R.E. Hartley of Hamlin, N.Y. was named Kids Person of the Year by USA Wrestling. The award annually honors a leader who has to made great contributions to Kids wrestling in the United States.

Hartley has been active as a referee and a coach within USA Wrestling for over 30 years, making a difference in the lives of young people in his region and across the nation. He has been active in the sport for more than four decades.

He is an M-1 official within USA Wrestling and has been serving as an international-style referee since 1976. He has officiated at major USA Wrestling national events on the Senior and age-group levels for many years. Hartley was named the 2005 Cadet Nationals Official of the Year.

Hartley is also active working wrestling events in the Northeast Region as well as on the state and local levels. He is the head freestyle referee for Section 5 within New York USA Wrestling.

Hartley has officiated in a number of international events held in the United States, including competitions against teams from Cuba, Canada, Bulgaria, Germany and the former Soviet Union  

In addition to his international-style officiating, Hartley has officiated on the high school and college levels in the past. He was a PIAA wrestling official in Pennsylvania for a decade, as well as a referee for the Eastern Wrestling League.  He started his high school referee career in 1971.

His coaching background includes 16 years as the modified coach in Brockport, N.Y. He was a head wrestling coach at Hampton High School in Pennsylvania, an assistant wrestling coach under Bob Siar at Shaler High School in Pennsylvania and a middle school wrestling coach in Clearfield, Pa. 

Hartley wrestled for Parsons College in Iowa prior to becoming a coach and official.

Kids Person of the Year
1978 - Bill Knapp, New York 
1979 - Ken Coover, Kansas 
1980 - Gary Hoyt, Nebraska 
1981 - Pat Alexander. Washington 
1982 - Dave Gliniecki, Washington 
1983 - John Spencer, Idaho 
1984 - Jerry Opbroek, South Dakota 
1985 - Joe Edmonson, Nebraska 
1986 - David Rudrud, Wisconsin 
1987 - Virgil Moon, Oregon 
1988 - Ron Wagner, North Dakota 
1989 - Paul Corder, Missouri 
1990 - Ron Reichert, Illinois 
1991 - Randy Staab, Washington 
1992 - Dan Drinkwine, Minnesota 
1993 - Mike McCoy, Florida 
1994 - Roger Hanson, Idaho 
1995 - Norman Osteen, North Carolina 
1996 - Kathy Hopkins, Wyoming 
1997 - Steve Wachal, Iowa 
1998 - Virgil Moon, Oregon 
1999 - Frank Rader, North Carolina 
2000 - Sue Siar, Pennsylvania 
2001 - Paul DeFosse, Rhode Island 
2002 - Steve Knipp, Iowa 
2003 - Haswell Franklin, Maryland
2004 - Gregory and Leanna Grater, Kansas
2005 - George Anne and Jim Ritter, Nevada
2006 - Bobby DeBerry, Arizona
2007 - R.E. Hartley, New York