Member Spotlight 

MEET PRSA AUSTIN CHAPTER MEMBER: Chris Schmidt

CURRENT LIVELIHOOD: Currently I work for the University Interscholastic League (UIL) in the role of Public Affairs Representative. Like many PR professionals – as I am finding out – my responsibilities toe the line between media relations and marketing. I manage press areas and coordinate press conferences at Texas high school state championship events. I also design and write copy for state championship programs and manage all of our social media accounts.

CHILDHOOD AMBITION: My standard response as a kid was pizza delivery boy (because I thought you got all the free pizza you wanted!), but thankfully I grew out of that. Sports has always brought me a lot of joy so working in that industry was a goal of mine. At the UIL I get to work in several different sports as we hold state championships in everything from football and basketball to wrestling and cross country. We also host state championship events in academics and music. I’ve been fortunate to have some amazing experiences and see some great student-athletes in my six-plus years at the UIL.

DRAW TO THE COMMUNICATIONS FIELD: I owe it all to a scheduling mistake in high school that ended with me placed in an advanced journalism class my sophomore year. It was overwhelming at first, but I had a great teacher that fostered a curiosity in me for the field of journalism which motivated me to study it in college. It wasn’t until I enrolled at UT Austin that I really began to understand the importance and vastness of the communication industry as a whole and really find what segment was the best fit for me.

ALMA MATER: I attended The University of Texas at Austin where I received a Bachelor of Journalism and certificates in Business Foundations and Sports Journalism. I worked for The Daily Texan every year I was enrolled and was inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism Honor Society in 2007.

HOMETOWN: I grew up in League City, Texas, which is a suburb south of Houston. The population has nearly doubled since I moved so it doesn’t look nearly the same. I moved to Austin to attend college and have lived here ever since.

MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL: I could fill a book with memorable UIL experiences, but I’ll focus on my favorite. It centers around one extraordinary student-athlete, Charlotte Brown. Despite being blind, Charlotte has advanced to the UIL Track & Field State Meet in pole vault the past two years. I played a role in nominating her for the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award, which she won, and we were able to present to her at the 2013 state meet in which she was competing. Many news outlets picked up her inspirational story and she was featured across the state. Her story went nationwide in 2014 as ESPN was cutting into Sportcenter for live shots of her vaults and Charlotte was featured in Diane Sawyer’s “America Strong” series. She is by far the most inspirational student-athlete I have come across and I’m glad we were able to share her story.

RECOMMENDED READS: For anyone that manages social media, I recommend the Social Media Examiner blog or podcast for keeping up with current trends and new social media features. When I need a good sports read I check out Sports Illustrated longform, Grantland and FiveThirtyEight.com. I spend most of my “free” time chasing my 11-month old son around the house so I haven’t had a chance to read a lot of books lately.

FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT AUSTIN AND FAVORITE AUSTIN RESTAURANTS: For me, summer starts when the Sno-Beach trailers open. I lived walking distance from one during my junior and senior years of college and I miss it. I also love movies so anytime I can get to the Alamo Drafthouse is a good day. My son is just about to turn one year old so getting the chance to experience Austin through his eyes as he grows up will be exciting.