Campbell retires after three decades at Walters State
MORRISTOWN, TN – For three decades, Mike Campbell has been a staple of Walters State Community College.
First as a student, and then as a faculty member, Campbell has been a valuable asset on both the academic and athletic sides of the school.
At the end of May, Campbell announced that he would be retiring from his position as Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs as well as being the Associate Athletic Director, a role he has been in for the last 15 years.
"I have basically been at Walters State in some fashion my whole adult life," Campbell said. "It is essentially the only place I have ever been and only thing I have ever done. Given that, I have great emotional connection and pride with Walters State and all its staff and many, many students.
"Walters State always stood for something great (both as an educational institution, and athletically) and it gave you something to believe in and want to be a part of. That type of place is hard to find, so I was very fortunate to experience it for the last 30 years."
Campbell's Walters State tenure actually started as a student-athlete where he was a member of the golf team for the 1990-91 season. Campbell is quick to note that during his year on the golf team, the Senators won the region and participated in the National Tournament.
After graduating from Walters State, Campbell then finished his college career at ETSU before taking a full-time job at Walters State in 1992. He has been there ever since.
For 29 years, Campbell has worked in student affairs. He first began as a certification analyst, a job in which he processed applications for admission and transcripts. From there, he continued to move up the ranks until he reached his position as Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs as well as being the Associate Athletic Director.
As far as his favorite part of the job over the 29 years, that was easy for Campbell to answer.
"(My favorite part of the job is) seeing the kids and adults succeed," Campbell said. "Whether it is students that you help along the way and they eventually walk across the stage to graduate; or the student athletes that achieve success both in the classroom and on the court/field. It's because you know they have all worked so hard and made many sacrifices to earn those successes. In this business, if you are in it for anything other than that you should be doing something else. It's that simple."
Mike is a member of the Campbell family, a family very well known to the Walters State community. Mike's father, Ken, was Walters State's baseball coach from 1999-2013 where he compiled a record of 650-162-1 and is a member of the NJCAA Hall of Fame. Mike's uncle is Jack Campbell, who was the president of Walters State for 30 years.
Because of his family's involvement with the school, that led to Mike's favorite moment at Walters State.
"The biggest game that stands out would be the National Championship baseball game in 2006," Campbell said. "Being able to share that with my Dad, knowing how hard he had always worked for a title, and being able to contribute behind the scenes with the responsibilities I had in athletics made it for a special moment."
Because of his long tenure at the school, Campbell has many people to thank. That list includes his uncle, Jack, Dr. Lynn Gilmore, Jim Wilder and Ron Carr and Dr. Foster Chason, who were both former Walters State Athletic Directors.
"I am most thankful for the relationships and friendships that developed over time," Campbell said. "They are truly life lasting."
Campbell also gave a special thank you to Avery Swinson, who has worked with Campbell for the past 15 years.
As far as what is next for Campbell, he is not entirely for sure. However, he is certain about one thing he will be doing in his retirement.
"For now, I plan on working on my golf game," Campbell said. "I am getting a little miffed at losing to my son all the time now."
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics