NFHS selects Davis Whitfield as new CEO

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has selected current Chief Operating Officer Davis Whitfield as its next CEO, effective Aug. 1.

Whitfield has been COO the past 11 years and was among three finalists interviewed by the NFHS board this week in Indianapolis. He becomes the seventh full-time NFHS CEO/executive director in the 107-year history of the association.

“On behalf of the NFHS board of directors, we extend our sincere congratulations to Davis Whitfield on being selected as the next chief executive officer of the NFHS,” said Ron Nocetti, president of the NFHS board of directors and executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation. “Davis brings a strong commitment to education-based athletics and activities and the opportunities to provide for students.

“We look forward to working together to advance the NFHS mission and to serve our member state associations, schools and students nationwide.”

As COO, Whitfield helped lead the NFHS’ 37-member national office staff in supporting the 51-member state high school associations. During the 2025-26 school year, he helped oversee the first year of the 2025-2029 NFHS Strategic Plan as well as several major technology issues, including the NFHS Digital rules platform.

Additionally, he has chaired the internal Rules Review Committee, which considers rules changes recommended by NFHS sports rules committees prior to being sent to the board for approval, and has played a “vital role” in working with NFHS member state associations in several areas, the NFHS said, including nominations for rules committees and fulfillment of printed and digital rules publications.

The NFHS also said Whitfield played a major role with the NFHS Network as president of the NFHS Network Holdings board of directors, including advancing a long-term media rights strategy and implementing performance-based revenue structures.

Finally, Whitfield has served as president of the NFHS Foundation, which seeks to protect the integrity of high school activities through funding in risk minimization and leadership. He has led several initiatives for the NFHS Foundation, including placement of AEDs and wet bulb globe temperature devices in schools nationwide.

“It is an honor to lead the National Federation of State High School Associations as its next CEO, an organization built on more than a century of service to education-based athletics and activities,” Whitfield said in a news release. “Our history is rooted in developing resources for our state associations and supporting students and schools while strengthening communities.

“As we look ahead, we will continue to honor that mission while embracing the opportunities that technology and data provide — ensuring we better serve our state associations and position education-based athletics for a strong and innovative future.”

Prior to joining the NFHS in 2015, Whitfield was commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) for five years. During that time, he created a committee which led to a new student-athlete transfer policy, implemented championship cost-cutting policies and procedures, restructured the NCHSAA handbook and developed the Education and Athletics Committee, which evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of current NCHSAA policies and procedures.

Whitfield also has served on the administrative staff of the ACC as well as in the athletic department at Wake Forest University and Campbell University. He is a native of North Carolina and graduated from Rosewood High School in Goldsboro and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.