Virginia High School League names Ty Gafford as new assistant director

The Virginia High School League has named former VHSL Executive Committee Chairman Ty Gafford as its next assistant director for compliance.

Gafford brings 27 years of leadership and education experience as a teacher, coach, and building principal to the VHSL.

His new position will be effective July 1, 2022.

His position fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Executive Director Tom Dolan, effective June 30, 2022, after serving the VHSL staff as an assistant director in 2007 before assuming the associate director of compliance in 2013.

Gafford has extensive experience at the school, district, region, and state levels. His previous experiences include serving as a high school principal and elementary principal, assistant high school principal, history teacher, and coach.

“I am pleased to welcome Ty Gafford to the VHSL staff,” VHSL Executive Director Billy Haun said. “Ty is not a new face to any of us, as demonstrated through his highly successful career and serving as chairman of the Executive Committee during the 2019-20 school year. Ty brings a diverse educational and professional background to the position, and we’re extremely pleased and thrilled that he will be joining our staff.”

“It is with excitement and enthusiasm that I enter this new phase of my career,” said Gafford. “As an assistant director of the Virginia High School League, I will passionately pursue every opportunity to support my colleagues, the membership, and other stakeholders to provide opportunities for all students to learn, grow, and thrive in extracurricular activities and settings. As a member of the staff of the Virginia High School League, I will work tirelessly to support those who provide meaningful opportunities for our students across the Commonwealth.”

Gafford is currently the principal at Perrymont Elementary School in the Lynchburg City Public Schools. A position he has held since 2019 following a decade as principal at Altavista Combined School in Campbell County Public Schools from 2010-19. Before ascending to the principal’s position, he was the assistant principal at Altavista from 2006-2010.

In addition, Gafford taught history and was the girls head varsity basketball coach and JV boys basketball coach at Heritage High School in Lynchburg.

During his tenure as principal of Altavista Combined High School from 2010-19, Gafford served as chairman of the VHSL (2019-20), region representative on the VHSL Executive Committee, chairman of VHSL Region 1A East, and chairman of Conference 44.

Gafford earned a master of education in educational leadership from Lynchburg College and a bachelor of arts in history from Lynchburg.