UALR on Tuesday formally introduced Chasse Conque as the new leader of its athletic department.
The hire, first reported in Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, marks a return to UALR for Conque, who previously worked as manager of donor relations and director of athletic development.
Conque comes to the new position from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he worked as the senior director of development and helped raise $16 million between 2011 and 2014. He starts the new job on Jan. 20.
Speaking at an introductory news conference Tuesday, Conque said he was immediately interested in applying when the job came open, adding it's long been a "dream" to fill such a role.
"I think some kids want to grow up to be cowboys and indians," he told several dozen UALR employees, student athletes and supporters at the Jack Stephens Center. "I wanted to be a collegiate athletic director. I mean that."
Conque, 30, was one of 46 applicants. Those were narrowed down to three finalists who were interviewed on campus last month.
Conque said his tenure will be marked by commitments to both academic achievement and "winning championships."
"Little Rock deserves a strong Division I department of athletics," he said. "It's important. It plays a major role. We have a lot of wonderful things in our community and we can just be that extra piece that we all want it to be."
UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson described Conque as a strong leader who has an inside knowledge of the university's operations but also "some freshness [and] an outsider's perspective."
"He's beholden to no one in the department," Anderson said. "It's a rare opportunity you have to hire such a person."
Former longtime athletic director Chris Peterson resigned last year during a review prompted by comments he made regarding the physical appearance of a UALR soccer player's mother. The comments were captured on a live webcast and broadcast online during a game.
Peterson in a statement released after his resignation said he had apologized for the "insensitive remarks."
See Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full coverage.
