New Communications Director and Assistant Athletic Director Kristin Chase described her new role at Neosho County Community College as a “Frankenstein” position.
The title may be unconventional, but the strategy behind it is deliberate: merge athletics and marketing to better reflect a campus where student-athletes make up a large share of the student body.
“It’s really going to help the college because the students are mostly athletes,” Chase said. “That’s what we should be doing. We should be focusing on that.”
Chase, a Chanute native and former head cheer coach, was hired in June. At the time, the college did not have an assistant athletic director, and the communications and athletics departments operated separately. Administrators combined the roles to align recruiting, branding and social media efforts — particularly as coaches bring in student-athletes to fill campus dorms.
A TikTok video featuring students saying where they are from has surpassed 3.1 million views and is pinned to the college’s account. The page now has about 2,690 followers and more than 282,000 total likes, a dramatic increase from the handful of followers and four posts it previously had.
“That’s where people started to see, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of internationals in Chanute,’” she said. “It looks fun to be here.”
Kristen began experimenting with short-form videos while helping manage the college’s spirit account. She later pitched content ideas to President Dr. Brian Inbody, creating lighthearted campus videos that highlighted students and campus life.
“I’ll spend 30 minutes taking about eight videos, then edit them together and trickle them out,” she said. “People think I just sit there and do it right then and there, but they’re already pre-made. They’re not that difficult — but they’re fun.”
Before returning to Chanute, Kristen earned a Bachelor of Arts in theater with a dance concentration from Kansas State University. She spent several years working in retail management in Florida and Texas, serving as a district sales manager for Salt Life. Her responsibilities included opening stores, overseeing hiring and human resources, crisis management and brand operations — experience she now applies to college marketing and athletics.
When the company closed, she moved back home, reconnected with a local dance studio and worked briefly as a substitute teacher before the head cheer coach position opened.
From the beginning, she said, she wanted to advocate for more than one program.
“I like to see everything and encompass everything and then see how I can help out,” she said, noting her involvement across soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball.
Chase said working in college athletics differs from retail because of the shared drive among students, coaches and faculty.
“In athletics, it’s more fun that you’re working with people who are more driven because they’re wanting to win games,” she said. “These people here are all driven to meet their goals.”
Looking ahead, Chase plans to begin a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration at Concordia University.
For now, her focus remains on strengthening the college’s brand and spotlighting its international student population.
“I really want this role to merge,” she said, “and have a student spotlight on international kids. That’s a huge gift for us.”
