INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ben Stuart, a theatre educator at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, Washington, has been honored as the Section 8 Outstanding Theatre Educator award recipient, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) announced in late January.

Stuart has served as the Co-Director for the Theatre & Dance Department at Roosevelt High School since 2015, taking over for long-time directors Ruben Van Kempen and Beth Orme. He is only the fifth individual to hold the position since the school opened in 1922. Recently, six of Roosevelt’s most recent productions have earned Double Superior honors at the Washington State Thespian Festival, including four Best of Fest honors.

In 2015, Stuart was elected to the Educational Theatre Association to serve on their national governing board of directors. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Washington State Thespians as the Co-Chapter Director. He’s held other roles as Co-Vice Chapter Director, NW Region Director, and College Auditions Director. He spends a week each summer in the nation’s capital advocating for theatre education in Washington and across the country.

Roosevelt’s Theatre & Dance Department celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, under Stuart’s leadership. Department graduates have made strides across the industry, leaving an impact in film, television, Broadway, and national tours. Stuart’s students have earned degrees from highly regarded theatre schools, including Carnegie Mellon University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and Boston Conservatory.

“Stuart’s colleagues and students describe him as a passionate advocate, skilled educator, and nurturing mentor,” according to the NFHS release. “Stuart’s generosity, both in time and resources, has created an inclusive environment that has left an enduring mark on theatre education.”

The NFHS’ Outstanding Performing Arts Educators Awards honored 56 individuals, including 22 with Outstanding Music Educator Awards, 21 with Outstanding Speech and Debate Educators Awards, and 13 with Theatre Educators Awards.

Stuart is the Section 8 award recipient. Section 8 includes all of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. Since 1988, when the awards were first presented, 254 individuals have received section awards.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Mike Colbrese, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s former Executive Director, has been named to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.

Colbrese, along with the 10 other members of the 2024 Class, will be inducted on July 1 at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

After a 37-year career as an administrator for three state high school associations, Colbrese retired in 2019. He spent the final 26 years leading up to his retirement as the WIAA’s Executive Director. During Colbrese’s tenure, he made significant changes to advance high school sports across Washington State and throughout the nation.

Colbrese assisted in writing and lobbying for the nation’s first law on concussion and developed a policy for the participation of transgender students in high school sports, a policy that became a national standard. He created a process to require people of color and female representation on WIAA committees, while also starting a WIAA Native American Advisory Committee, including representation on the association’s Executive Board.

On a national scale, Colbrese’s contributions to the NFHS were described as “immense.” Most notably, he served on the Football Rules Committee for 27 years (1982-2008), along with 13 years on the Football Game Officials Manual Committee, serving eight as committee chair. Colbrese has also served on the NFHS’ Basketball and Track & Field rules committees.

Additionally, Colbrese spent two terms on the NFHS’ Board of Directors, including a term while he was in Wyoming and another from 2008-2012 in Washington. He was also a member of the NFHS Strategic Planning Committee (1996-99 & 2005-08).

Other committees Colbrese served on included the NFHS Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Committee, the NFHS Sanctioning Committee, and the NFHS Summer Meeting Advisory Committee. He also assisted with the NFHS’ Be A Sport Program and was the chair of the NFHS’ Coaches Education Review Committee (1991-95).

Colbrese has been previously inducted into six halls of fame (WIAA, Washington Athletic Directors, Washington Officials Association, Washington Music Educators, Wyoming Athletic Directors, Wyoming Music Educators).

Since retiring from the WIAA, Colbrese has returned to the playing surface as a football, basketball, baseball, and softball official. He has also led the growth of the Washington State Football Coalition, focusing on promoting the positive benefits of youth and high school football across the state.

Colbrese joins a group of six other NFHS Hall of Fame inductees from Washington and is the most recent inductee since Mike Burton (2015).