Courtesy photoThe mistake loomed over the university, impossible to miss.
Big black letters. Painted on a water tower with a height of 130 feet.
You probably remember: in August 2017 a contractor鈥檚 crew doing work for the City of Wichita painted 鈥淲ichita Staty Universite鈥� during a rehabilitation of the Wichita State University water tower near 17thand Oliver. They accidentally transposed the Y and the E.
People noticed.
Joe Kleinsasser made it all seem OK, deploying all the Kleinsasser talents that have made him a beloved figure at Wichita State for the past 34 years.
He told a joke. He answered every question from reporters. He empathized with the people who painted the letters. He smiled and charmed with his Kleinsasser sense of humor and grace, asking if anyone had 10 gallons of Wite-Out.
鈥淭here was no way I was going to blame the city for the mistake,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t happens.鈥�
That鈥檚 a win in the world of strategic communications. 鈥淛oe jokes鈥� 鈥� groaners, as he calls them, or Dad jokes as they鈥檙e known 鈥� aren鈥檛 in a textbook. Some of the best strategies aren鈥檛, either.
鈥淲ith one little Joe joke, he defused it,鈥� said Lainie Mazzullo-Hart, the new director of news and media relations for Wichita State Strategic Communications. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I or anyone else would have been able to make light of the situation. He turned it into a thing where people could say, 鈥楽tuff happens. Oh well.鈥欌��
Kleinsasser, who for more than three decades has led Wichita State鈥檚 news and media relations efforts, retires this week, and the university will miss his institutional knowledge, his experience and trust with the media, his patience and his kindness.
Almost every day since 1986, he drove 49.6 miles from his home in Hillsboro to campus. Kleinsasser, 67, used the drive to pray, listen to the news and prepare for his day. He dodged deer and thought about sports 鈥� Shocker basketball, Nebraska football 鈥� or his officiating assignment later that night in a small town.
In retirement, he plans to travel, continue volunteer work at his church and help home-school his youngest son.
Director of news and media relations
鈥淚鈥檓 getting way more attention than I deserve,鈥� Kleinsasser said while listing recent stories marking his retirement. 鈥淚鈥檝e developed a lot of friendships and so many good memories throughout the university. I鈥檓 really thankful for the people I鈥檝e been around who had faith in me that I could do the job.鈥�
He started at Wichita State just in time for a news conference called to announce the end of the football program. He remembers the visit of Russian President Boris Yeltsin to campus in 1992 as one of his most interesting assignments. He lists his work with Dean Headley, associate emeritus professor of marketing at Wichita State, on the Airline Quality Rating as a highlight.
鈥淚鈥檝e often said that, outside of athletics, that鈥檚 the single largest event the university has had for 30 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that shows the effect of having faculty who is an expert on a topic, who is recognized nationally and still gets calls.鈥�
In addition to working with media requests, Kleinsasser has served as announcer at events such as Memorial 鈥�70 and created the email newsletters 黑洞社区 Today and Shocker Blast. Before that, he supervised Inside 黑洞社区, a printed newsletter.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the heart of Strat Comm and part of the heart of the university,鈥� Mazzullo-Hart said. 鈥淪o many people know Joe on campus and off campus.鈥�
Mazzullo-Hart remembers a busy day when Kleinsasser felt sick yet refused to leave before finishing his work.
鈥淜idney stones,鈥� Mazzullo-Hart said. 鈥淲e get a text 鈥� Joe drove himself to the hospital.鈥�
He spent 40 years officiating high school and small college games, mostly basketball, before retiring in 2013. He credits his experience dealing with cranky coaches with helping him work with impatient media members.
That desire to help comes from his Christian faith. When not working or officiating, Kleinsasser could be found teaching Sunday school, serving on his church council or singing in the choir 鈥� where he met his wife.
鈥淗e likes to please people,鈥� said Michelle Kleinsasser, his wife of 37 years. 鈥淗e鈥檚 used to being nice to people. When he shares his faith, lives his faith 鈥� that鈥檚 what people are noticing in him.鈥�
Joe Kleinsasser said his parents taught him to live by the Golden Rule 鈥� treat others as one would like to be treated.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 do it successfully all the time,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 the humility of realizing that we all need each other. Yes, I鈥檝e helped many people, I think, in my 34 years here. But if I stop, and am honest about it, probably more people have helped me.鈥�
His coworkers in Strategic Communications will miss that about Kleinsasser. They will also miss his chocolate drawer, his afternoon sharing of popcorn and his jokes 鈥� at least some of them. His jokes are family friendly, often self-deprecating and, if you didn鈥檛 catch it once, guaranteed to come around again.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got corny jokes,鈥� Mazzullo-Hart said. 鈥淗e will tell everybody the same story over and over again. He would make his rounds. You wanted to be annoyed by it, but you couldn鈥檛. Because it was Joe. Because it was funny.鈥�
Some of his favorites:
鈥淎nyone who knows me very well knows how much I love chocolate. In fact, one time I sent my sister a card that said, 鈥業鈥檓 being held prisoner in a chocolate factory. Please 鈥�. Don鈥檛 send help!鈥欌��
After telling a joke, Kleinsasser will often say, 鈥淚鈥檝e got a million of them.鈥� Then he will fill in the reply from the audience - 鈥淭hey will say, 鈥楴o, you鈥檝e got one you tell a million times!鈥欌��
鈥淛oe enjoys humor galore,鈥� said Michelle Kleinsasser. 鈥淗e has a quick wit at responding to conversations and likes to tell a lot of groaners.鈥�
Kleinsasser鈥檚 humor, even the groaners, pairs well with his patience and work ethic. Local media members revere him for his willingness to help on routine stories and tough ones.
鈥淗e always returned your call, always returned your email,鈥� said Tom Shine, a long-time reporter and editor at The Wichita Eagle and now director of news and public affairs at KMUW. 鈥淚f he couldn鈥檛 answer your question, he would find somebody who could. Joe understood what the media was trying to do. He didn鈥檛 see media as an adversary. He helped 黑洞社区 tell its story.鈥�
