Mick Hoffman has been recommended to become executive director
Mick Hoffman said he loves his current job with Vancouver Public Schools (VPS), and there is only one job in this state that would make him consider a change.
Well, change is coming to Hoffman and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA).
Hoffman, the assistant superintendent and chief operations officer of VPS, has been recommended to become the next executive director of the WIAA.
The WIAA’s executive board announced Monday at its winter coalition meeting that Hoffman would take over the position that will be vacated when Mike Colbrese retires at the end of this academic year.
“You can count a handful of times in your life when you are given some sort of news that stops you in your tracks,” Hoffman said, of learning that out of all the qualified candidates, his name moved to the top of the list. “It was surreal and it’s still surreal. People are saying nice things and congratulating me. I can’t wait to get to work on it.”
Hoffman noted Monday morning that it is still not official. The board’s recommendation that he take over for Colbrese has been accepted, though.
He also added there is a sense of loss, in leaving Vancouver.
Hoffman was an assistant basketball coach at Hudson’s Bay, and then a head coach in basketball and golf at Fort Vancouver before he moved to administration. He helped with the opening of Thomas Jefferson Middle School and was a principal at Alki Middle School.
Later, he became the district-wide athletic director and was in charge of school safety, too.
His heart remained with athletics, though.
“I love working in athletics, especially educationally based athletics,” Hoffman said.
He noted that next to parents, it is coaches who often have the biggest impact in the lives of student-athletes.
“To work in the organization that is ultimately responsible for that experience is a dream job,” Hoffman added.
He said he spoke to Colbrese about the job before applying for the position. He also talked to his family.
“Once I knew my family was on board, we decided to go for it,” Hoffman said. “Not really expecting to get it. There were some outstanding candidates.”
He said he is thrilled to be going back to focusing on athletics and activities again, to have a chance to impact so many students in the state.
“We have a chance to prepare the next leaders in our communities,” Hoffman said. “These are the people who will take care of you and I in the not-too-distant future.”
Colbrese has been the executive director since 1993.
The WIAA also voted on Monday on two big changes to its classification system.
One, the classifications will return to a hard cap number, the system it used prior to 2007. Two, the number of free or reduced lunch students at a particular school will go into determining the final numbers.
For more on the changes to classifications, see The Seattle Times’ report:
