David Jackson will retire June 30, 2027, as executive director of the organization that governs high school sports for every Tulsa-area school.

Jackson leads the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA). He announced his departure Sept. 9, after joining the organization in 1996 and serving as its top administrator since 2016, the Tulsa World reported.

He will remain through the 2026-27 school year.

"I have truly cherished my time at the OSSAA," Jackson said, according to KFOR. "I've had the privilege of working alongside some outstanding people, and I feel incredibly blessed to have spent my career supporting education-based activities."

OSSAA Board President Matt Holder, who also serves as superintendent of Sulphur Public Schools, called Jackson's impact on Oklahoma high school activities lasting. Holder said Jackson brought integrity and professionalism to the role and showed genuine commitment to students, coaches and member schools across the state.

Holder said the board will conduct what he called a "thorough and deliberate search" for Jackson's successor. No timeline, search committee composition or process details were announced. The board said it will seek a leader who values member schools and understands education-based activities.

The OSSAA, a private nonprofit headquartered in Oklahoma City, was formed in 1911. It enforces eligibility rules, facilitates scheduling, trains more than 11,000 referees and judges, and crowns state champions in sports and activities including band, speech and debate.

The organization counted roughly 482 member schools, both public and private, and operated on an annual budget of about $8 million funded primarily by playoff ticket sales, according to an Oklahoma Voice report in March. That same report noted state lawmakers have debated the OSSAA's structure and future direction.

The transition carries weight across the Tulsa area. Programs at Booker T. Washington, Union, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby and Owasso all operate under OSSAA playoff brackets, eligibility standards and activity policies set by the executive director's office. Jackson's exit will mark the first leadership change atop the association in more than a decade.