Phil Gardner

Phillip E. Gardner joined the IHSAA staff July 1, 2008 as an Assistant Commissioner. Gardner is responsible for baseball, boys’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ cross country, and girls’ golf.

Gardner served 14 years as principal at Wes-Del and was a member of the IHSAA Board of Directors. As a member of the Board of Directors, Gardner served one of the longest tenures in Association history from 1990 through 2008. He was elected president of that group in 1995-96 and also elected chairman of the Executive Committee in 1999-00 and 2002-03. He is a 1968 graduate of that school and a 1972 graduate of Indiana State University.

Gardner began his professional career at Blue River Valley Jr.-Sr. High School in 1972 where he later served as assistant principal and athletic director from 1979 to 1987. Prior to his administrative duties there, he taught business, health and driver education and worked as the head coach for baseball (1972-79) and basketball (1974-79).

In 1987, he was hired as principal of Cowan Jr.-Sr. High School and worked there for seven years before returning to Wes-Del in 1994.

During his 36 years in education, Gardner has been a licensed track and field official, held membership with the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA), graduated from the Indiana Principals Leadership Academy and served on the state’s Division of Student Activities Board of Directors. He currently holds membership in the Indiana Association of School Principals which honored him in 2002 as the District 6 Principal of the Year. He also is a member of Phi Delta Kappa and was inducted in the Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

In addition to his B.S. degree from Indiana State, Gardner earned an M.S. degree in education in 1976 and an Ed.S. degree in secondary administration and supervision in 1981, both from Ball State University. He also attended Gaston High School his first two years before consolidation into Wes-Del. As a student, he lettered four years in basketball and baseball, three years in track and once in cross country.

Gardner’s wife, Ann, is a physical education/health teacher at Wes-Del. He has two grown children, Alicia and Doug.