By Andy Walter

DOVER — Donna Polk is no longer the executive director of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association.

No reason was given for the move in an email that the Department of Education sent out to the state’s schools this week.

The email said that Polk was no longer executive director as of March 21.

The DIAA board of directors are now slated to meet next Wednesday, March 29, to discuss the situation. In the meantime, Associate Secretary of Student Support, Michael Rodriguez, will be the DIAA’s main contact person.

In next week’s meeting, the DIAA board plans to go into executive session to discuss a personnel matter before then discussing how the DIAA office will be run until a replacement is hired.

A Sussex County native, Polk had been the DIAA’s executive director since February, 2020. She was only the ninth person to hold the position since the organization was formed in 1945.

Prior to moving into that position, Polk had been the No. 2 person in the DIAA office beginning in November, 2018. She had 14 years experience working as a college administrator before which she was a counselor and girls’ basketball coach at Indian River High.

The DIAA’s first female as well as African-American executive director, she led the DIAA through the challenge of the COVID pandemic.

Polk played field hockey, basketball and softball at Sussex Central High before playing basketball and softball at Columbia Union College. She was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball.

Polk was also the head coach of Bowie State’s women’s basketball team for three seasons.

Earlier this school year, the DIAA’s No. 2 administrator, Jed Bell, stepped down from the position. He is now the athletic director and head football coach at Milford High.

Recently, Salesianum School principal, Chris Beretta, was appointed to trhe DIAA’s board of directors.

Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at walter@iniusa.org. Follow on Twitter at @DSNSports.