CIF Won’t Hire Gordon as Next Commissioner

The California Interscholastic Federation has resumed its search for a new executive director Friday after contract talks broke down with its top candidate, Dave Gordon.

Gordon, assistant superintendent of elementary education for the Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento, was scheduled to be introduced at a news conference today in conjunction with the State track and field championships at Cerritos College.

But the CIF canceled the news conference Friday afternoon, saying it could not come to terms on a contract with Gordon.

“I don’t want to say what the problem was, but the contract came down to one matter that couldn’t be resolved,” said Gordon, who notified his school board last week that he intended to leave.

Marie Ishida, president of the CIF executive committee, said the other finalists are the top contenders to replace Tom Byrnes, who stepped down May 23. They include: Margaret Davis, CIF associate commissioner; Nancy Lazenby Blaser, commissioner of the Central Coast Section, and Rick Stout, principal of Paradise High near Chico.