Candidate for Region III Regional Representative
Christopher Crume
Denison University
Biography/Summary Resume
Chris has served in his position as the Director of the Aquatic Center at Denison University since June of 2012. One of the first items on the agenda when he arrived on campus was overseeing construction and opening of a brand-new, $20 million-dollar facility. This project included: creating a fully functional staffing plan, emergency preparedness plan and programming from the ground up. Chris has also had the opportunity to serve on the campus-wide Emergency Preparedness Committee which helps establish emergency protocol for the campus. During the COVID pandemic, Chris also had the responsibility of creating the facility reentry plans and procedures. Prior to beginning at Denison University, Chris was the Assistant Director of Aquatics at Purdue University. While at Purdue University, Chris was responsible for developing student leaders, maintaining a safe aquatics environment and redesigning the Learn-to-Swim program. While there, he also served as interim Chair of the Safety Committee for the Department as well as on the Division Scholarship Committee. Chris received his bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in 2005 and his master’s degree from Indiana University in 2007.
Chris has actively served NIRSA in a multitude of ways since becoming a member in 2005. He is currently serving on the Member Network as the Regional Representative for Region III. Chris has also served on the on the Nominations & Appointments Committee , the Government Affairs Committee as the Chair, Small Programs Advisory Council/Committee, the Annual Conference Programs Committee, the Outstanding Facilities Committee and as a mentor in the NIRSA Mentorship Program for three strait years. Chris has also served as the Aquatics Community of Practice Convener for 2017-2018, an Annual Conference Session Proposal Reviewer for 2018-2020, as well as presented at the 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 Annual Conference. Chris has been a Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals member since 2016 and graduated from the NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation-Level 1 in June of 2018
When Chris is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Autumn, getting miles on the road with his bike and living life one adventure to the next.
What do you see as opportunities in collegiate recreation and our Association? How would you collaborate with the Member Network team to address these issues?
I love campus recreation and well-being! Campus recreation offers us many unique and rewarding opportunities. Each of us as professionals face situations on our campuses that challenge the way we think and how we creatively solve problems. It is the role of NIRSA and the Member Network to help foster learning and leadership opportunities for our membership to help develop well-rounded professionals for this generation and beyond.
One of the largest opportunities I see in campus recreation is the bringing play back into everything that we do. Play is an innate human instinct we all have. It knows no bounds. Play doesn’t see race, gender, creed, identity, religion or any personal traits. It brings us all together in creating a sense of belonging and community. We have a distinct opportunity before us as a procession and an association to tap into the spirit of play in our programs, services, operations, everything we do, to bring in more participants who are longing for that sense of belonging on our campuses.
As we emerge from COVID-19 and embrace not only the current landscape of higher education, but the future landscape as well, we will need committed and engaged professionals to lead both on campus and in our association. We have all seen the impact this pandemic has had on the professionals in our field and it will be incumbent upon the Member Network to reach out and engage with those that have remained and reconnect with those who have left the field.
In describing your contributions to NIRSA, identify how your involvement and experiences meet the position criteria and qualify you to serve NISRA in this role.
As someone who has been a professional in campus recreation for over 15 years, I have had many opportunities to serve NIRSA. These experiences have given me vast experiences which have prepared me to continue to serve as the Regional Representative for Region III.
One of the most unique experiences I have had has come from working at both a large, public research institution with 40,000+ students as well as a small, liberal arts institution with 2,200+ students. This diverse perspective has given me the ability to communicate with and connect to professionals at any institution in our region. By finding common ground and learning from each other, both small and large programs can make each other stronger and as the Region III Representative, it would be my responsibility to foster these relationships.
As a professional member at a small institution, this has allowed me to serve in many roles throughout NIRSA, Region III, and ORSA. A few highlights of these are: Current NIRSA Region III Representative, NIRSA Government Affairs Committee Chair, Annual Confrence Programs Committee, Small Programs Committee/Advisory Council, Nominations & Appointments. Throughout all of these experiences, I have learned that listening and engaging are two important qualities you must have. Listening to the members in our region and truly understanding the needs we face is something that will be invaluable as Regional Representative. Engaging ties directly into this as the Regional Representative is also responsible for engaging the region and bringing information and communication from NIRSA itself to the membership. This sort of go-between role is one that I have held throughout my career in all of the positions I have held.
Representing a region of NIRSA and working with NIRSA takes great effort and has to be done in a timely manner. My experiences with event management have taught me the value of collaboration, delegation and keeping to deadlines. The Regional Representative is tasked with collaborating with all the state associations and facilitating the work of campus recreation on the local level. As a leader, I strive to facilitate meaningful conversations and impactful action with those that I work with, and as the Regional Representative, this would be no different. By placing the right people in the right roles, the state associations, the region and NIRSA as a whole will grow and continue to innovate in recreation and wellness for our campus communities. Being a leader also means taking the time to be a mentor. As the Regional Representative, it would be my goal to find and develop the next generation of student and professional staff leaders to keep our association moving forward and continuously growing.
Please share your ideas for engaging volunteers and identifying leaders in your region.
The best way to engage volunteers and recruit leaders is to first give them the opportunity. Whether it is through serving on state or regional committees, volunteering at Lead-On or leading a RecChat, presenting at a state workshop or creating a webinar for professional development, giving our members the opportunity to set up and lead and as many options as possible is the key to building our region. Holding a formal leadership role is not for everyone and that is okay too. By offering research opportunities or mentorship roles, those who do not want a title can still be involved. My main focus as the Regional Representative would be about creative ideas and actionable implementation instead of titles.
As the Regional Representative, it would be my responsibility to help our students and new professionals feel comfortable as they embark on their journey through campus recreation and ensure that they have the resources and tools they need to be successful. This also applies to reaching out to our small programs. Letting these programs know that they are not alone in this profession and helping them feel welcome at our conferences and workshops, whether they are a one person show or lead a large team, is paramount to the continued growth of NIRSA as a whole. As the Regional Representative, I would be a voice for all members in our region, not just the few. At the end of the day, it is all about giving back to an association, a region, and a profession that has given me so much. Having spent my entire career in Region III, I firmly believe this is the greatest region in NIRSA and serving as the Regional Representative would allow me to continue to advance our region forward and create a positive environment for all.
