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CSC Women to Watch Feature Archive
This is another feature of our 2024-25 CSC Women to Watch series, a series which spotlights a variety of female members in our association. CSC Women is a subdivision of College Sports Communicators, dedicated to serving the women in the athletics communications and creative field. CSC Women aims to encourage, empower and educate, while providing a positive and united presence for women in our field, both veterans and newcomers, and serving as their collective voice.
CSC Wind Down Wednesday Zoom chats
Monthly, CSC Women hosts Wind Down Wednesdays, informal Zoom chats in the late afternoon/early evening on the first Wednesday of the month. The time is 8 PM (ET) / 7 PM (CT) / 6 PM (MT) / 5 PM (PT).
Join other female CSC members for discussions, idea-sharing and problem-solving assistance, and some light-hearted trivia and giveaways, too! All CSC female members are emailed a link to the Zoom chat (they are also posted in the #CSCWomen Slack channel.)
CSC Women to Watch
Airis Thomas
Winston-Salem State Sports Information Director
by Bridgette Robles, University of Richmond Assistant Director of Athletics Public Relations/CSC Women Steering Committee member
Since January 2022,
Airis Thomas has served as the Sports Information Director and oversees all publicity, promotion and content creation for 11 sports at the NCAA Division II university in Winston-Salem, NC. A member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA), WSSU is a historically Black college and university (HBCU) and it is part of the UNC System, which includes five HBCUs.
Thomas is heavily involved with College Sports Communicators. She currently serves on the Division II cabinet as the Atlantic Region representative. Last academic year, Airis was part of the 2023-24 CSC Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship, studying issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in athletics communications and within college athletics overall.
She is a member of the CSC Membership Recognition Committee and also participates in the annual CSC #Volunteer15 program, which recognizes CSC members for their work in community service and civic volunteer efforts.
Prior to her work at WSSU, Thomas served as assistant director of athletic communications at Coppin State, was a media relations intern at Morgan State, and was at her alma mater, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), as the department’s marketing and game day coordinator for two years. In 2014-2015, Thomas worked as a media relations staffer with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). She also spent two summers (2016 and 2017) working with the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Baltimore Orioles single-A minor league baseball team in Salisbury, Maryland.
A 2013 graduate of UMES with a degree in kinesiology, Thomas served as the media relations and marketing intern for three years as an undergraduate and was president of the UMES Resident Hall Association.
Thomas at the 2024 CSC Convention in Las Vegas with her Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship certificate.
How long have you been in the industry?
AT: If we count working as an intern during undergrad, then I am going on 15 years.
How long have you been at your current role?
AT: I actually started during the middle of the fiscal year at Winston-Salem State because of COVID, so I am going on year three. I am a one woman shop, and I rely heavily on interns who keep me going in all assets of the communications department.
Thomas with two of her senior media relations interns.
What was ‘it” that attracted you to the industry?
AT: I like being behind the scenes and helping the student-athlete's stories and visions be told through their lenses. They are my WHY, but I actually like analytics as well. When I was in undergrad, I interned with Morgan State and my alma mater, UMES, to learn how to do stats. I already knew how to do the book for basketball and I was also the baseball manager, so all sports just intrigued me.
What is your favorite part of being a communicator in college athletics?
AT: Definitely my student-athletes; they are the reason I keep going.
Thomas (right) with WSSU softball seniors and head coach Tiffany Massey on Senior Day.
How do you make sure you take care of yourself when the office gets busy during crossover?
AT: This is actually something I am still working on - making sure I use my voice more when I'm feeling burned out. And, I definitely utilize my mental health days which I highly recommend.
When you’re not in the office, with honest “free time”, how do you spend it?
AT: I sleep and hang with my 94-year-old grandma and her friends. I am also a member of the National Council of Negro Women. I love to also plan events and assist with weddings!
Thomas with media relations/communications interns smiling on football game day.
What has been one of your favorite moments since joining the staff at WSSU?
AT: Our women's outdoor track and field team won the CIAA Outdoor championship my very first year with them, and, a year later, my men's basketball team won the conference title.
Where do you hope to see your career go?
AT: Honestly, I'm still figuring that out. These days, I want to live in the moment and take everything in stride.
Thomas with co-workers and former interns working the CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Thomas with two of her video content interns.