Army West Point Athletics
Chris Kingston Bio
January 18, 2007 | General
Chris Kingston
Director of Annual Giving/Special Assistant to the Athletic Director
Chris Kingston has been a familiar face in the Army Athletic Association for several years, serving in different capacities throughout his tenure. Following a four-year stint as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations, Kingston shifted his duties as the Special Assistant to the Athletic Director/Director of Annual Giving.
In his current post, Kingston is charged with the daily operations of the A-Club. He directs the annual campaign that directly enriches the cadet-athlete’s experience at West Point and works with each of the department’s 25 Division I Intercollegiate teams with regards to their specific “Friends Of” fundraising accounts. Additionally in that capacity, he spends the majority of the fall focused on the Athletic Director’s Tailgate and the home and away football donor events. Additionally, he has direct oversight of the ticket office and is leading the transition of a multi-year agreement with Paciolan as the Army Athletic Association begins to streamline customer service with digital ticketing. Kingston is part of the External Operations Team which helps synchronize the ticket office, A-Club, and marketing efforts.
Other day-to-day business for Kingston includes sport supervision for the golf, gymnastics, men’s soccer, and rifle teams. He is a 2010 graduate of the Executive Program of the Sports Management Institute and attended instruction at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and the University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business. Additionally, he is a member of the NCAA Rifle Committee.
Kingston has been instrumental in some of the Army Athletic Association’s latest head coaching hires. Specifically, he planned, organized, and executed the head football coach search which was led by Athletic Director Kevin Anderson and resulted in the hire of Coach Rich Ellerson. He performed the same responsibilities in the head men’s basketball search which led to the hire of Coach Zach Spiker from Cornell. Most recently, he led the head men’s soccer coach and head golf coach searches that garnered Coach Russell Payne from the University of Maryland and Coach Brian Watts from Oregon State University, respectively.
Kingston retired from the United States Army in September of 2009. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps in May of 1994 upon graduation from the University of Central Florida.
After successful completion of the Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course in Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Kingston’s first assignment was the 3rd Battalion (Airborne) 73rd Armored Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as an assistant battalion intelligence officer, a tank platoon leader and the S2. Upon deactivation of 3-73 AR in May of 1997, Kingston was assigned to the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division as the headquarters and service company executive officer and the assistant operations officer (S3) for air operations.
After attending the Infantry Captain’s Career Course at Fort Benning, Ga., Kingston stayed on with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) as the assistant brigade S2. Following a year in the Marne Division, Kingston transitioned to the 3rd Battalion (Officer Candidate School), 11th Infantry Regiment and served as a TAC officer. He then assumed command of Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry in May of 2001. Following command and his graduate studies, Kingston served two years as a Tactical Officer for Company G1 with the United States Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy from 2003-2005.
In addition to picking up his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Florida, Kingston earned his master’s degree in leadership development and educational counseling from Long Island University prior to his initial assignment to West Point.
His military education includes: MIOBC, ICCC and the Combined Arms Services Staff School (CAS3) and the Command and General Staff College’s Intermediate Level Education (CGSC ILE). Additionally he completed the Airborne, Jumpmaster, Air Movement Operations and Pathfinder courses. His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Master Rated Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and the gold German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge.
Kingston and his wife, Stephanie, have four children: Lakin, Christopher Jr., Luke, and Mackenzie.
