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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Greg Smith, executive director of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association and former activities director at West De Pere High School has been named one of 10 recipients of the 2016 Distinguished Service Awards selected by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to individuals from within the NIAAA membership in recognition of their length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. These individuals will be honored December 13 in Nashville, Tenn., during the banquet at the 47th annual National Athletic Directors Conference conducted jointly by the National Federation of State High School Associations and the NIAAA.

Smith retired as an active athletic administrator in 2013 after 10 years as district activities director at West De Pere and 29 years in education. Since his retirement, Smith has continued to serve as executive director of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

Smith served in various leadership positions with WADA prior to becoming executive director, including a term as president in 2008-09. He also was the WADA liaison to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and has been a member of the National Executive Directors Council since 2010. Nationally, Smith served on the NIAAA Certification Committee.

Before moving to Wisconsin in 2003, Smith served in the Hermiston School District in Oregon for 15 years. He was a teacher and coach at Hermiston High School for two years before becoming assistant principal of the high school and district activities director in 1990. He spent one year at a middle school in Bellingham, Washington, to begin his career.

Among his awards, Smith was the District 4 Wisconsin Athletic Director of the Year in 2008. He received an NFHS Citation in 2013, the WADA President’s Award in 2015, and was inducted into the WADA Hall of Fame earlier this year. He was also named the Oregon Athletic Director of the Year in 2003.
 
Smith earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and his master’s degree at Eastern Oregon University. Along with his career in secondary education, Smith attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve before retiring after 27 years. 

Nominations are submitted by state athletic directors associations, screened by the NIAAA Awards Committee and selected by the NIAAA Board of Directors.

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Release by NFHS and WIAA Communications