After 24-years with the Iowa High School Athletic Association Rick Wulkow will become executive director when Bernie Saggau retires at the end of the year. The native of Lytton was a teacher and coach before signing on with the association in 1980. He also had a stint as a college basketball official. He says we all have dreams and look into the future sometimes and says he wouldn’t be honest if he didn’t say he was interested in the position when Bernie retired.Wulkow is the current Associate Director and will assume his new role after Saggau retires on January first of next year. He says he has a great staff and that will make him feel comfortable in the transition. Wulkow says while he will have a new role the associations won’t change. He says they’ll sill be student oriented and will work for the schools, and the phone lines and e-mails will always be open.Wulkow says the association’s main goal is to provide quality activities for young Iowans. He says 99 percent of the top academic students in the schools were involved in activities. Saggau is completing his 37th year as executive director and during his tenure Iowa has become a leader nationwide, especially in new rules and regulations. He says Saggau has always had the foresight to look ahead, and he says they take great pride in that. He says there are some things on the burner now they’re thinking about doing to enhance sports. Wulkow taught and coached at Radcliffe and Denison and also served as a principal at Paulina and Jefferson.