PIERRE — McCook Central School District Superintendent Dan Swartos will be the next executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association.
The SDHSAA board of directors announced the decision after an executive session at the board’s Wednesday meeting on Jan. 11.
Board member Brian Maher, who led the search for a new executive director, said Swartos had a varied background as a successful coach, school administrator and member of the National Guard band.
“He rose to the top of a very good pool,” Maher said. Other finalists for the position included Avon School District Superintendent Tom Culver and Aberdeen Central High School Principal Jason Uttermark. Uttermark is also a member of the SDHSAA board.
Swartos said he plans to work at McCook Central through June and start his SDHSAA contract on July 1. SDHSAA board chairman Steve Morford of Spearfish appointed three board members to work out the final details of Swartos’ contract. Those board members include Maher, Sandy Klatt of Brandon Valley and Jim Aisenbrey of Baltic.
Swartos is in his fifth year as superintendent at McCook Central in Salem. Before that, he spent four years as superintendent of the Big Stone City School District. He has coached football and wrestling at Brookings and football at McCook Central.
A National Guard member for 17 years, Swartos was deployed as a truck driver in the first Iraq War. He currently plays trumpet in the National Guard Army Band based in Mitchell.
“I’ve always been interested in athletics and the arts,” Swartos said. “This is a way to serve students of the state in a little different capacity.”
As a school superintendent for nine years, Swartos said he has closely followed the actions of the SDHSAA and its board.
“I think they’ve been doing a very good job,” Swartos said. “It’s an association that handles things well.”
The South Dakota High School Activities Association directs and coordinates interscholastic activities for member high schools. This includes the scheduling of athletic events, organizing state tournaments and deciding questions about student eligibility.
With the association’s broad spectrum of duties, Swartos predicted his first goals would be to become familiar with its responsibilities, look over the budget, look at what’s working and what needs to be improved.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity,” Swartos said, characterizing his decision to leave McCook Central and Salem as “bittersweet.”
Swartos will replace executive director Wayne Carney who will retire at the end of the current school year.
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