Getting to Know

Priest spent two years as a pre-medicine major at Kansas State University before realizing the marketing field was where she belonged.

“Surprisingly, I did very well,” she said of her first major. “But I realized the creative side, which I hadn’t been focusing on, was just the right fit for me.

“I can be on the business side but still have that creative drive working. That’s what’s exciting to me, seeing my ideas come to life.”

Priest, 28, grew up in Benton, spending a lot of time at its airport with her father, a professional pilot. She was an intern and then worked at FlightSafety International before taking time off to start a family. She and her husband, Matt, a member of the U.S. Air Force, have two daughters: Ella, 4, and Harper, 1.

At Cohlmia, she works on brand development, website and social media content and more for clients.

“I sort of go where I’m needed,” she said. “I do creative event planning, TV spots, print ads, news releases.”

Priest, who’s working on her MBA from the University of Kansas, said she and her husband enjoy hiking, taking part in community events such as the Bradley Fair summer concerts and traveling to see major league baseball games.

“It’s one of those crazy obsessions,” she said. “We plan a lot of our trips to go to ballparks.”

She’s also involved in raising money and promoting the Honor Flight program that sends military veterans to Washington, D.C. Priest takes her daughters to meet some of the flights when they return to Wichita.

“It teaches our girls why we’re proud of the country,” she said. “We know to show our thanks to the veterans who protect us.”

Joe Stumpe

This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Getting to Know."