NEW ORLEANS, La. –  Doug Chickering, former executive director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, was among 12 individuals selected for the 2015 class of the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame.

The NFHS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held Thursday, July 2 at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, La., in conjunction with the 96th Annual NFHS Summer Meeting.

“This indeed is a career highlight that is unmatched, and it’s a week I’m not going to forget,” Chickering said at the NFHS Hall of Fame media conference. “High school sports taught me how to dream. The teaching lessons you get through interscholastic sports and the performing arts, it encourages us to get better each day. And, I still try to do that.”

Chickering, who served as executive director from 1986-2009, retired after 45 years in education and was the fourth person to hold the executive director position throughout the 119-year history of the Association.

His nearly 24 years of leadership led the WIAA to unprecedented levels of success and popularity. Included in his accomplishments are the addition of private schools into the Association in 2000, the substantial expansion of State Tournament Series opportunities and divisions in all sports for girls and boys, the addition of nonpublic and ethnic minority representation on the Board of Control and Advisory Council, the hiring of the current executive staff, the placing of State Tournaments in the finest facilities throughout the state, the planning and construction of the current WIAA headquarters and the guidance in enhancing exposure of high school sports through various media platforms.
 
In addition to his contributions in Wisconsin, Chickering has also had an impact on interscholastic athletics at the national level. He completed his second term on the National Federation of State High School Associations Board in 2008. He served in a similar capacity from 1990-93, completing that term as president of the organization in 1992-93. During his first term as NFHS president, Chickering guided the organization through challenging financial times and was later instrumental in establishing the NFHS Foundation. He was chair of the Foundation Board of Directors until his retirement in 2009.

He also served on the NFHS New Paradigm Task Force and on a number of other national committees including Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity; Football Rules; Risk Management; and three Strategic Planning Committees, chairing the first committee in 1996.

Chickering has received numerous honors during his distinguished career. In 2003, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association in recognition of his length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. In 2008, he was the recipient of a NFHS citation in recognition for his distinguished record of involvement and impact as a member of the Federation Foundation’s Board of Directors.  

He was named a Friend of Basketball and inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1999. He was also enshrined into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition, he received the 2009 Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award presented by the WFCA. 

Chickering also received special recognition for service to Wisconsin education.  In 2007, he received the prestigious Distinguished Friend of Education Award presented by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators. He was also the recipient of a special recognition from the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators in 2001 for his length of service, accomplishment and contribution to school sports and secondary education. Furthermore, in 2003, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from UW-Eau Claire. 

In recognition of his work with the statewide media, the Oakley-Lindsey Foundation committed $30,000 to the Wisconsin Broadcaster’s Association Foundation in the name of Doug Chickering to fully endow the WBA Foundation’s Annual Sports Reporters Workshop.

Prior to becoming the WIAA’s Executive Director, Chickering served on the Association’s Board of Control from 1979-1985, including a year as vice president in 1980-81 and as president in 1981-82. He began his career in education as a teacher-coach at Gilman High School in 1963. He was named principal and athletic director in 1967, and then district administrator in 1969. In 1974, he was named the district administrator of Marathon schools.

Chickering is a 1959 graduate of Hawkins High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and physical sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1963. He received a master's degree in school administration from UW-Superior in 1971.   

In retirement, Chickering is an advisor to Safe Sport Zone, an educational consultant with the Interscholastic Licensing Company and chairs the Madison Area Sports Commission. He also is a past-president of the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club and has roles with the Wisconsin Retired Educators Association and its Foundation.

Chickering’s family includes three children—Dawn, Mark, and Jill and two grandchildren, Ryan and Rachel.  He and his wife, Mary, now live in the Madison area.

The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 505 senior high schools and 46 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It will sponsor 24 championship tournament series in 2014-15.