By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Kerry Wasinger is the new general counsel executive assistant to the president of Fort Hays State University.

She is also co-chair of the Critical Incident Policy Group on campus, along with Ed Howell, FHSU director of police and security.

This is her second week in the position and Tuesday, she observed the university’s “active shooter” exercise.  On a normal day, Wasinger said, her job involves “a little bit of everything.”

“Everything from policy and advice to President Mirta Martin and the rest of the administration, reviewing and signing contracts which are of an inordinate amount at the university, and working with Chief Howell on a regular basis–beyond the emergency management side.

“We have a large amount of faculty and students who are from overseas. I work with them to make sure they’re getting their paperwork directed in the right direction.  We don’t do their visas for them, but we help direct them and get their paperwork gathered for the university’s side of it.

“When my mom asked me what I was going to be doing,  I told her it’s very similar to being a city attorney and my ‘city’ is Fort Hays State,” Wasinger said with a smile.

Wasinger previously worked as a staff attorney for Kansas Legal Services and the 23rd Judicial District Court trustee before joining the Herman Law Office in Hays in 2013.

She replaces Todd Powell, who resigned in January after 10 years as FHSU’s general counsel to return to private practice.