TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M Director of Athletics, Milton Overton, has assembled the majority of his leadership team in athletics. An important portion of the success of the department of athletics will depend on revenue generation. Today, Chris Asa was announced as a new hire in the position Associate Athletic Director for Ticket & Corporate Sales. Asa comes with a host of experience in the field, most recently working in ticket sales at Florida State University.
Overton expressed the importance of a full staff in order to achieve the goals of the department. “When I arrived in Tallahassee, and was in the evaluation process of our department, it was evident that the effects of downsizing had depleted the actual day-to-day workforce in the department. In order for us to reach our objectives, we need a full complement of staff who are provided the opportunity for a more focused effort and effective outcome, thereby shifting the roles of individuals who were already working in the department. I feel that Chris’ level of experience could grow our outbound ticket sales efforts as one of our critical financial functions.” he said.
In his previous role, Asa sold season ticket packages for FSU football, basketball and baseball. Additionally, in his role with Seminole Boosters Inc., he raised money for Seminole Athletics through Booster memberships, Champions Club seat sales, and Champions Campaign Gifts. He was consistently a leader in their office in terms of production, with his 2015 campaign netting over $900,000 in revenue.
Asa is looking forward to his opportunity to work with the orange and green. "I am excited to come to FAMU and join the Rattler Nation. I look forward to engaging our fans' passion and ticket needs with packages contained in our new Investing in Champions campaign and to re-engage the local and regional business community with fun and effective sponsorship opportunities. With the support of our fans and business community, the Rattlers will strike, strike and strike again!," he said.
After graduating from Mississippi State University in 2008 with a B.A in History, Asa began working in the MSU athletic department in Media Relations as an internal public address announcer. In 2011, he graduated from The University of Alabama with an M.S. in Sport Management. During his time at Alabama he worked in Alabama Media Relations as a student worker and was a graduate assistant for the Sport Management program under Dr. Ken Wright.
Through his work with Media Relations, Asa worked for the media team for both the Cotton Bowl Classic and Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. Upon graduation he worked as a corporate game day liaison with Ticket Solutions, Inc., a premier entertainment and ticket specialist in Tuscaloosa, AL. In 2012, he took a position with the MiLB Montgomery Biscuits (AA affiliate of Tampa Bay Rays) in a group sales role. He assumed his role at Florida State University in July of 2013. Prior to his transition into athletics, Asa worked for 10 years in the radio industry as a Marketing Director, Program Director, and Production Director.
Asa’s former director, Mark Cameron, feels the hire is a win-win situation. “It has been my pleasure to witness Chris Asa’s development in both sales and leadership during his tenure here at Florida State University and Seminole Boosters, Inc. He joined us as a seasoned sales professional and quickly became an integral part of our sales team, taking on many challenges and responsibilities over the course of three football seasons. While it’s always tough to replace an employee with Chris’s skillset, I wish him good luck and believe in his ability to make an immediate impact at Florida A&M University,” Cameron said.
Asa is married to the former Casey Pinkard of Tupelo, MS and they have a son, Jude and daughter, Kennedy.
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
