If ever there was an organization in need of a public relations firm, it's West Virginia's Secondary School Activities Commission.
Throughout the years, the SSAC has been as reviled as Nurse Ratched, Lord Voldemort and Darth Vader. It's as loved as Chris Brown, Kristen Stewart and Lindsey Lohan.
But new SSAC executive director Bernie Dolan is trying to change that - through transparency and social media outreach.
The movement began on Monday. And it began through the fingertips of former Charleston Catholic athletic director Bill Gillispie, who is now with the SSAC.
"First day," Gillispie said on Monday. "It's been a little difficult because I spent 16 years at Charleston Catholic, but it's a good opportunity."
That opportunity is to help the organization connect more with the public.
"I'm working on integrating social media and the SSAC," Gillispie said. "I already have a Facebook page up and then I'm moving on to Twitter and Instagram. I want us to get caught up with other states."
It's a good - and long overdue - move.
"We knew early on our technology needed to be updated, viewed and monitored," said new SSAC executive director Bernie Dolan. "Bill will be responsible for all social media, as well as event coordination."
In case you're unaware, one of the SSAC's main functions is to stage high school championships in all sports.
"Bill will have a presence at our championships," Dolan said. "He'll provide some in-game [social media] stuff, but he'll also help in setting the event up and lending an extra hand."
Apparently, Gillispie's role will be multi-dimensional.
"Bill has great connections with the athletic directors' association," Dolan said, "so he'll be a liaison there. And as we see other things he can address we'll have him do so."
Gillispie said he's leased an apartment in Parkersburg and will move his entire family up during the summer.
nnn
Dolan has some other new ideas, some that will handled by Gillispie and some that won't.
The new executive director, for instance, wishes to put together a committee comprised of sports media members.
"We'll convene a media committee of sports writers and TV and radio people," Dolan said. "We're interested in seeing how we can help them and how they can help us.
"Our No. 1 priority is our schools, but we also want to be responsive to the media and the public."
In addition, Dolan is hoping to use sports management site ArbiterSports moreso, especially in regard to game officials.
"We're talking about officials' testing, scheduling, assignments, contracts and payment," Dolan said.
nnn
Finally, there's another aspect to Dolan's job: politics.
Debate among yourselves whether the SSAC should be involved, but the organization has been ensnarled within politics in the past and apparently will continue to be so.
In this case, Dolan is urging his constituents to voice opposition to the Tim Tebow Act that's currently sitting on the West Virginia Senate docket.
Introduced is the act allowing non-public school students to participate in SSAC athletics.
"We're talking about home-schooled kids and private and parochial kids not in SSAC schools displacing kids in our schools," Dolan said. "For instance, in Charleston, under this bill, kids at Teays Valley Christian could go to Winfield, displace their kids, and play on sports teams.
"We have some real concerns and are working through our members to express our opinion."
It is Senate Bill 105, if you wish to follow its progress. Dolan points to the 2005 state Supreme Court decision in Jones vs. Marion County. That ruling "reversed a circuit court order that a home-schooled child should be permitted to participate in interscholastic athletics not withstanding his home-schooled status."
It's a sticky issue with good arguments on both sides.
Welcome to the fray, Bernie and Bill.