Marengo County Schools superintendent Luke Hallmark was elected vice president of the Central Board of the Alabama High School Athletics Association.

The election was held in April, and became effective on June 1.

Hallmark succeeds Ed Lathan, the headmaster of UMS-Wright Preparatory School in Mobile, who became the president of the board.

“The term of the vice president lasts for a year, but it cannot last for more than two years consecutively,” Hallmark said.

“The job is pretty much like any vice president: I attend all of the meetings, perform the duties of the president in his absence.

“All of the Central Board members work in a school system. The president who just retired, Marion ‘Moe’ Smith, was the principal at Glencoe High School. Once you retire from your school system, then you also retire from the board.”

Hallmark was honored to be elected to his current position.

“For 15 people to recommend me and be the only recommendation, I was extremely surprised, pleased and happy,” he said.

Hallmark has been a District 3 representative on the AHSAA Central Board for about two years, serving with A.L. Johnson High School football coach Mose Jones. Demopolis High School football coach Tom Causey is also a District 3 representative with the Central Board’s legislative council.

“It’s a great organization,” Hallmark said. “Everybody has heard of the Alabama High School Athletics Association, and serving on the Central Board for the past two years — there are some tough decisions that have to be made.

“The toughest ones deal with eligibility and infractions that may have to be imposed. It’s not the easiest board to serve on, but as much as I have enjoyed athletics in my career, that allows me to contribute something to the Association.”

Hallmark received praise from incoming president Ed Lathan.

“Luke has not been on the board that long, but he has really added a lot of insight and availability to the board,” Lathan said. “It’s a situation where he brings some knowledge not only as an official and superintendent and as a coach, but he’s had the opportunity to see the entire picture, and the decisions he’s made so far have been very, very sound. He is able to see the total picture, everything from the superintendent on down to the coach.”