MICHAEL COLBY
The Arvada, Colorado native would graduate from Colorado State University in 1973, setting the stage for a 35-year career in Miami-Dade County School District where he would get his start at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School serving as a teacher, coach and athletic administrator. From 1980 to 1986, he would lead the bowling and tennis programs as the head coach and later from 1986 to 1994 serve as the Athletic Business Manager. Starting in 1994 he would lead the Trojans as the Director of Athletics until his retirement in 2008.
During his time as the athletic administrator at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Colby would serve on the GMAC Officials Association Board of Directors (1998-2002), GMAC Executive Committee (2002-2008), and chair two different sports for the conference (Soccer: 1994 2002; Tennis: 2002-2008). He made great strides within the Trojan athletic department such as managing the newly created athletic website, developed and implemented a multi-media annual athletic awards program, and was the driving force behind naming the gymnasium, basketball court, and baseball & softball fields after former important stakeholders within the school.
After retiring in 2008 Michael wasn’t done though with his time in interscholastic athletics as later that year, he would join the Florida High School Athletic Association as the Director of Eligibility a position he still holds today. Colby has served on the FIAAA Board of Directors for 25 years; five years as a District Director and the last 20 years as Treasurer. Mike has also served as Chairman of the FHSAA Athletic Directors Advisory Committee, Chairman of the FHSAA Representative Assembly and Chairman of the FHSAA Section 4 Appeals Committee. Colby was the NIAAA State Leadership Training Program Coordinator as well as state and national LTI faculty for the last 16 years, and is a lifetime member of the NIAAA.
He has been recognized with the FIAAA Meritorious Service Award (2003), the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) Citation (2003), FIAAA Lifetime Membership (2008), the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) Distinguished Service Award (2008), FIAAA Athletic Administrator of the Year (2009), the NFHS Outstanding Service Award (2010), inducted in the FHSAA Athletic Hall of Fame (2011) and the NIAAA State Award of Merit (2014).
Colby was the first athletic administrator in Florida to receive the designation of Certified Master Athletic Administrator in 2002 and he served as an NIAAA State Leadership Training Program Coordinator from 2000 to 2017. After 45 years in a secondary education-based career, Michael will retire this coming June.
CHERYL GOLDEN
An original Minnesota native, and a graduate of Saint Cloud State University in 1980, Cheryl Golden started her career in Miami-Dade County in 1981 at Southwest Miami Senior High School as the first female Certified Athletic Trainer in the history of the school district. In 1989-90 Golden was promoted to the position of Athletic Director, the first female athletic director for the county, a position she held until 1997.
She then assumed a position with the Division of Athletics and Activities for Miami-Dade County that she held until she was promoted as Executive Secretary of the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC) in 2002 and held that position until her retirement in 2016. She was instrumental in developing a Title IX Plan, a Concussion Program and the Athletic Transfer Review Committee for the district as well as active in developing the district curriculum for coaching education. As part of her role in the Greater Miami Athletic Conference, Golden operated ten officials associations as well as helped develop three more in Flag Football, Water Polo, and Track & Field. In all she managed 850 independent contracted officials during her time with the GMAC including the assignment of over 10,000 high school games.
Cheryl served on the FIAAA Board of Directors for 6 years; as Treasurer from 1995 until 1998, at which time she was elected as President-Elect and then served as President in 1999-2000, followed by a year as the immediate Past President. She served on the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Handbook Revision Task Force in 2009. Ms. Golden was named FIAAA Athletic Administrator of the Year in 2002 and was awarded FIAAA Lifetime Membership in 2016.