By Zach Alvira
Head of Content
Longtime Arizona high school educator Dr. Jim Dean has been named the new Executive Director of the Arizona Interscholastic Association beginning July 1, the AIA announced Thursday.
Dean, who currently serves as the AIA's Associate Executive Director, will become just the eighth leader of the AIA since its inception in 1925. A vote by the Executive Board named Dean as the successor to David Hines, who announced he would be retiring following the academic school year after a 17-year career with the AIA and 48 years in education.
“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 said 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.”
Dean joined the AIA in 2023 after spending 31 years in education. His career began in the Pendergast School District in Phoenix, where he served as assitant principal, math teacher and an athletic coach. He later joined the Tolleson Elementary School as principal before departing for the Dysart Unified School District, where he served in multiple roles.
Before joining the AIA, he served as the superintendent of Dysart. At the same time, he served as the president of the AIA Executive Board.
“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 said in a press release. “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 has been the main point of contact for school administrators during his time with the AIA. He helped administrators better understand bylaws and policies. He also became the liaison for the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, the head of the Student Leadership Advisory Committee and coordinates tournaments.
Additionally, he represents Arizona in the National Association of State High School Associations (NFHS).
Dean takes over during a time of immense growth in the AIA. Adaptive sports, beach volleyball, girls wrestling and flag football have taken off in recent years. The number of conferences have also expanded, and the inception of the Open Division in football, basketball and soccer this year have allowed prep sports in Arizona to be recognized on a national level.
Dean hopes to continue the growth in his new role beginning this summer.
“It’s important to continue to provide every possible opportunity for our students both during the regular season and postseason to be incredibly successful,” Dr. Dean said. “We will be looking to strengthen and deepen relationships with our schools and partners that allow us to do the things we are doing. There are some very exciting pieces and ideas that we have to move moving forward.”
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