The staff of the Georgia High School Association will go through significant changes for the 2013-2014 school year.
Dennis Payne, an Associate Director for Football, Baseball, and Swimming for the past twelve years, will be retiring at the end of this school year. He has devoted 43 years of service to the GHSA as a competition official, a rules clinician, and an association staff member.
GHSA Executive Director, Ralph Swearngin, announced the retirement of Mr. Payne at the recent meeting of the GHSA Executive Committee by saying, “The GHSA certainly appreciates the years of service that Dennis Payne has given on the field and in the office, and he will be used to assist the GHSA staff with special projects in the future.”
Carror Wright will be joining the GHSA staff as the Associate Director for Compliance. His duties will include investigating eligibility matters and association rules violations. He will also be the GHSA liaison to high school and college coaches with administrative duties in the coaches’ education program also. Additionally, Mr. Wright will supervise increased GHSA initiatives in the area of sportsmanship.
Wright is a 30-year teaching and coaching veteran and currently the Region 2-AAA representative on the State Executive Committee. Originally from Wrightsville, Wright is a graduate of Johnson County High School and Ft. Valley State University where he excelled in football and track. He is a former past president of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.
Tommy Whittle will be joining the GHSA staff as an Associate Director with administrative duties in Football and Baseball. Mr. Whittle will also supervise the One Act Play and Literary competitions.
Whittle comes to the GHSA after spending 39 years in education in Georgia, the last 16 of which were in athletic administration for the Georgia Independent School Association. Whittle is a graduate of Wilcox County High School and Georgia Tech and was a successful high school coach with two state championships each in basketball and track.
