PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi is retiring after nearly four decades with the state high school athletic association, the PIAA announced Wednesday.
Lombardi joined the PIAA in 1988 and has served as executive director since 2012. His retirement is effective Dec. 31. The PIAA board has appointed chief operating officer Mark Byers to succeed Lombardi as executive director.
“On behalf of the entire PIAA Board of Directors, I want to thank Dr. Lombardi for his outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to student-athletes and interscholastic athletics,” board president Frank Majikes said in a statement. “Dr. Lombardi’s positive influence on PIAA and his mentorship of countless colleagues has been invaluable. We wish him a joyous and well-deserved retirement.”
In announcing his retirement, the PIAA highlighted Lombardi as “the founding father of the PIAA’s Annual Officials Convention, which celebrated its 30th year in 2025.” The event started with 75 officials and has grown to include more than 1,000 attendees each year, the PIAA said.
Lombardi also oversaw the six-class expansion in 2016, and helped the PIAA to sanction three new sports — competitive spirit, girls wrestling and girls flag football — in his tenure as executive director.
The PIAA scheduled a press conference for Wednesday afternoon.
This story will be updated.