Mike Wise Named Director of Recreation Services at Emporia State

EMPORIA, KS (06/07/2011)(readMedia)-- A Colorado native who has worked for Emporia State University's Department of Recreation Services since the late '80s recently was named to head the department.

Mike Wise, who came to ESU in 1988 to earn his master's degree in health, physical education and recreation, had been interim director since February.

Wise, who grew up in Fort Collins, Colo., earned a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in coaching from Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., in 1988. Upon coming to ESU, Wise worked as a graduate assistant in recreation services from 1988 to 1990, when he completed his master's degree.

He joined the recreation services staff in August 1990 and was a member of the National Intramural/Recreational Sports Association's instructional programming committee in 1992. From 1999-2002, Wise served on the design and planning committee for the new ESU Student Recreation Center, which opened Feb. 1, 2002.

In 2002, Wise was named assistant director of ESU Recreation Services under Director JoLanna Kord. In 2007, he served on NIRSA's intramural programming committee.

When Kord moved to ESU Institutional Research, Wise was named interim director until his promotion in late May.

Wise is married to Shelley Wise, a teacher at Walnut Elementary School in Emporia. The couple have four children - Matt, Meganne, Molly and Jeff. Wise's parents, Bonnie and Ralph Harden still live in Fort Collins, Colo.