NMAA ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The New Mexico Activities Association, in conjunction with the NMAA Hall of Fame Committee, announces Dana Pappas and Mike Chambers as the Class of 2026 for induction into the NMAA Hall of Fame. The NMAA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at a luncheon during the week of the NMAA State Basketball Championships, to be held at 12pm the afternoon of March 12th at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid hotel. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the 6:30pm game that evening at The Pit.
Mike Chambers – Magdalena Schools
Michael Chambers is the 120th inductee into the NMAA Hall of Fame. Chambers is a lifelong educator, coach, and school administrator whose career spans more than four decades of service in New Mexico and Arizona. A 1973 Salutatorian of Los Lunas High School, Michael was a three-year basketball letterman and two-year track letterman. He continued his academic and athletic success at Western New Mexico University, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1978 while competing in track for four years, serving as captain for two, and earning All-Conference honors all four years as well as All-Conference Academic recognition for three. He went on to earn his master’s degree from the University of New Mexico in 1980.
Michael began his career in education as a teacher and sponsor at Clifton Schools (AZ) before returning to Los Lunas as a teacher, Student Council advisor, and NHS sponsor. His leadership roles expanded to include Athletic Director and Assistant Principal for Los Lunas Schools, followed by superintendent and principal positions across several districts including San Jon Schools, Magdalena Schools, Kirtland Central High School, Zuni Schools, and Grants Schools. He also served the Laguna Department of Education as Special Education and Curriculum Director.
A dedicated coach, Michael led volleyball, boys’ basketball, and track & field teams for 10 years in both Clifton and Los Lunas. His teams earned numerous distinctions, including Arizona State Volleyball Runner Up (1978), District Coach of the Year, eight State Tournament appearances, and eight District Championships. He also served as a basketball and track & field official for nearly 15 years.
Michael’s impact extends statewide through his extensive service to the New Mexico Activities Association, where he spent 12 years as a District Chairperson and has served on numerous committees, including the Sportsmanship Committee (15 years), Seeding Committees for basketball and volleyball (8 years), the Appeals Committee (10 years), and the Hall of Fame Committee (11 years). He also served 10 years on the NMAA Executive Board, including time as Vice President.
His leadership includes roles on the CES Board of Directors, NM Superintendent Executive Board, NMCEL Executive Board, Dona Ana Community College Advisory Board, and the APS Foundation.
Michael is married to Patricia, and together they have five children: Bryan, Cindy, Kayla, Michael, and Tori.
Dana Pappas – NFHS
Dana Pappas the 121st inductee into the NMAA Hall of Fame was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, and is a graduate of Highland High School (1993). She received her bachelor’s in Political Science and Spanish in 1997, and her master’s in physical education in 2002, both from UNM. Dana began working at the NMAA on July 1, 1997, as the assistant to boys’ sports and officials. She was promoted to Commissioner of Officials in 2004 and to Deputy Director in 2012. She served officials in New Mexico for her entire career, in addition to overseeing the NMAA Activities Council, Band, Choir, English Expo, Scholastic Publications, and Student Council. Dana created the NMAA Student Leadership Advisory Council and seeded the NMAA State Track and Field Championships for close to two decades. Upon her retirement from the NMAA, Dana became the first person to serve as NFHS Director of Officiating Services in August 2021. She is past Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) and is the current Board Secretary. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Battlefields to Ballfields (B2B), the Board of Directors for Sports Officials Care (SOC), and the Little League Advisory Committee. She is the Program Committee Chair for B2B and serves as Board Secretary for SOC. Dana received the NFHS Citation for Contributions to Officiating in 2019 and was inducted into the New Mexico Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2022. She co-hosts The From A to Zebra Podcast, with Division I Women’s Basketball Referee, Nate Acosta. Dana and her husband, Ed Drangmeister, currently reside in Lebanon, IN. She is the daughter of Tom and Jane Pappas of Albuquerque, who will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in June. She has one sister, Michele.
The NMAA Hall of Fame was established in 1976 and is comprised of an elite group of accomplished individuals who have made significant contributions to interscholastic athletics and activities in New Mexico. In order to be considered, nominees must show great support of the NMAA’s philosophy and objectives, they must have a combination of involvement in formulating regulations and procedures for various interscholastic education programs, and they must have a minimum of 25 years of service, 20 of which must have been in New Mexico. Nominations are then screened by the NMAA Hall of Fame Selection Committee which consists of current and former leaders within interscholastic athletics and activities. The committee meets and then selects a maximum of four individuals for induction. The Class of 2026 – Mike Chambers and Dana Pappas– will represent the 120th and 121st members of this prestigious group.
