New Marketing & Communications Director

Boone Health is pleased to announce that effective Monday, August 5, Christian Basi joins Boone Health as the Director of Marketing and Communications.

Christian Basi has been with the University of Missouri for the past 32 years —first as a student intern and then for more than 29 years in the university’s News Bureau, beginning as a writer and eventually being named director in 2017.

In his role promoting the news of the university and helping manage issues and crisis communications, he has been responsible for more than 90,000 local, state, national and international positive media placements, ensuring millions of people were aware of the research discoveries and award-winning programs and people at the University of Missouri. Assisting with issues and crisis communications, Basi routinely offered advice and counsel to administrators, and has served as the main spokesperson for the university, becoming known by many as the face of Mizzou. Basi holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree and a master’s degree of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with an emphasis in administration, both from MU.

In addition to his media relations work at MU, during his career Basi developed the “Hometown Connections” program, where personalized stories regarding students’ accomplishments were sent to hometown papers throughout the state and nation; created and managed the first website for the MU News Bureau; oversaw the university’s main social media channels prior to the establishment of the Social Media department; collaborated regularly with the School of Journalism to provide journalism students with key experience during their collegiate careers; and worked collectively with the marketing and internal communicators at Mizzou to reach important audiences throughout the state and nation.

Basi is an advocate for people with disabilities, serving on the State of Missouri’s Special Education Advisory Panel and the Columbia Public School District’s Special Education Committee. He worked with the MU College of Education for more than five years to establish the PAWS program (Preparing Adults for Work & Society), a two-year certificate program for people with cognitive disabilities.

In his spare time, Basi plays the piano, co-leading a choir with his wife at Our Lady of Lourdes, and performing with his family to raise money for Down Syndrome support in mid-Missouri. He also is a MSHSAA-certified umpire for baseball and softball, having umpired for more than 20 years.

Basi lives in Columbia with his wife of 25 years, Kathleen, and their four children, Alex, Julianna, Nicholas and Michael.