Former CHSAA Commissioner Ray Plutko Passes Away
Ray Plutko, who served as commissioner of the Colorado High School Activities Association from 1986-1990, has passed away at the age of 85 at his home in Southern California.
Plutko helped modernize the Association in many ways. Hired in August 1986, he had been the commissioner of the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section for the previous six years.
At CHSAA, he was hired to replace Ray C. Ball, who had led the Association for 20 years. Plutko was CHSAA’s fifth commissioner.
“As our kids and coaches hit the fields, courts and courses today, it is because of leaders like Commissioner Plutko that we can embrace these opportunities for our students,” said current CHSAA commissioner Mike Krueger. “Gratitude is truly a compass that guides us forward, as well as an acknowledgment of the steadfast leadership of those who paved the way before us.
“It implores us to do our best every day as we strive to continue to build upon the powerful legacy of leaders like Ray Plutko.”
During his tenure, Plutko oversaw the construction of a new office building in Aurora, where CHSAA continues to operate, initiated corporate partnerships, and overhauled the classification system.
“He was a great innovator who got things done, including getting the current CHSAA office on East 2nd built,” said Bob Ottewill, who took over as commissioner when Plutko left in 1990. “He made many needed changes to what had become a static organization.”
Plutko also hired three employees who would have major impacts on the Association: Bill Reader, Paul Angelico and Bert Borgmann. Both Reader (2002-10) and Angelico (2010-17) later served as commissioners. Borgmann became the longest-serving CHSAA employee, with 33 years of service.
Under Borgmann’s guidance, during Plutko’s tenure, the CHSAA Hall of Fame was started.
“A lot of his ideas were ahead of their time,” Angelico said of Plutko. “We wouldn’t have done a lot of that without him.”
Plutko was the first commissioner hired from outside the organization. He brought many of his ideas from his time administrating sports in California. Prior to joining CIF-SS in 1975, Plutko was an athletic director and assistant principal in Riverside, Calif. Before that, he was a teacher, a coach, and worked in newspapers.
When he joined CHSAA in 1986, Plutko focused on visiting many of the Association’s then-300 member schools.
“A lot of schools felt we were a Denver-based organization that didn’t care about anyone outside of the city,” Plutko told the Los Angeles Times in 1990.
He implemented a new six-classification system, the first change in how schools were aligned in more than 25 years. It helped the Association modernize, moving on from the former terminology of Class A, Class AA and Class AAA, which had been around since 1946.
Classes were now known as 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A — and, yes, 6A. Though 6A only lasted four years at that time, it made a return in 2023.
The new classification system also helped a number of sports expand — track, for example, went from three classes to five. (Plutko was instrumental in bringing that sport’s championship event to a single venue.)
“He expanded the Association,” Angelico said.
Plutko implemented term limits for members of the Board of Directors, and committees.
During his tenure, in 1987, the first sanctioned season of softball was held.
After Plutko left CHSAA in 1990, he returned to California and continued to work in education as a high school principal. He also was involved with the CIF-SS as its basketball tournament director for more than 30 years.
