serves on the Special Olympics Washington Board of Directors, and is a member of the Seattle 4 Rotary and the Board of Commissioners of the Seattle Sports Commission; and

WHEREAS, Mike has received numerous honors including the 2019 NFHS Service Citation Award, one of the most highly regarded achievements in high school athletics and performing arts, the American Sport Education Program Pat McSwegin Award, and the NFHS Interscholastic Officials Association National Distinguished Contributor Award; and

WHEREAS, Mike has dedicated his professional life to furthering middle and high school activities with passion and enthusiasm and has championed the WIAA and the integral part athletics and fine arts plays in the total education experience; and

WHEREAS, Mike has guided the WIAA into being recognized as one of the top associations in the country;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate honor and thank Mike Colbrese for his outstanding work and advocacy for interscholastic activities, students, teachers, and coaches in Washington and for his leadership at the state and national level; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Mike Colbrese and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.