John deWeber LIFETIME SERVICE TO WRESTLING Inland Empire Wrestling Association Western Washington Wrestling Association Whatcom-Skagit Wrestling Association John deWeber has officiated for 48 consecutive years in three different associations in Washington: the Inland Empire Association in Spokane; Western Washington Association in Tacoma; and currently in the Whatcom-Skagit Association. John also coached wrestling for 10 years at the junior high, high school and college levels. deWeber's accomplishments as a wrestling official are extraordinary. He has officiated 46 regional tournaments and 41 state tournaments. John also officiated college matches from 1974 through 2004, including the 1979 NAIA National Championships at Eastern Washington University. He has been a regular fixture of the WIAA Mat Classic State Tournament since its inception 27 years ago. Including his mat officiating, John has been an integral part of the wresting officials associations he has represented. He has served in various roles of leadership including Board Member, Vice-President, President, trainer and assigning secretary. Most recently as the Vice President and trainer in the Whatcom-Skagit Association, that Association has raised the number of officials qualifying for the Mat Classic State Championships from an allocation of two, to a total of 6 officials working the state finals. This is the largest number by any single Association in the State, a reflection of John's influence as a trainer and motivator. John is an unselfish student of the sport, continuously striving to improve, constantly learning from others, and always willing to assist and share his experience and expertise. For the last 9 years, deWeber has served as the Washington Wrestling Officials Association (WOA) state wrestling rules clinician bringing clarity, consistency, and responsiveness to rules application/process throughout the state. He developed and created a training DVD for wrestling officials which was presented at the WOA Conference in 2012. John deWeber has received the following awards and recognitions for his contributions to the sport of Wrestling. The Inspirational Award and the Leadership Award; Puget Sound Wrestling Official of the Year (twice); Western Washington Official of the Year (twice); WOA Meritorious Service Award; WOA Official of the Year Award; NFHS Wrestling Referee of the Year Award (2004); and the WOA Hall of Fame (2014). John and his wife Lila currently reside in Blaine, Washington. They have three adult children, Dr. Kevin deWeber (47), Kristi Felbinger (45), and Korinda Bullard (38), and nine grandchildren.