IHSA Staff

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James L. Woodward, president of the IHSA Board of Directors, has been principal at Anna (A.-Jonesboro) High School since 2002. Woodward was first elected to the Board in October 2003, representing Division 7 in southern Illinois.  He was elected vice president of the Board in October 2004 and president in October 2005.

Woodward is by no means new to the IHSA and its programs.  He attended Granite City (North) and played on the football team in the first playoffs in 1974.  He also was a state meet qualifier in the discus at Granite City.  For his senior year, Jim transferred to Collinsville and competed in football, basketball and track and field, where he qualified for the state track meet in both the shot put and discus.  He was later named the Senior Athlete of the Year.

Jim went to Iowa State on a football scholarship and transferred to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he was a two-year starter for the Salukis.

Woodward earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from SIU-C in 1981, his master's in sports management from there in 1998 and his specialist certificate in 2000.  He became principal at Jonesboro Grade School in 2000 before becoming principal at Anna-Jonesboro High School.

From 1981-2000, he was a teacher and coach of five different sports in southern Illinois schools.  He started at Mt. Vernon High School assisting in football, boys track and field, girls basketball and boys basketball.  He was head boys track and field coach for two seasons.  After moving to Eldorado in 1986, Jim was head football and boys track and field coach for three seasons and head boys basketball coach for one season.  He came to Anna-Jonesboro as football and boys/girls track and field coach for one year and moved to Murphysboro in 1990.  For ten years at Murphysboro, Woodward was athletic director and head football coach.  He also coached boys and girls track and field.

A former member of the IHSA Football Advisory Committee, Woodward also was a licensed IHSA official in basketball and track and field.  He also was a member of the IHSA Non-School Competition/Instruction Strategic Planning Action Team.

Jim and his wife, Carmen, are parents of two children.