Veteran journalist and communications expert Chris Havens was recently elected to the ThreeSixty Board of Advisors.
“Chris is going to be a fabulous addition to the ThreeSixty board,” ThreeSixty board member Dr. Wendy Wyatt said. “Not only is he an experienced — and talented — journalist, he brings with him additional expertise in public relations.”
“I’m thrilled to be working with ThreeSixty Journalism and the enthusiastic students who participate,” Havens said. “Curiosity, critical thinking and communication skills are the foundation for success in any endeavor, and ThreeSixty provides the perfect opportunity to develop those areas.”
Havens joined the Best Buy Communications team in June 2014 after spending more than a decade in newsrooms, including the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He has leveraged his journalism expertise to significantly improve the Best Buy’s employee communications vehicles, creating more timely and in-depth stories and helping to launch a new external blog targeted at consumers. His job, as a manager in Communications, is a mix of coaching, planning, editing and writing, in addition to keeping an eye on what’s happening in the communications field.
A graduate of the University of St. Thomas journalism program, Havens has nearly 15 years in journalism, with roles at newspapers in Minnesota and South Carolina. Twelve of those years were spent at the Star Tribune, where he was an editor of the online home page, a reporter covering St. Paul and Ramsey County government, and a copy editor/layout editor for news and sports. Before that he was a night general assignment reporter in Duluth, Minnesota.
“Chris is going to be a fabulous addition to the ThreeSixty board. Not only is he an experienced — and talented — journalist, he brings with him additional expertise in public relations,” ThreeSixty board member and St. Thomas Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies Dr. Wendy Wyatt said. “What’s more, Chris is a devoted St. Thomas alumnus who can help further develop connections between alumni and ThreeSixty. I’m terrifically grateful that Chris is willing to join us and look forward to seeing him more often.”
Havens returns to St. Thomas each year as a judge in the Communication and Journalism Department’s (COJO) ethics bowl, a competition required of all COJO seniors.
Havens lives in St. Paul with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys cooking, traveling and being a ballet dad.
