The Board of Directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union have selected Winterset native Jean Berger as the organization’s fifth executive director.  Berger succeeds Mike Dick, who is retiring Aug. 31.

“We are pleased to announce that Jean Berger will be the next leader of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union,” said IGHSAU Board of Directors president Roger Francis. “Jean brings a wealth of administrative experience to the IGHSAU. The future of the Iowa Girl is very bright with Jean leading our organization.”

Berger currently serves as the Interim Director of Athletics at the University of Northern Iowa, succeeding former IGHSAU Executive Director Troy Dannen.

“I am honored, humbled and very excited to be selected as the next Executive Director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union” said Berger. “I am looking forward to working with the IGHSAU board of directors and staff along with all of the athletic administrators and coaches in Iowa.”

Berger has been at Northern Iowa since 2008. She is the supervisor for five Panther sports: women’s basketball, softball, tennis, soccer and volleyball. She oversees academic services and athletic training while monitoring Northern Iowa’s gender equity plans.

Prior to coming to Northern Iowa, Berger spent 17 years at Drake University. She was named Drake’s senior women’s administrator in 1994 and was assistant athletic director for internal affairs. In 2005, she was promoted to associate athletic director. Berger supervised 11 programs at Drake.

Nationally, Berger was the Missouri Valley Conference representative to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Issue Committee and served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. She began a term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee in 2012.

Prior to beginning her administrative career, Berger was an assistant in the Drake sports information office. She served in a similar capacity at Wichita State and was the sports information director at Wayne State from 1985 to 1990.

Berger is a graduate of the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a master’s degree in physical education and sports studies. Berger has two daughters, Jessica, 27, and Jenna, 21.

IGHSAU EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

R.H. (Rod) Chisholm: 1947-54
Dr. E. Wayne Cooley: 1954-2002
Troy Dannen: 2002-2008
Mike Dick: 2008-2016