Steve Iles packs up his office on one of his final days as athletic director.
The Tri-County Conference is about to lose over 100 years of combined experience between four of the most vaunted athletic directors in the conference’s history.
Joe Galliera, at 70 years old, has decided to leave his position at Kingsway Regional High School after 48 years in six different area schools.
Dave Suiter, who turns 55 in September, is leaving his post after 27 years, the last 16 of which he spent as the AD at Salem High School.
Delsea’s Steve Iles, who will be 56 in September, has been AD for 16 years and spent 18 years as head wrestling coach at his alma mater. He retired June 30.
And Leon Harris returned to his alma mater, Gloucester, as head football coach 27 years ago and spent the last 20 years as AD. His last day is August 15.
“That’s a lot of years,” said Iles. “I can’t remember four ADs leaving like that at the same time. You really realize it when you’re paying the bill at the retirement dinner.
“It’s been unique. There’s a real turnaround there. I’m pretty sure last year we all knew we were going at some point soon ... There’s a lot of camaraderie there. They were always there for advice. I really enjoyed that and there’s a great deal of respect amongst us.”
Suiter acknowledges that the work of an athletic director is never-ending. He doesn’t think he would’ve been able to accomplish what he has at Salem without the help of others.
“One of the things you learn as an AD is that you depend totally on your colleagues,” Suiter said. “Years of working with the other ADs in the NJSIAA and the Tri-County Conference has been a reward and as good of a professional experience as I could have hoped for.
“(Galliera, Iles, Harris) have all enjoyed successful careers.”
Harris considered it an honor to be leaving at the same time as his three long-standing colleagues.
“The best part of being an AD is that everybody works together,” said Harris. “It’s a fantastic group of people. It’s a special conference, one of the oldest conferences around and there’s been a lot of great people who really helped me out going back to John Oberg, Glenn Merkle, Wayne Murschell, Dave Ewart.
“It’s just funny. (The four of us) all talked about retiring the last few years, and we all made the decision for different reasons and it just happened at the same time.”
Galliera may be the eldest of the group, but he’s not jumping out with both feet. After years of coaching and administration at Camden, Camden Catholic, Bishop Eustace, Washington Township, West Deptford and Kingsway, he still thinks he has a little left, but hopes it gives others the opportunity to move forward in their careers.
“I don’t think that any of us can’t wait to get out,” Galliera said. “Every one of us has been around long enough and liked what we were doing or we would’ve been out of it a long time ago.
“The four of us leaving puts a dent into the conference, but any time you have people leave, it gives others opportunities. There is a little bit of a dent to be filled, but there is some good quality people coming into the conference.”
Iles said he remembered watching Harris, who was the Gloucester quarterback when the Lions played an 8-8 tie at Delsea during what he called one of the worst storms he ever saw for a game.
“We were just reminiscing about that ... I wasn’t real fond of him at the time,” said Iles. “This many years later, I’m shaking his hand and wishing him luck in his retirement.”
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