Staff

Melissa Gehring began her role as assistant director at the organization’s headquarters on Aug. 1, 2022.

Gehring’s responsibilities include the administration, coordination of duties and tournament planning for the sports of girls basketball, cross country, track & field and volleyball as well as the administrative duties for conference alignment, conference commissioners and processing nominations for NFHS Spirit of Sport Award program. She is also the staff liaison for the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Assocation (WADA).

Gehring served in the Beaver Dam School District from 2002-22. Most recently, she held the positions of associated principal and athletics/activities director since 2013. In those roles, she coordinated and managed the high school athletic programs and activities. Gehring was responsible for all events, facilities, extra-curricular safety, security, transportation and branding. In addition, she had oversight of the Physical Education, Health and Music Departments. She was also responsible for development of a department mission statement, creating higher academic eligibility standards and accountability, and development of a Unified Sports program.

She served as varsity volleyball coach, assistant softball coach, and Unified Sports basketball coach from 2002-12 while teaching history, sociology, general psychology, advanced placement psychology and serving as the social studies department chair in 2013, when she added the role of interim dean of students for one year.

Gehring held a number of roles at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire after she played on the Blugolds’ women’s volleyball team from 1999-2001 and on the women’s basketball team in 1998-99. She worked as an office assistant in planning and preparations for events, volleyball camp counselor, student assistant women’s basketball coach, freshmen orientation adviser and intramural official.

In addition to her work experiences, Gehring has held leadership committee positions at the statewide and national levels, serving on the WIAA Sports Advisory Committee, the WIAA Conference Realignment Task Force, the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association District 6 representative and coordinator for the State Leadership Training Institute program. Her athletic administration involvement at the national level includes serving as the Wisconsin representative on the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Professional Development Academy as well as a member of the 2021 U Executive Leadership Cohort program.

Gehring earned a Bachelor of Science degree in history and political science education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2002. She received master’s degree in Teaching and Learning from Carroll University in 2008, and obtained an Educational Leadership Certification from Concordia University-Mequon in 2014.