The North Dakota High School Activities Association announced on May 12 the hiring of four former or retiring athletic administrators to serve as mentors for new athletic directors at member schools across the state, beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
The initiative aims to support and guide new athletic administrators as they start their roles. The program, called “AD Compass,” is designed to provide mentorship through a combination of in-person and virtual meetings, along with regular communication via phone, email, and text throughout the school year.
The four part-time mentors named for the first year of the program are Dr. Jim Haussler, former Athletic Director for Bismarck Public Schools; Gregg Grinsteinner, retiring Athletic Director at Dickinson Trinity High School; Jason Ermer, former Athletic Director at Garrison High School; and Vicky Bender, former Athletic Director at Wilton High School.
Each mentor will be assigned new athletic administrators to support during the academic year. The mentorship structure emphasizes consistent guidance and accessibility as new administrators adjust to their positions.
According to the North Dakota High School Activities Association’s announcement, “Each school year, the NDHSAA will re-open the mentorship positions for the ‘AD Compass’ Program to help promote engagement and higher rates of retention for newly hired athletic administrators.”
The program reflects ongoing efforts by NDHSAA to strengthen leadership within its member schools by fostering professional development among incoming athletic directors.
