Bissen, Glenwood AD, Harlan Alum Receives State Award of Merit

Bissen, Glenwood AD, Harlan Alum Receives State Award of Merit –

(3-28-24) – Glenwood Athletic Director & Harlan Community alum Jeff Bissen was honored with the 2024 National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) State Award of Merit during the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association (IHSADA) convention last Friday.

The award is presented annually by the NIAAA to an athletic administrator from each state for recognition of meritorious dedication to high school and middle school athletics.

While Bissen is humbled by receiving the award, he doesn’t feel this award is about him.

“Without our kids doing great work and our coaches and sponsors and the parents and even our school board admin, all those people play into everything that happens within the school system. So, I'm just a byproduct of their great work and they certainly make me look a little better than what I am.”

Bissen gave credit to former Harlan Community Athletic Director and current Cyclone boys’ basketball Coach Mitch Osborn and Assistant Coach Chad Swanson for his venturing into athletic administration.

“I probably got into the profession due to Coach Osborn. Obviously, he coached me in high school. I’m good friends with his oldest son, Joel… I really wanted to kind of be like him and follow in those footsteps. Coach Swanson was my business teacher. I wanted to be a business teacher, I wanted the coach, and getting into the AD role for those two people play a large part there.”

Former Harlan Community superintendent, the late Bob Broomfield, was also an important confidant to Bissen.

“We had a lot of conversations over a lot of years, when he when he was still around and really helped to guide me in the right direction to challenge myself to be better than what I thought I could be.”

Bissen has been an athletic administrator for 11 years and graduated from Buena Vista University. He is also the IHSADA treasurer and SW IHSADA district director.

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