WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) have hired a new director for the university communications office.
He is Ian Camejo (pronounced cah-MAY’-oh), a former public affairs official with the United States Army. His first day on the job was Monday, June 14. His hiring is pending approval by the MSU Board of Governors.
As director, Camejo will serve as the chief public relations officer for MSU-WP. He will be responsible for the coordination of activities that expand and enhance the image of the campus, including community relations, internal communications, marketing, news services and publications.
“We welcome Ian to Missouri State-West Plains, and his family soon to West Plains,” Interim Chancellor Dennis Lancaster said. “We’re excited about putting his expertise and communication skills to work. He’s already hit the ground running, as summer is a busy part of the year for our university communications office.
“Ian also has some big running shoes to fill,” Lancaster added. “He’s following in the steps of Cheryl Caldwell, who is transitioning out of the office and into retirement.”
Camejo comes to MSU-WP after 21 1/2 years of service in the Army, 14 1/2 of which were served in public affairs positions that covered all areas of media experience.
“Army public affairs is all encompassing. You’re trained to do a little of everything – social media, television, radio, print media,” he explained.
His duties, he said, depended on the location and his assignment. He was the affiliate manager of the American Forces Network in Stuttgart, Germany, for the final three years of his service, overseeing broadcast operations and supervising a team that produced top-rated products for social media, television and radio.
As a public affairs operations chief for various units in the U.S. and around the world, Camejo developed news releases, organized media interviews, and coordinated press briefings at the Pentagon and in the field for local, national and international media outlets. He also coordinated joint media operations with coalition forces during Operation Inherent Resolve.
In addition, Camejo served as on-air talent for radio and television broadcasts with American Forces Network in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Camejo’s experience with military service goes beyond his 20-plus years in the Army. The Brooklyn, New York, native is the son of a U.S. Air Force veteran who also traveled the globe as part of his service. Camejo graduated high school in Bitburg, Germany, and took college classes from the University of Maryland on post while his family was still living overseas.
After moving back to the states and speaking with a very enthusiastic recruiter, Camejo decided to join the Army as a human resources trainee in 1996. In January 2007, he transitioned into public affairs where he learned how to put together a script for video and audio broadcasting, edit content and develop news reports for radio.
Along the way, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Thomas Edison State College, a Master of Science in Strategic Communications from Purdue University, and a Master of Science in Sports Management from American Military University.
Camejo is a strong proponent of higher education. “I always pushed my soldiers to take at least one college class, and many went on to earn degrees,” he said. “In fact, two of my soldiers actually moved into the officer ranks after getting their degrees. The important thing is they earned a degree, and no one can take that away.
“Higher education is important because we live in a global society,” he said. “I believe any student can find a home here at Missouri State-West Plains, and I want to get that message out not only locally, but also to the region and the state,” he added.
Camejo and his wife, Nicole, have one son, Caleb, who will be going to college this fall. Nicole is originally from the Springfield area and still has family in southwest Missouri. It’s those ties that prompted him to plant roots in this area and seek the director of university communications position at MSU-WP.
“I’m excited to be here and want to integrate into the community. It’s a great place, and I hope I will be able to serve the community in other ways, as well,” he said.
Camejo can be reached at 417-255-7960 or at IanCamejo@MissouriState.edu.
Missouri State University-West Plains empowers students to achieve personal success and to enrich their local and global communities by providing accessible, affordable and quality educational opportunities. Missouri State-West Plains offers associate degrees and credit and non-credit courses and serves as a delivery site for bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered by Missouri State University in Springfield.
