Nathan Reid
Agent, American Family Insurance
Class of 2005 - B.S. Sports Management
Graduating in 2005 with a B.S. in Sports Management and a minor in Business Administration, Nathan was fortunate enough to use both areas of his degree.
“The WWU sports management program was a great foundation for a career in sports. As a 2005 Graduate of the program I landed jobs with the University of Missouri Athletic Department in Athletic Compliance, Keystone Event Staffing in Media Credentials, YMCA Sports Coordinator, and my dream job of working for a KC professional sports team as I got in with the Kansas City Chiefs in season ticket sales.”
His advisor helped him get involved in a career in sports and strongly encouraged internship opportunities to build his resume and sports experience. He also encouraged students to try different types of sports jobs to see which they enjoyed the most and was the best fit for a career in sports.
Together they set up an internship in the summer with YMCA as a Youth Sports Coordinator. While there, Nathan ran the youth sports program in the community. During his senior year, he took advantage of doing a second internship and got connected with the University of Missouri in their Athletic Department working with Athletic Compliance, ensuring that all student-athletes remained informed on NCAA guidelines to maintain eligibility.
Upon graduation, Nathan served as a Graduate Assistant at William Woods to work on a Master’s Degree in Athletic Administration, running the University's Intramural Sports program. Even though he was in the graduate program, his advisor continued to work with him, and got him connected with Keystone Event Staffing for the Mizzou Football games as a Media Credentials Supervisor. He was on the field during home games and made sure that only certain media members were permitted on the field in the pre-game sessions and during the game.
After earning his Master’s Degree, Nathan started working with YMCA as the Sports Coordinator for Adult and Youth Sports. Throughout his experience in the sports field, Nathan enjoyed the recreation, sporting events, and collegiate athletic programs, but realized that his passion was for professional sports. Eventually, he landed an interview with the Kansas City Chiefs as a Season Ticket Sales representative. "After a second interview, I was offered the position and accepted my dream job to work every day at Arrowhead Stadium with a professional sports team, which never would have been possible without the WWU Sports Management program."
As hard as it was, he did choose to leave the Chiefs after a year due to starting a family. Leveraging his Business Administration background, Nathan secured a position at a mortgage lender, and then at a financial institution. Always with an eye out for opportunities, he then used his business experience and Business Administration degree from William Woods to land the “perfect career” as an agent with American Family Insurance.
"This is whole-heartedly the best career fit for myself and family as it provides work-schedule flexibility, financial stability, and a great career in sales/customer service." As the Agency Owner of the Osage Beach and Lake Ozark locations for American Family Insurance, he manages a staff of six, serves over 2,500 clients, and oversee over 2 million dollars in premiums. Every day he is able to make a difference in the lives of clients as he strives to treat each one of them like family.
"The WWU Sports Management and Business Administration programs provided the education and background that I needed to become a successful business owner. The program offered great classes such as: Entrepreneurship, Money and Banking, Marketing, Advertising, and Risk and Insurance. All of these subjects I use every day on the job, and it’s helped me become a successful business owner, and helped our agency grow to become one of the best in the country. I would highly recommend WWU’s Sports Management and Business Administration programs, as they provide students with the knowledge and experience needed to be successful in the real world."