Aces of Trades: OUL's Kreig Prior loves his job and regional higher education.
LANCASTER − It's safe to say Ohio University Lancaster communications and external relations manager Kreig Prior enjoys his job.
"I absolutely love regional higher education," he said. "It's got a feel of family, so you don't have a large university setting. But it also allows me to explore opportunities in Athens, as well, because of One Ohio. I'm able to be local, but able to have access to everything that Athens has to offer."
Prior said his job has many facets.
"Mainly it's about coming up with a communications plan for the campus," Prior said. "And also making sure that any of the marketing or niche advertising is taken care of on a local level. It also involved making sure that we are reaching students that are looking for our services."
Prior is also responsible for the school's website and social media channels.
He has been at OUL for a year. Before that, he was at Ohio University Chillicothe for two years.
Prior decided to make a job change during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I liked the fact that Ohio University had a lot of opportunities that I didn't have in the private schools that I worked at the time," he said. "So that's how I got my start in Chillicothe."
Prior also worked for Gannett, the parent company of the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, as a market research analyst for five years.
"I was fortunate enough to work alongside some of the best journalists, editors and sales staff in the business," he said. "And Gannett allowed me to do something I'd never done before, and that was to tap into national consumer segmentation databases. It also allowed me to explore the fundamentals of marketing optimization."
Prior also worked for the Columbus Dispatch during his time in journalism. Additionally, he worked for Harvest House Publishers in Eugene, Oregon, before finding his way to higher education.
Away from work, Prior and his wife, Jillian, adopted two boys from Thailand.
"My wife and I, all of our interests and hobbies are pretty much focused on them," he said. However, I love antiques. I love collecting things. I love hiking and getting out exploring places and vacationing. We like to travel, so it's not uncommon for us to take an eight-hour trip in one day and just explore and come back home. We don't even spend the night at a hotel. Our life is about exploring different cultures and finding new areas."
jbarron@gannett.com
740-681-4340
Twitter: @JeffDBarron
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Aces of Trades: OUL's Kreig Prior enjoys the many duties of his job
