About Brian Wickstrom: From Kansas State Track Athlete to National Higher-Education Leader
Leadership has shaped every chapter of my life — long before I ever stepped into an Athletics Director’s office or boardroom. It began on a track in Manhattan, Kansas, where I competed as a student-athlete at Kansas State University. Those early mornings on the track, the discipline, the resilience, and the constant pursuit of personal bests built the mindset that would carry me through a long career in higher education, athletics administration, and executive leadership.
A Foundation Built on Education and Determination
I believe leaders never stop learning. Over the years, I earned four degrees that shaped my approach to organizational growth and people-centered leadership:
B.S., Exercise Science – Kansas State University
M.S., Sports Administration – Wichita State University
M.Ed., Higher Education Leadership – University of Texas at El Paso
Ed.D., Educational Leadership – University of the Pacific
Every degree reflects a different stage of my journey — from understanding the science behind athletic performance, to mastering the operational side of university athletics, to studying how organizations thrive, adapt, and inspire.
This educational foundation has allowed me to guide teams, build revenue, manage university departments, and lead complex organizations with clarity and purpose.
From Track to the Boardroom: A Leadership Journey Shaped by Competition
My K-State track career taught me lessons I still rely on every day:
You win by outworking yesterday’s version of yourself.
Championships are built in the details.
The best teams succeed because they trust one another.
Consistency beats intensity.
Those lessons carried me through senior leadership roles across Division I institutions, major fundraising operations, strategic development offices, and eventually into private-sector executive leadership.
Over 25 years, I have led:
Athletics departments
Multimillion-dollar fundraising initiatives
High-performance staff development programs
Enrollment-driven strategic operations
Community and alumni engagement
Organizational realignments and crisis transitions
Executive-level planning across higher education and business environments
Every role has been rooted in one mission: develop people, strengthen culture, and create long-term stability.
Family: The Center of My Leadership Philosophy
My greatest leadership classroom has been my own home.
My wife, Celina, a longtime news anchor and journalist, has modeled courage, calm, communication under pressure, and a deep sense of service. Together, we are raising five children whose personalities, challenges, and dreams continue to strengthen my empathy, patience, and purpose.
Parenting teaches you to listen fully, to respond instead of react, and to see potential in people before they see it in themselves. Those same principles guide how I lead teams, support university presidents, and mentor young professionals.
Family is the reason I push to build cultures where people feel valued, trusted, and inspired to grow.
A Career Defined by Service, Performance, and People
Throughout my career — whether guiding athletic departments, helping institutions navigate transformational change, or leading large teams in the private sector — I have held close the values shaped by sports, education, and family:
Integrity under pressure
Transparency in communication
Resilience during crisis
Focus on long-term mission, not short-term noise
Care for people first
My story is not about titles. It’s about the people I’ve served, the students whose lives were changed, the staff who grew into leaders, and the teams that found clarity in challenging moments.
Looking Ahead
Today, I continue my commitment to leadership excellence — supporting organizations, mentoring future executives, advancing university missions, and building cultures that thrive.
I am still driven by the same belief I learned as a young track athlete at Kansas State:
If you stay grounded in purpose, stay consistent in your work, and stay humble in the way you serve others — you can build something that lasts.
