WIHOA Leadership Changes

September 2021 has seen a swift change in the leadership structure of Utah hockey officiating

First, Chris Smith has stepped down as the state referee in chief. His leadership over the years has seen some amazing growth in Utah hockey. He has been replaced by our own Tim Tate. As Tim takes over as the RIC, he is looking forward to being a hands on supervisor of officials. Under his leadership, Tim hopes to bring Utah hockey officiating into a new era of growth, development, and consistency.

The departure of our Tim resulted in the appointment of Andy VanWagoner as WIHOA's new president. Andy has worked extremely hard over the years within WIHOA to advance our officials and ensure that they are supported and cared for. He has done exceptional work as a vice president and Scheduler for WIHOA. Andy is an exceptional official and is very excited to work for all WIHOA officials in terms of advancement, support, and retention. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Andy if you have any questions or concerns.

With Andy taking the Helm, the vacant vice president role has been filled by Matthew Orr. Matt has come on strong over the last few years and is very excited to work for all WIHOA officials during his time in this role. Matt has been focused on modernizing our association by developing our new website, developing explicit advancement proceedures, and working as a mentor for new officials.

This upcoming season promises to be a uniquely challenging one. These changes in leadership promise to ensure that WIHOA and it's officials meet the challenge head on. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone on the WIHOA board.