Former Novato High Athletic Director Peisch Honored

Former athletic director Jessica Peisch was among two Marin County women recently honored by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association with recognition as Certified Athletic Administrators.

According to the NIAAA, Peisch and Sue Chelini, the Tamalpais Union High School District athletic coordinator, earned the prestigious honor because they “demonstrated the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the field of interscholastic athletic administration.”

The women were chosen not only for their athletic experiences but also for having excelled in a written examination administered by the NIAAA in Palm Springs in May. Peisch and Chelini were among just 10 California finalists at the time.

Peisch, a former soccer player at Fresno State who has extensive coaching experience in the sport, was the athletic director at Novato High from 2005-09 before taking the same position at Redwood. She also was a P.E. teacher at Novato.

“This certificate and the training I received will help guide me to be a better athletic director and better serve the Redwood community,” Peisch noted.

Chelini, a graduate of U.C. Davis who has a Masters from San Francisco State, has served many roles in the North Coast Section and is a past president of the Marin County Athletic League. She has been a member of the MCAL Board of Managers since 1994 and, in her current job as Tam District athletic coordinator, she works together with athletic directors to support the athletic programs in the district.

“The CAA designation means a lot to me as recognition of the importance and the increasing level of complexity of interscholastic athletics,” Chelini said. “It is a pleasure and privilege to continue to facilitate the athletic program in the Tam District for student, parents and coaches.”