Speakers

Felix “Phil” Addeo assumed the position of executive director for the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) July 1. Addeo has been an IAABO member since 1973 (and involved at the international level since 1985), and served his local New Jersey board and IAABO’s Executive Committee in multiple capacities over the years. He was honored with IAABO Life Membership in 2009 and as the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) Basketball Official of Year.

Zach Altman is a 19-year-old sophomore majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in Spanish at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Zach has been refereeing youth basketball for the past 3 years. After joining the San Antonio Basketball Officials Association this past season, he started officiating junior varsity and varsity high school matchups across the city. His Ted Talk on poor fan sportsmanship has over 18,000 views on YouTube. One day, he wants to officiate D1 college basketball and eventually the NBA.

Carl began officiating in 1980 in Long Beach, CA working various levels of HS and college football. In 1995, he was honored to follow in his father’s footsteps by being appointed to the officiating staff of the Pac-10 where he worked for five seasons. He had the opportunity to work NFL Europe and eventually completed eight seasons there. Following the 1999 NCAA season, he was added to the roster of officials in the NFL as a side judge. Carl became a referee in 2008. Carl has worked many NFL post-season assignments including Super Bowl LI (Atlanta vs. New England) in 2017.

Walt Coleman began officiating high school football in 1974, joined the NFL in 1989, and became a referee in the league in 1995. He worked multiple playoff games, two NFL conference championship games during his 30-year NFL career, and was the alternative referee for three Super Bowls. He was an NCAA DI football official in the Southwest Conference. Coleman retired as an official from the NFL after working the pro bowl.

California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), San Francisco Section commissioner; Member Information and Consultation Program, Referee, NASO and NASO Association Advantage contributor; longtime track and field, and basketball official; longtime lawyer; former NASO board member (2011-14); 2016 Mel Narol Medallion award recipient.

Gordon Corsetti is a lacrosse official who played for ten years before realizing he’d much rather ref than play the game. Originally from Atlanta, GA, he now resides in Baltimore, MD and officiates high school and collegiate lacrosse in the Mid-Atlantic region. He works intently at US Lacrosse creating resources for the development of youth and scholastic officials across the country, as well as writing about rules and officiating.

American Specialty Insurance and Risk Services, Inc. (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Vice President, Client Services. American Specialty has served as NASO’s insurance provider since 2004. Jina joined American Specialty in October of 2001 and has served in many roles. Jina is actively involved in working with NASO to determine the best strategies to protect the interests of its members and is one of many resources available to NASO’s membership via the Member Information and Consultation Program. American Specialty was NASO’s 2017 Mel Narol Medallion award recipient.

Currently Director of Referee Performance for the NBA, Crawford entered the NBA in 1977 at the age of 26; prior to joining the NBA, he officiated In the Eastern League (CBA) from1974-76; has officiated more than 2,500 regular season and 300-plus playoff and 50 NBA Finals games; assigned to the 1986, 1992 and 2000 NBA All-Star Games as well as the 1993 McDonald’s Championship in Munich, his playoff and NBA Finals totals are the most among active NBA officials. 2014 Gold Whistle recipient.

International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, Inc. (IAABO) associate executive director, working with the executive director developing educational programs for both beginning and veteran officials; NCAAM D-I basketball official, officiating in 11 conferences (primarily in the Big Ten and Mid-American conferences); nine NCAA tournament assignments; high school basketball supervisor, assigning more than 40 high schools in central Pennsylvania; small college basketball assigner of more than 35 D-III colleges and universities; served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army.

Sports law attorney and recognized legal authority for game officials; author of Sports Officiating: A Legal Guide; Member Information and Consultation Program (MICP) representative; professional speaker; Referee and NASO writer and contributor; former NCAA D-I basketball official; former college baseball umpire; former high school football official; serves as special counsel to national, state and local officiating associations, insurance carriers, claims administrators and national and regional sports governing bodies in the sports industry.

Referee  chief strategy officer Referee magazine founder (1975) and publisher; National Association of Sports Officials founder (1980) and president; former 23-year basketball official, who worked nine seasons at the NCAAM D-I level; a renowned public speaker and media guest on issues important to the officiating industry; Officiating Development Alliance (ODA) and Officiating Commentators Alliance (OCA) member.

Minnesota State High School League coordinator of officials; responsible for the overall development and implementation of registration, training and mentorship programs for 6,300 officials serving over 525 member schools; NCAA D-I football official in the Big Ten Conference; NCAAM D-II and D-III basketball official; former physical education and adapted physical education teacher of 10 years.

In August, 2018 Dr. Karissa Niehoff assumed the position of executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). In 2010 she was named executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Previously, Niehoff served on the NFHS board, committees and task forces. She is actively involved in advocacy and policy development for education-based programs and athletics alongside colleagues from multiple stakeholder groups.

US Lacrosse senior manager, officials development; responsible for the overall development, implementation and management of US Lacrosse’s national initiatives towards recruitment, retention, training and leadership programs for US Lacrosse men’s and women’s officials, serving youth, scholastic, collegiate and international games; current NCAAM lacrosse official; Officiating Development Alliance member.

Fox Sports rules analyst for network’s NFL and NCAA coverage; Chief Zebra Productions Inc. president; Battlefield to Ballfields founder and president (a non-profit foundation that awards scholarships to Veterans of the Armed Forces to become sports officials in their communities); former NFL vice president of officiating (2001-10) where he appeared on NFL Network show, NFL Total Access during the “Official Review” segment; former NFL supervisor and Western Athletic Conference supervisor of officials; retired NFL and NCAA D-I football official; officiated eight college bowl games; former Officiating Development Alliance member; Officiating Commentators Alliance member; NASO vice-chair.

Pati Rolf serves as USA Volleyball’s director of officials. She was a women’s referee for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games gold-medal match as well the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s National Championship. Pati has been a FIVB international official since 2003 and a PAVO/NCAA National Official. She referees at every level of the game from FIVB World Championship events to the youngest of ages. Pati also served as the chair of the USA Rules Commission. She is 31 years married with two grown children, both English teachers — in Milwaukee and South Korea.

Washington Officials Association (WOA) executive director; Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) production coordinator (1999 -2000); became officials’ coordinator in 2000; commissioner of WOA when it became independent of the WIAA in 2002; former high school basketball coach and basketball official (2001-08); certified athletic administrator; NASO board member.

Chief operating officer and executive editor at Referee Magazine; has worked for Referee and NASO since 1990; former high school and small college football and basketball official; former major college baseball umpire. Multiple state tournament and postseason collegiate assignments. Former high school conference commissioner and assigner. He is also a member of the Officiating Development Alliance.

MHSAA (Michigan) Executive Director; former MHSAA Assistant Director responsible for officials program (2004-2018); NCAA D-I baseball umpire; umpired the 2014 and 2017 NCAA College World Series and the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil; former NASO chair (2015) and board member (2011-15). Current ODA member.

Chair of the NASO Board, and coordinator of women’s basketball officials for the American Athletic, Atlantic 10, Big East, Metro Atlantic Athletic conferences; former NCAA national coordinator of women’s basketball officiating; former NCAAW basketball secretary-rules editor; former collegiate basketball coach, administrator, instructor, official and student-athlete; doctorate of education from the University of Houston in 2000.