UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson has named Chasse Conque as the university’s new Director of Athletics. Conque worked for four years in the UALR Department of Athletics as Director of Development before leaving in 2011 for UAMS where he currently serves as senior director of development for the Medical Center.

“Chasse Conque represents an unusual opportunity to hire someone who is both an insider and an outsider, and I believe he is the right person for this Department of Athletics at this time,” said Chancellor Anderson.

“He knows the challenges and the opportunities of Trojan Athletics very well, and he brings particular strength in the critical area of fundraising. After growing up living and breathing intercollegiate athletics, Chasse Conque proved himself as a person and as a professional when he was here, and there is broad support for him to return. We are fortunate that he wanted to come back to his alma mater.”

“I am extremely excited about leading the university’s athletics program,” said Conque.

“During my five years at UALR, I quickly realized how important a strong institution of higher learning is to the greater Little Rock community and to the state. As Little Rock’s Division I Department of Athletics, Trojan Athletics provides tremendous opportunities for student-athletes and for the community at large who support the program through game attendance, financial support, and hiring our graduates.”

“Lisa and I are thrilled to return to a place we consider home and to have the opportunity to work with the many great coaches, faculty, and staff. I am most grateful to Chancellor Anderson for this opportunity and look forward to continuing our commitment to graduating student-athletes and competing for championships.”

Conque was chosen at the end of a national search in which there were 46 applicants. A search committee, chaired by Dr. Sandra Robertson, recommended three candidates to Chancellor Anderson for campus interviews that were held in December

While managing fundraising activities related to endowed chairs, medical scholarships, and medical research, Conque cultivated relationships with medical alumni that led to a successful $2 million scholarship campaign. While working for the UAMS College of Medicine, he was part of raising $16 million from 2011 to 2014, including a six-year high of $6.3 million in 2012. He also managed a statewide Board of Visitors that has pledged or helped raise nearly $3 million in three years.

During his time at UALR, Conque directed the Department of Athletics advancement initiatives. He was responsible for the inception of the largest fundraising event in the university’s history, SpectacUALR. He oversaw the Trojan Athletic Foundation (TAF), which provides private support for all of UALR’s athletic programs. The TAF experienced a 53 percent growth in private contributions from 2007 to 2010.

He established and managed the university’s first Lettermen’s Association and its board of directors. He served as a committee member on the Foundation Scholarship Task Force, Little Rock Chamber of Commerce annual campaign, NCAA Division I Athletic Re-Certification, and the Campus Campaign Steering Committee.

His professional associations have included the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and Arkansas Association of Public Universities. A member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock Midtown, he was named to Arkansas Business’ 2011 list of “20 in their 20s in Arkansas.”

Conque got his start at UALR as a manager of donor relations in the university’s office of development in August 2006. Working under Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Bob Denman, Conque coordinated cultivation and stewardship efforts for the university’s donors.

He developed and implemented UALR’s first formal stewardship program during the institution’s first comprehensive campaign which raised more than $100 million. He created the first student-based phone-a-thon to steward donors and revised annual endowment reports for the university’s endowment fund.

Conque earned an MBA degree from UALR in 2008. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Central Arkansas. He and his wife, Lisa, have three daughters and are members of Christ the King Catholic Church.

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