MY STORY

Chris Mitchell is in first year as the Manager of District Communications for the Granite City Community Unit School District #9. 

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For nearly 20 years Mitchell worked in the athletic communications office at Washington University in St. Louis, including leading the office the past 17 years. He served as Assistant Athletic Director for Communications his final six years. 

Mitchell was responsible for all strategic communications for WashU's 19 athletic programs, including directing all media, public relations and social networking efforts. 

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In addition to managing the department's official website (WashUBears.com), he oversaw all video coverage and helped introduce four social media outlets for the Bears, including WashU's presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the YouTube channel. In 2008, he debuted the WashU Sports Network, which annually streamed over 100 live home events.

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During his time on the Danforth Campus, Mitchell helped promote 12 NCAA Division III national championships, 149 conference titles, 142 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans and two NCAA Woman of the Year recipients.

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Mitchell served as the Media coordinator for the 2007 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships and the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship, and assisted with media relations efforts for the 17th Annual College Slam Dunk and Three-Point Championships. He also has assisted the University with other projects, such as Steve Fossett's 2001 Balloon Flight, 2004 Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, 2004 Olympic Torch Relay, 2004 and 2016 Presidential Debate, and the 2008 Vice Presidential Debate.

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Mitchell also had a stint as a Staff Assistant in the Duke University Sports Information office in 2000-01. Mitchell was the primary contact for women's soccer, field hockey, cross-country, swimming and diving, fencing and track and field.

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A native of Granite City, Ill., he graduated from McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill. in 1999 with a degree in speech communication. While at McKendree, Mitchell served as a student assistant for one year and then returned as the Assistant SID the following year.

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He was also a four-year captain of the McKendree men's tennis team and was a three-time NAIA Midwest Regional Champion. Mitchell helped lead the Bearcats to the NAIA Midwest Regional Championship and its first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in 1999. He was inducted into the McKendree Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

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Mitchell earned his master's degree in in athletic administration from William Woods University in 2008.

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He is a member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and National Association of DIII Athletic Administrators. Mitchell served as the local organizing chair for the 2012 CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis.

He spent two seasons as a voting member on the D3soccer.com Top-25 Poll and All-America selection committee, and enters his sixth year on the USBWA Division III Men's and Women's Basketball National Player of the Week Awards Committee, fourth year on the D3hoops.com Women's Basketball Top-25 Poll and second on the Josten's Award voting committee. Mitchell was the D3SIDA Board Region 4 Rep for two years, and is a current voting member for the CoSIDA Academic All-America Teams.

He also served as chair of the Membership Services Committee from 2007-09, and was on the 2009 Bob Cousy Award Division III Sub-Committee and the 2008-09 Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four Public Relations Committee. Mitchell also serves on three Sports Hall of Fame Committees, including chair of McKendree University and Washington University Sports Hall of Fame.

He is married to Mary Ann Mitchell, Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. They reside in Granite City.