The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive board approved the hiring of Joe Paddock as the AIA’s next assistant executive director during a special session Friday morning.

Paddock is the director of interscholastic activities for the Amphitheater Public Schools District, where he began his teaching and coaching career. He will officially join the AIA on July 1 after completing his 34th year with Amphi.

"It is a great honor to be selected as the assistant executive director of the AIA, and I look forward to continuing to work with our member schools as we make interscholastic sports and activities better for our students and schools,” Paddock said.

Paddock is very familiar with the AIA, having worked as a region chair, president of the 4A Conference and in various committees, including Women’s Equity in Sports and Finance.

He also served a 3-year term as an AIA executive board member and received the 4A Conference Athletic Director of the Year award in 2016.

“Joe Paddock will be a great addition to the AIA staff,” said incoming AIA executive director David Hines. “He is a highly respected educator who is a skilled bylaw interpreter, former executive board member and conference board member with southern Arizona ties.”

Paddock graduated from Northern Arizona University, completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and obtained his Certified Masters Athletic Administrator’s certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Paddock and his wife Carol are proud parents of four children, Jill, Amanda, Katie and Pete, and five grandchildren, Leona, Garrett, Ashlyn, Adam and Owen.