Dustin Smith

The GADA welcomes as one of our 2025 keynote speakers, Executive Director of Athletics from Broken Arrow Public Schools in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Mr. Dustin Smith.  Mr. Smith was named the new Executive Director of Athletics for Broken Arrow in the spring of 2023 after serving as the Director of Athletics for Greenwood High School in Greenwood, Arkansas for seven years.

In his short time in Oklahoma, Dustin has already been named the membership chair of the Oklahoma Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA). On the national level, Dustin is at At-large A representative on the NIAAA Board of Directors.  He has served on the NIAAA membership committee and has served as state coordinator for Arkansas and Oklahoma, where he has attended the NIAAA Summit over the past several years.

In 2022, Mr. Smith was named the Emerging Industry Leader for Interscholastic Athletics by the National Center for Spectator Sport Safety and Security.  Additionally, Dustin earned his CMAA certification in 2019.

Prior to serving as a high school athletic administrator, Dustin served as the athletic director for the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. 

In all three stops as an athletic administrator, the teams competing under Dustin’s leadership have achieved championship excellence through their performances on the field, in the classroom, and in their communities.

Dustin currently lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma with his wife, Jenn, and their daughters Riglee and Raelynn. And his son, Alec, is a high school basketball coach in Arkansas.

Phil Rison

The GADA is excited to have NIAAA Executive Director, Mr. Phil Rison, as a keynote speaker this year.  Mr. Rison  has served in the Executive Director role since 2023 after serving as the Associate Executive Director for six years.  Phil is originally from Kentucky, where he served a career that involved coaching athletic administration, and high school and district level administration.

In his time leading within the NIAAA, Mr. Rison has helped lead the way in developing online classes, increases the office staff, adding international and middle school level courses to the LTI program, and overseeing initiatives that has led to membership growing to over 16,000 members. Through Phil’s leadership, the NIAAA Professional Development platform of Leadership Training Courses has risen to 60+ classes with over 13,000 certifications achieved by the membership.

Mr. Rison earned his CAA certification in 1998, his CMAA in 2005, and served on the NIAAA Board of Directors from 2009-2014.  He had the honor of serving as the NIAAA Board President in 2013.  Additionally, as an active AD, Phil served as the national teaching faculty chair for LTC 508 as he worked alongside longtime legal advisor, the late-Mr. Lee Green.


Mr. Rison currently resides in Carmel, Indiana with his wife, Paula.