The severe weather caused a power outage during Wednesday’s final NJSIAA meeting of the school year, but before the meeting was cut short, the governing body of New Jersey high school sports was able to name its new chief operating officer.

For the first time in its 102-year-history, the NJSIAA is being led by a woman. Colleen Maguire was named chief operating officer, taking over for Executive Director Larry White, who is retiring.

"I wouldn't be here again without those other women that have already paved the way, not only within the NJSIAA, but in New Jersey high school athletics in general, but I'm very humbled by the opportunity," says Maguire.

Maguire has been with the NJSIAA since 2014, and takes over at a difficult time for high school sports in the state. The Moorestown resident says she's working with the newly created COVID-19 task force to utilize all resources.

"Whether it be health officials like the CDC, or the department of health, best practices that might be coming even from the professional sports leagues that maybe trying to return to sports on some level,” says Maguire. “I'm going to get guidance from Rutgers University soon with their return to work out."

Maguire says they can't do much more with high school athletics until they know what the status of the school year is, but getting athletes back in action with their teams is top priority.

"We are all here for the same reason while these kids have these four years we want to make them as memorable as possible and provide as many extracurricular post classroom opportunities to participate," says Maguire.

Maguire is a former high school and college basketball player. She was a 2,000-point scorer for South Hunterdon, leading the team to a state championship in 1992. She later continued her basketball career at George Washington University.