Fast 15: John Post

Throughout his youth, John Post pictured himself an author.

“I tell people all the time. I thought I’d be selling my best-selling novel by now, sitting on a beach and drinking piña coladas,” he said.

And that day might still come, but for the foreseeable future, Post said he’s content leading strategic communication for the western Arkansas branch of the University of Arkansas System.

“I love higher-ed. I love being on a college campus. It makes me feel young. I know that sounds funny because I am young, but I really enjoy being around college students. There’s so much energy. It’s very exciting, and it’s contagious,” Post said.

One highlight of his career so far was working with senior administration to develop a five-year strategic plan and new vision statement, both released in February, for the university. He also conceptualized the “Do More” marketing campaign, featuring the activities of students, faculty and staff in the community.

He continues to write in his spare time, including short stories in the SciFi genre that he says are similar to “The Twilight Zone,” but in the 21st century.

Born in El Dorado and raised in Russellville, Post holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Arkansas Tech University.

Post started his career as a feature writer and education reporter with The Courier, while teaching writing at Tech as an adjunct faculty member.

He was hired as a public relations assistant at UAFS in 2013 and promoted a year later, after his predecessor left.

He is a 2017 Leadership Fort Smith participant, and the experience has prompted him to become more involved with metorship within the Fort Smith school system, he said. He also previously served as director-at-large with the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Post and his wife, Jessica, who is the health and safety environment coordinator for UAFS, live in Fort Smith and are expecting a baby boy this summer.

In his spare time, Post likes to exercise, especially in the UAFS’ new, “state-of-the-art” recreational center, he said. And he likes to cook everything from Mexican, to Italian, to Southern comfort food.

He also likes crosswords, trivia and reading, alternating between fiction and nonfiction, and is currently five books deep into a personal goal of reading a biography of each American president.