Richard Keys Named Section II Athletic Director of the Year

Queensbury Union Free School District’s Athletic Director Richard Keys will receive the NYSPHSAA/CASDA Section II Athletic Director of the Year Award. This award will be presented at the CASDA Annual Awards Dinner being held at Franklin Terrace in Troy on April 20th. This award recognizes Athletic Directors who make a significant impact on the lives of students, use athletics as a catalyst for a positive school culture, and contribute to the professional growth of their colleagues.

Keys has integrated the Queensbury athletics program into the fabric of both the school and community: for the past six years, the school district has been recognized as a Scholar Athlete School of Excellence, and additionally, Queensbury has been awarded the NYSPHSAA Award of Excellence for an exemplary display of sportsmanship, ethics and integrity. Keys has made significant contributions to the local community through both community service projects and the broader athletics community, serving in various roles – including vice president of Section 2. 

“Mr. Keys is an amazing administrator,” said Queensbury Superintendent of Schools Kyle Gannon. “He always puts students and the school at the forefront of his thinking. He is a tremendous asset to our school district and the greater Capital Region. I feel fortunate to work with him.” 

Keys revamped Queensbury’s Athletics Code of Conduct, and is meeting with every middle school student to get them involved in athletics and clubs; and he has also helped run food drives to benefit the school’s Snack Pack program. “He attends every sporting event at the school,” Gannon said. “He is a mentor to other administrators every year.”

Keys and his wife, Rachel, are the parents of three Queensbury graduates — daughters Courtney, Taylor and Mackenna — and a son, Colin, a sixth-grade student at Queensbury. Keys also coaches his son’s baseball team.

Richard Keys has led an athletics program that is a positive force in the school community and a tireless supporter of youth, making him an exemplary recipient of the Section II Athletic Director of the Year Award.