Fort Hays State University President Mirta Martin completed part one of her first media tour as FHSU President Thursday, before heading to China to meet with university partners.
The tour began Sunday, Oct. 26 and consisted of more than 30 events in 11 cities throughout the state.
“We had both our current president, Dr. Martin, and our former president, Dr. Hammond, on this trip,” said Kent Steward, University Relations Director. “This meant that instead of having to build relationships from the ground floor, President Martin had the benefit of building from Dr. Hammond’s existing relationships.”
The media tour began under the Presidency of Edward Hammond and is set to continue under the Presidency of Mirta Martin.
“Dr. Hammond started the media tour in his first year,” Steward said. “There were some differences. Instead of covering the entire state, he limited his coverage to western Kansas, taking care to visit every county in this part of the state. Also, instead of being gone for an entire week, he went out for just a day or two at a time and spread those visits over a few months.”
“It was a wonderful opportunity to meet individuals from throughout Kansas and to be introduced to so many beautiful cities throughout the state,” Martin said. “Kansans’ kindness and welcoming spirit is alive and well.”
“She was very pleased to be able to get out,” Steward said. “She talked about how the university is a people business, so her job is to meet people.”
“What I loved most about my Kansas trip was meeting the people and realizing that what I knew in my heart, was really true,” Martin said. “Kansans are kind, welcoming and caring people. They are hard-working and good to the core. I was embraced by media professionals (radio, newspaper, tv) as well as alumni as though I had lived in Kansas all my life and I was their life-long friend.”
Upon arriving back in Hays late Thursday, Martin and Hammond took the first flight out Friday morning to begin visiting with FHSU’s partners in China.
“This is a friendship tour designed to meet our partners and strengthen our relationships in China,” Martin said. “The success of any business is partly based on the strength of the relationships. We are ensuring our relationships here in China with our partners remain very strong.”
Martin is expected to be back from her trip by the end of the week.
“I look forward to welcoming many of the new friends I made in the media tour to my inauguration, on November 21 at 10 a.m.”