NFHS's Gardner Announces Retirement
January 9, 2018
Special from NFHS
Bob Gardner, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) since May 2010, has announced his retirement, effective Aug. 1, 2018. Gardner notified the NFHS Board of Directors of his retirement plans at the NFHS Winter Meeting on Jan. 3 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Gardner is the fifth full-time executive director of the NFHS, following H.V. Porter (1940-58), Cliff Fagan (1958-77), Brice Durbin (1977-93) and Bob Kanaby (1993-2010).
Gardner’s eight-year run as head of the national organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities will conclude a 48-year career in secondary education, including the final 18 years on the NFHS staff in Indianapolis.
Since assuming duties as NFHS executive director in 2010, Gardner has vigorously promoted the values of high school activity programs and expanded opportunities for participation by boys and girls nationwide. During his eight years as executive director, participation in high school sports has increased by almost 400,000, including the expanded opportunity for students with disabilities in high school sports.
Gardner has led the organization’s focus on risk minimization in high school sports, with particular emphasis on concussion awareness, and has brought a heightened national presence to the work of the NFHS and its member state associations. In addition to the continual expansion of the NFHS Learning Center during his tenure, Gardner is credited with starting the NFHS Network, the first-of-its-kind digital coverage of high school sports with more than 25,000 events covered during the 2016-17 school year.
In addition, during his eight years as chief executive of the organization, operating revenue for the NFHS increased by $4 million.
Ironically, Gardner’s entire 48-year career was spent in the state of Indiana. He was a teacher and coach at three schools for eight years and also served as an athletic director for a period of time. In 1978, Gardner became principal of Milan Junior-Senior High School, followed by a stint as superintendent of the Milan Community Schools.
After serving on the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Board of Directors during his time at Milan, Gardner joined the IHSAA staff in 1985 as assistant commissioner. He served 10 years in that role prior to becoming commissioner in 1995.
During his five years as IHSAA commissioner, Gardner led the change in the IHSAA football playoffs to permit participation by all schools, negotiated the association’s largest corporate sponsorship agreement in history with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and led the transition to multiple classes in team sports.
Gardner joined the NFHS staff in 2000 as chief operating officer and served in that position for 10 years prior to becoming executive director. During this time, he chaired the NFHS Rules Review Committee and was responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization.
Gardner earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Evansville (Indiana) and his master’s and education specialist degrees from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He has served on the Board of Directors for USA Football, USA Basketball and the Indiana Sports Corporation. He is a member of the Indiana High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Following the March 1 application deadline, finalists for the position will be interviewed by the NFHS Board of Directors April 17-18 in Indianapolis, with the new executive director expected to begin duties Aug. 1.
Detroit Public Schools' McEvans Selected for MHSAA Women In Sports Leadership Award
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 22, 2026
Over nearly three decades as a coach, school and league administrator, Anika McEvans has worked to provide the athletic opportunities for all children that she enjoyed as an athlete herself and later as a mother of three including two who have gone on to play at the collegiate level.
Her work in several roles, serving multiple school districts over nearly 28 years, has benefited thousands of students. In recognition of those contributions, McEvans has been named the 40th recipient of the MHSAA’s Women In Sports Leadership Award.
Each year, the Representative Council considers the achievements of women coaches, officials and athletic administrators affiliated with the MHSAA who show exemplary leadership capabilities and positive contributions to athletics. McEvans will receive her award during the WISL Conference Banquet, Feb. 1 at the Crowne Plaza Lansing.
Currently midway through her seventh school year serving in the Office of Athletics for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, she is responsible for planning and implementation of the Detroit Public School League’s sports offerings for 72 elementary and middle schools in addition to her several responsibilities supporting the league’s 20 high schools. McEvans came to the PSL from Southfield Public Schools, where as district director she supervised more than 100 coaches, staff and volunteers.
Before that she was a building athletic director, and prior to becoming an administrator she coached multiple sports across tenures at three schools.
“Obviously as an athlete myself, and also the mother of female athletes, my children and I both were very fortunate to have amazing coaches and administrators who elevated our sports,” McEvans said. “I made it a goal of mine everywhere I go to advocate in the same way. I want any child to have what I’d want for my children.”
A basketball, volleyball and softball player while a student at Detroit Renaissance, McEvans returned to high school athletics after college first as a coach, serving as head girls varsity basketball coach at Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences, assistant boys basketball and softball coach at Renaissance, and assistant girls basketball coach at Southfield.
She served as athletic director from 2012-15 at the former Southfield High School, and as district athletic director through 2017-18 she assisted in the merger of Southfield High and Southfield-Lathrup into Southfield Arts & Technology High School for the start of the 2016-17 school year.
Also during her time at Southfield, McEvans added competitive cheer to the school’s athletic offerings, and then brought the sport to the PSL after moving to the Detroit district office. Cass Tech, Martin Luther King and Renaissance high schools have added competitive cheer teams, and McEvans is hopeful two more schools will do the same over the coming year.
“Anika McEvans continues to create and expand opportunities so as many students as possible can enjoy all of the good that comes with participation in school sports,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “This award celebrates Anika’s leadership in this way, but also the example she sets in showing what’s possible when someone is driven to make a difference.”
McEvans received an MHSAA Allen W. Bush Award in 2024, celebrating her work often “behind the scenes” in school sports. She was selected for a Skillman Foundation Visionary Award this past year for her work “updating and upgrading the education system in Detroit and beyond.”
She has contributed her expertise to statewide athletics in many ways as well, serving on several MHSAA committees including athletic equity, junior high/middle school, scholar-athlete and as part of multiple officials and site selection committees. She also provided a key voice as part of the MHSAA Multi-Sport Task Force during the last half of the last decade and has played a leading role in providing coaches education throughout Detroit Public Schools through the MHSAA Coaches Advancement Program.
McEvans graduated from Renaissance in 1994 and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in sports management and communications from University of Michigan and a master’s in business administration from the University of Detroit Mercy. She also previously served as director of business operations and then general manager for the Detroit Demolition/Detroit Danger women’s professional football franchise from 2002-06 and as assistant general manager for the Motor City Mechanics minor league hockey team from 2004-06.
Her daughter Cheyenne McEvans is currently a graduate student playing her final season of college basketball at University of Nevada. Son Cameron McEvans played basketball at Lawrence Technological University and most recently professionally in Uruguay. Youngest daughter Cierra McEvans participated on West Bloomfield’s competitive cheer team and is now a sophomore at Grand Valley State University.
“I know how for young men and women that participate in sports, that it rounds out their development, gives them leadership skills and confidence to move through the world,” Anika McEvans said. “I was telling someone the other day that because of their successes and failures on the court, I knew my children would move through the world fearlessly.
“I (also) know in my particular role (at DPSCD) and also to a certain degree at Southfield, there are still gaps in how minority students and programs are supported … (and helping fill that gap) is just my mission.”
More than 700 participants – mostly female high school student-athletes from across the state – have registered to attend this year’s sold-out WISL Conference, the 27th in the series that remains the first, largest and longest-running program of its type in the country.
The opening address Feb. 1 will be presented by Kristen Kelsay, a two-time team captain during her playing career for the Michigan State University women’s volleyball team who recently completed her first season as the Spartans’ head coach and led the team to its highest win total since 2017. MSU women’s basketball coach Robyn Fralick – in her third season and leading a Spartans team that is 17-2 and ranked No. 13 by The Associated Press – will speak during the general session at the start of the Feb. 2 conference schedule.
Several workshops will be offered over the two days, with topics including coaching, teaching and learning leadership; sports nutrition and performance, and empowerment and goal-setting. Presenters are accomplished in their fields and represent a wide range of backgrounds in sport. A complete itinerary is available on the Women In Sports Leadership page.
The first Women In Sports Leadership Award was presented in 1990.
Past recipients
1990 – Carol Seavoy, L’Anse
1991 – Diane Laffey, Harper Woods
1992 – Patricia Ashby, Scotts
1993 – Jo Lake, Grosse Pointe
1994 – Brenda Gatlin, Detroit
1995 – Jane Bennett, Ann Arbor
1996 – Cheryl Amos-Helmicki, Huntington Woods
1997 – Delores L. Elswick, Detroit
1998 – Karen S. Leinaar, Delton
1999 – Kathy McGee, Flint
2000 – Pat Richardson, Grass Lake
2001 – Suzanne Martin, East Lansing
2002 – Susan Barthold, Kentwood
2003 – Nancy Clark, Flint
2004 – Kathy Vruggink Westdorp, Grand Rapids
2005 – Barbara Redding, Capac
2006 – Melanie Miller, Lansing
2007 – Jan Sander, Warren Woods
2008 – Jane Bos, Grand Rapids
2009 – Gail Ganakas, Flint; Deb VanKuiken, Holly
2010 – Gina Mazzolini, Lansing
2011 – Ellen Pugh, West Branch; Patti Tibaldi, Traverse City
2012 – Janet Gillette, Comstock Park
2013 – Barbara Beckett, Traverse City
2014 – Teri Reyburn, DeWitt
2015 – Jean LaClair, Bronson
2016 – Betty Wroubel, Pontiac
2017 – Dottie Davis, Ann Arbor
2018 – Meg Seng, Ann Arbor
2019 – Kris Isom, Adrian
2020 – Nikki Norris, East Lansing
2021 – Dorene Ingalls, St. Ignace
2022 – Lori Hyman, Livonia
2023 – Laurie Glass, Leland
2024 – Mary Cicerone, Bloomfield Hills; Eve Claar, Ann Arbor
2025 – Jennifer Thunberg, Freeland