IHOA Board Elections – Monday, May 11 at 6:30 PM
All Season Ice Arena
31W330 N Aurora Rd, Naperville, IL 60563
Canidates for the 2026-27 Season Election
Cut off for nomination and acceptance was May 1, 2026 5:00pm
Brett Straley
Brett Straley, a native of Muskegon, MI played his amateur hockey for the Muskegon Chiefs and high school hockey for the Mona Shores Sailors where he was a Michigan First-Team All-State Forward. He was drafted by Cleveland Barons of the NAHL but chose to attend Western Michigan University. This ended the playing portion of his hockey career and kick started the officiating portion after splitting time as a player and official since the age of 12.
Brett currently resides in Chicago where he has lived for the past 24 years with his wife and three children. After taking a significant break from officiating hockey for family reasons, he returned to the game in 2017. As part of his return and realization that there is always room to improve your skating he began his involvement with Next Level Power Skating as a day-one participant/student. Today as an instructor he can still be found attending sessions as a participant to stay as sharp as possible as time permits.
As an active member of the hockey community Brett serves on the IHOA Board of Directors and chairs the Performance, Education, and Development Committee. He is member of the IHOA officiating mentor program staff, supervising staff, a certified USA Hockey Seminar Instructor, a 2025 USA Hockey Officiating Developer Academy participant, USPHL-West Officiating Supervisor, consults for various leagues and clubs as well as serving as a volunteer on their Rules & Ethics Committee(s), and is a founding partner of Mid-Coast Hockey Officials, LLC. As an active official Brett is currently skating games within the SPHL, NCAA (DI, DII, DIII), and various levels within junior & youth hockey. Including five trips to the SPHL President’s Cup Playoffs and two SPHL President’s Cup Finals. In addition to professional hockey, Brett has officiated in three NCAA DIII Post-Season Tournaments with trips to the Elite Eight in both ’24 & ’25. During the off-season he serves as an instructor/supervisor for both the Southeastern Referee Academy (SERA) and the California Referee School.
Brad Baumruck
Brad Baumruck had been officiating 25plus years, marking a long and dedicated career
in the sport. At just 19 years old, he was selected to participate in the AHAI/IHOA
Advanced Development Program, where he spent three seasons refining his skills. This
experience opened the door for him to advance beyond local officiating and grow at
higher levels of the game.
Today, Brad continues to give back to the officiating community in the past serving as
Chair of the AHAI/IHOA Development Committee, where he works to elevate the quality
of officiating for all participants. Over the years, he has taken on numerous roles,
including evaluator, mentor, PED committee investigator, Seminar Coordinator, and
certified instructor for officials across Illinois.
In addition to his on-ice and developmental contributions, Brad has served on the IHOA
Board of Directors for the past nine years. He previously held the position of Referee-in-
Chief for Illinois and currently serves as the IHOA President, continuing to lead and
shape the future of officiating in the state.
Geoff Schlender
Thank you for nominating me for another three year term on the IHOA Board of Directors. I
have enjoyed serving the membership for over thirty (30) years and take these responsibilities
and obligations very seriously.
I have been officiating since 1993 and have been very active in the association on and off the ice
for the past several years. In 1996, I was elected to the IHOA Board of Directors and have
served as Treasurer since Don Allord appointed me “Treasurer For Life” in 1997.
In addition to my duties as Treasurer, I have been a certified USA Hockey Seminar Instructor
since going to Colorado Springs with the late Mike Zyburt in 2003. The first seminar I taught
was with the late Tom Osiol, which made the honor of being the 2012 Seminar Instructor of the
Year Award that much more meaningful.
During my tenure as an IHOA Board member, I have served on almost every committee and
originated the IHOA Scholarship and the Performance Education and Development (PED)
programs. By being nominated to serve another term, it seems as if the officiating community
has benefited from my participation and experience. I will continue to try and make a difference
for all if I am elected to another term.
As a member of the IHHOF (Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame), I am still excited to help advance
officiating in the state of Illinois.
Thanks to all of you for your attendance and participation in the Annual Meeting.
Eric Netzel
Eric Netzel was born in Buffalo, NY and raised in a small town about 40 minutes southwest of Hershey, PA. He began playing pickup hockey as a child and, in 2010 at the age of 28, became a USA Hockey-certified official as a way to supplement his income following the Great Recession.
Eric quickly developed into a dedicated student of the game, learning from veteran officials throughout the Atlantic District. His officiating career progressed rapidly, highlighted by selections to officiate high school All-Star games and state playoff contests in 2015.
In 2016, Eric relocated to the Midwest for work, where his officiating career continued to advance. He was selected to officiate the USA Hockey U18 Tier II National Championships in both 2021 and 2025. Additional milestones include refereeing the Illinois Girls High School State Championship game in 2023 and the Combined High School State Championship game in 2026.
Eric joined the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) as a linesman during the 2022–23 season. In the 2023–24 season, he was added as a linesman in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL), continuing to advance his officiating career at the professional level.
Eric resides in Grayslake, IL with his wife, Kelly, and their four children—Carter, Landry, Aubrey, and Cooper—who keep him busy away from the rink. Professionally, he manages the Heavy Haul and Logistics department forAldridge Electric, a nationwide leader in electrical technology and infrastructure.
Josh Horowitz
Josh is a veteran ice hockey official with over 14 years of experience across multiple levels of play. He began officiating in St. Louis and has spent the past three seasons in Chicago as a member of IHOA. His experience includes youth, junior, and NCAA hockey, as well as representing the Central District at four Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championships.
Josh is passionate about mentorship, growth, and giving back to the officiating community. He is committed to recruiting, training, and supporting the next generation of officials to help them succeed and advance, and has experience doing so through prior work with MIHOA in St. Louis.
Professionally, Josh is a strategy consultant at Deloitte, where he advises Fortune 500 consumer executives on operating models, governance, and ways of working. He aims to apply these insights to strengthen IHOA’s operations, enhance member engagement, and support long-term growth.
Scott Panter