Chris Knudson serves as the college’s chief marketing officer and director of the Marketing & Communication Office, a position he has held since 2016. Earlier in his career he served in three separate institutional divisions as director of creative strategy, new media strategist and web manager, and web developer and manager. Outside his administrative responsibilities, he served as a senior lecturer for 11 years, teaching various courses in graphic design, public relations, and business programs.
Recently, he managed major marketing and communication strategies, including the successful Experience More brand launch and a new institutional logo and visual identity. He also served on the leadership team behind The Wartburg Commitment, a new pricing model and value proposition ensuring greater access to funding and experiential education. He is currently managing the marketing launch of two new graduate programs in health and human performance, which follows the successful launch of the college’s first master’s degree in leadership four years earlier.
Knudson has been an active volunteer with the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE) District VI since 2007, serving in both Cabinet and conference roles. In 2020, he was tapped by CASE national leadership to serve as a co-chair for the first international All Districts Conference, which set the record for the largest CASE event in its history with more than 19,000 registrants. In 2025, he was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from CASE VI.
He also has served in many local and regional volunteer roles, including the Iowa Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America board and the Waverly Chamber of Commerce and Main Street board of directors. In 2023, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Main Street Iowa recognized him with a leadership award for his strategic leadership with Main Street and economic development in Waverly and the State of Iowa.
As a strategic thinker and innovator, he has been a nationally featured presenter on the topics of branding, online communication, strategic planning, design, and public relations through various professional associations. He has written chapters in two published college-level textbooks with other prominent communication leaders from around the U.S.
As an independent web developer and public relations consultant, his clients have been based in Washington, D.C., New York, Charleston, S.C., New Orleans, and other locations around the Midwest. He is a past national vice president for PRSSA National and has been a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) member since 2003.
Knudson holds a Master of Arts in public relations from the University of Northern Iowa and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design and online communication from Wartburg College. He resides in Waverly with his husband, Corey.
