Thursday, the Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Board chose Jim Dean, current AIA Associate Executive Director, as the organization's next executive director. 

Dean will assume the role on July 1 after serving in his current position for the past two school years. He becomes just the eighth executive leader of the AIA since 1925.

“I’m very excited to continue serving our member schools and expanding opportunities for our athletes, coaches and communities. That’s what we need to be about,” Dean stated in a press release. “I’m incredibly grateful for the foundation that (current Executive Director) David Hines has built and the legacy he leaves behind.”

Hines will retire at the end of this school year. He is in his eighth year as Executive Director, which has been part of a 17-year career at the AIA and a 48-year career in education and administration.

“Dr. Dean has been very engaging with the membership and has worked well with our staff. He’ll continue leading this organization in a positive manner,” Hines stated. “He knows the AIA bylaws inside and out, and fits right into the mission that we had been operating off of. As we move forward, he will provide some new and additional opportunities for kids, will work closely with all our conferences, and bring new ideas to the table.”

Dean came to the AIA in 2023 following a 31-year career in education in the Valley. He spent the 2022-23 school year as the Dysart Unified School District superintendent, after several years as Dysart's assistant superintendent and athletic director.

Prior to Dysart, Dean served as an assistant principal, math teacher and coach in the Pendergast School District in Phoenix, and later became principal at Tolleson Elementary School.

In his final years with Dysart, Dean served on the AIA Executive Board. He was board president in his year as DUSD superintendent.

Dean inherits a period of growth, as the past decade featured the largest increase of athletic opportunities and technology across the state. In that time, the AIA added adaptive sports, sanctioned beach volleyball, girls wrestling and flag football and brought on boys beach volleyball as an emerging sport this fall.

Additionally, the AIA has created new postseason opportunities with an Open Division in football, two Open Divisions in basketball, expanded the number of conferences in boys volleyball, flag football and soccer.

“It’s important to continue to provide every possible opportunity for our students both during the regular season and postseason to be incredibly successful,” Dean said.

Some of his duties at the AIA have included serving as the main point of contact for member school administrators, the lead administrator for interpretation of bylaws and policies. Dean is the AIA liaison for the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, heads the Student Leadership Advisory Committee and oversees state tournament coordination.

On the national level, Dean represents Arizona on four committees with the National Association of State High School Associations - sports medicine, hall of fame screening, strategic planning and student services.

“The AIA, like school districts, works to meet the needs of each school and provide opportunities for success. We have outstanding athletic directors. We have outstanding school administration, coaches and athletes. We want to continue to meet their needs,” Dean stated.