IRVING, Texas (Oct. 1, 2025) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the five outstanding recipients of the 2025 NFF Chapter Leadership Awards. First presented in 1988, the NFF Chapter Leadership Awards annually recognize five individuals, one from each region of the country, for their commitment, generosity and leadership at the local level in fulfilling the NFF's mission of preserving, promoting and protecting the game of football.
   

• Wade Bianco – Rochester [New York] Chapter (Northeast Region)
• Jeff Bollig – Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower [Kansas] Chapter (Midwest Region)
• Shawn Cerra – Brian Piccolo [Fort Lauderdale] Chapter (South Region)
• Tim Kish – Southern Arizona [Tucson] Chapter (West Region)
• Frank Luisi – Nassau County [New York] Chapter (East Region)

"These five remarkable leaders embody the core values of the NFF and have played a crucial role in shaping the future of our sport at the grassroots level," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Their tireless work and commitment have not only expanded opportunities for young athletes but have also left an indelible mark on their communities. We are proud to recognize their outstanding contributions to the game while highlighting the leadership qualities we hope to inspire in the next generation."
 
Each of the five Chapter Leadership Award winners will be honored during festivities surrounding the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The Awards Dinner will be headlined by the induction of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; and the bestowing of the 36th William V. Campbell Trophy® to college football's top scholar-athlete.
 
Click here for more information on the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, including how to purchase tickets and obtain discounted airfare from Delta Air Lines and hotel accommodations at the Bellagio.
 
With 120 chapters and more than 12,000 members, the NFF Chapter Network impacts more than 500,000 student-athletes at 5,000 high schools in 47 states each year. Collectively, the NFF chapters typically stage more than 300 annual events, celebrating the game and its unique ability to teach the values of leadership, teamwork and the drive to compete. The events include coaching clinics, leadership conferences, college nights, media days and local awards banquets that recognize more than 3,500 scholar-athletes and distribute more than $1 million in annual scholarships.

The Chapter Leadership Award recipients have spearheaded the efforts of their respective outposts: securing funds for scholarships; selecting the honorees; and staging events to benefit the young people who play football. Their efforts ensure that future generations of players are inspired to achieve on and off the field. Click here for the all-time list of NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipients.
   
Wade Bianco has dedicated the past 47 years to serving high schools in the Rochester, New York, area as a coach, educator and principal.
 
A graduate of Bayport-Blue Point High School on Long Island and SUNY Brockport, Bianco was the assistant principal and head football coach at Irondequoit High School for 26 years. He compiled a career record of 135 wins, 95 losses, and 2 ties. His teams won two sectional championships, and he was honored eight times as Coach of the Year. In 2016, he was inducted into the Section 5 Hall of Fame.
 
After his coaching career, Bianco transitioned to serve as the principal of Notre Dame High School in Batavia, New York, for eight years.
 
Wanting to give back to the game, he joined the NFF Rochester Chapter in 2012 and became chapter president in 2017. Under his leadership, the chapter has maintained a strong presence, honoring local high school standouts and awarding $6,500 in scholarships each year. A strong believer in the lifelong lessons football teaches, Bianco credits the game with shaping his own success.
 
"Through my involvement in football since eighth grade, I have realized that hard work works—and that adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it," said Bianco.
 
Supported by his wife of 47 years, Darlene, Bianco is a fitness enthusiast who follows a daily workout regimen. He enjoys traveling, most recently returning from a trip to Italy, and closely follows high school, college, and professional football. His son, John, who lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Mallory, serves as director of regulatory compliance for the Disney Vacation Club.
 
   
Jeff Bollig has spent his career telling the stories of success and achievement in athletics in the Sunflower State, leaving a lasting mark on the sporting landscape of Kansas and beyond.
 
A native of the Sunflower State, Bollig earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and a master's degree in sports administration from Wichita State University. He began his career as associate sports information director at Kansas before moving on to media relations roles with the Big Eight Conference and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
 
Bollig's involvement with the NFF began in 2014 when his son, Kyle, was honored by the Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter as a high school scholar-athlete. Inspired by the experience and eager to give back, Bollig joined the chapter's board of directors in 2015 and became its executive director in 2022.
 
"My tenure on the board and as executive director has been rewarding and gratifying," said Bollig. "The awards program not only raises scholarship funds for the most deserving student-athletes, but it also provides recognition for their outstanding athletic, academic, and philanthropic achievements."
 
The chapter has thrived since adding Hall of Fame Coach Bill Snyder's name, with Snyder himself regularly attending the annual banquet to address the honorees, supporting fundraising efforts and serving on the board.
 
"Our banquet is truly a celebration of football in Kansas," said Bollig. "My reward is seeing the smiles on the faces of the honorees, their coaches, and families. Those are priceless."
 
In addition to his work with the NFF, Bollig serves as vice chairman of the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He has been the timeout coordinator for the Kansas men's basketball team since 1996, and he performs the same role for the Big 12 Men's Basketball and NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournaments. He is the author of four books and a mentor at the University of Kansas School of Business.
 
Bollig's wife, Laurie, is an adjunct professor at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. They have two children: a daughter, Courtney, and a son, Kyle.
 
   
Shawn Cerra has built his life around education, athletics, and helping young people reach their fullest potential.
 
A Florida resident since 1976, Cerra earned his bachelor's degree in social studies education from the University of South Florida and a master's degree in educational leadership from Florida Atlantic University. 
 
He went on to serve in public education for three decades as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal at J.P. Taravella High School for fourteen years before retiring as the director of athletics and student activities for Broward County Public Schools. He also coached youth football in Coral Springs. Today, he remains active as vice president of Cerra Enterprises, LLC, and as the director of athletics for the Broward Education Foundation.
 
Cerra joined the NFF Brian Piccolo Chapter in 1997. Named in honor of the inspirational Fort Lauderdale native and Chicago Bears running back whose story was immortalized in Brian's Song, the chapter has been a driving force in the community. Cerra has served as secretary, vice president, and, since 2011, chapter president. 
 
Under his leadership, the chapter forged a long-standing partnership with the Orange Bowl Committee, launching the Orange Bowl High School Football Showcase in 2017. The event has provided more than $9 million in financial aid to more than 400 student-athletes by connecting them with opportunities to continue their football careers at the collegiate level. In 2022, Cerra also co-created the Broward County High School Football National Showcase, which quickly became a premier Week One destination for many of the nation's top high school teams.
 
Cerra's passion for football extends deeply into his own family. His son Joshua played four years at Colgate University, while his son Griffin played three years at Southern Illinois and three at West Florida.
 
"I love the game of football," said Cerra. "This game has provided me and my family with so many phenomenal memories, lifelong friendships, and new opportunities. I will continue to promote the game while hopefully leaving a legacy for the next generation."
 
In addition to his sons, Cerra and his wife Kerry have a daughter Kylie.
 
   
Tim Kish has experienced the game of football as a player, coach, and now as president of the NFF Southern Arizona Chapter, where he continues to give back to the sport.
 
Growing up in Ohio, Kish's love of football began early. He played at Westerville High School before continuing his career at nearby Otterbein University, where he suited up for the Cardinals. He later earned a master's degree from Bowling Green and went on to a 41-year college coaching career that included stops at Army, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue and Oklahoma.
 
After retiring to Tucson, Arizona, Kish joined the Southern Arizona Chapter in 2021 and was elected president in 2022. Under his leadership, the chapter has been revitalized, expanding opportunities for local student-athletes.
 
"Due to the unusual distance between high schools in our region, we pivoted in 2023 to go directly to the schools to present our scholar-athlete awards to both male and female players," said Kish. "We help sponsor 7-on-7 tournaments for boys' and girls' teams, host coaches' clinics for youth and high school coaches, and we have been supporters of 'The Finest Four,' a national kicking competition for junior high and high school athletes."
 
In February 2023, the chapter also introduced the first-ever High School Senior Showcase in the state of Arizona, creating new pathways for graduating seniors to continue their playing careers. Kish has been the driving force behind a growing team of volunteers, energizing the chapter with his vision and commitment.
 
"Our chapter has provided me with the opportunity to give back to the youth and future leaders of America," said Kish.
 
Away from football, Kish is an avid morel mushroom hunter and a passionate collector of Native American artifacts.
 
He and his wife, Angela, are the proud parents of three children—Megan (and her husband, Stephen), Emily, and Michael—and grandparents to their twin granddaughters, Naomi and Ivy.
  
    
Frank Luisi has dedicated his life to football and education since his high school days at Brooklyn Jesuit Prep in the late 1960s. A natural leader, he played quarterback for the Eagles before continuing his career at the University of Vermont, where he also played quarterback for the Catamounts. After graduating from UVM with a B.A. in English and History, Luisi earned a master's degree in education and psychology from Stony Brook University.
 
For the past 51 years, Luisi has served Sachem High School in Lake Ronkonkoma and Oceanside High School in Oceanside, New York, as an English teacher and football coach. His service has included serving as a Football Committee member for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section 8 and as a Special Projects Coordinator for the New York State High School Football Coaches Association. He currently is the Advisor for NCAA-College Bound Student-Athletes at Oceanside High School.
 
Luisi points to guiding high school scholar-athletes as the cornerstone of his career. Among those he has mentored is former Oceanside quarterback Jay Fiedler, who went on to play at Dartmouth and in the NFL. Luisi has often pointed to Fiedler as a powerful example of how football instills both success and values in those who play the game.
 
"The game of football is a reflection of life in all its forms," said Luisi. "Attitude and effort are everything in the game of football and in life."
 
Since 1989, Luisi has been a driving force behind the NFF Nassau County Chapter, serving on the board and stepping in as executive director from its inception. For many years, he has devoted himself to promoting the core values of the National Football Foundation in high schools throughout Long Island.
 
The chapter annually honors the most outstanding scholar-athletes in Nassau County, naming a Golden 11 to its Hall of Fame. Luisi cites the prestigious group as "the greatest warriors on the gridiron who have also distinguished themselves as leaders of character" on the field, in the classroom and for their impact in the community.  Most recently, the Nassau County Chapter hosted its 2025 Media Day, partnering with Newsday, at Oceanside High School to kick off the high school football season.
 
For more than 30 years, Luisi has staged instructional and safety football clinics each March, enlisting help from a list of prestigious coaches. Keynote speakers have included Bill Belichick, Carm Cozza (College Football Hall of Fame, Yale), George DeLeone, Jay Fiedler, Kyle Flood, Kevin Gilbride, Al Groh, Dan Henning, Jeff Monken, Tim Murphy, Paul Pasqualoni, Larry Pasquale, Bill Parcells, Chuck Priore, Dan Quinn, Greg Robinson, Greg Schiano, Phil Simms, Buddy Teevens (2024 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football recipient), Dick Vermeil.
 
Partnering with the NYSPHSAA and Section 8, Luisi also developed and offered a series of five webinars during COVID-19 to help high schools keep players safe during the epidemic.
 
Luisi was inducted into the Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
 
Away from football, Luisi enjoys spending time with his wife of 40 years, Francine, their son Oliver and daughter-in-law, Beth, and grandchildren Julian and Cecelia.