Christian Bishop has been at the forefront of engagement between Fort Riley and the Flint Hill community for nearly 15 years as part of the Fort Riley team. Beginning in April, she will be leading that effort on behalf of Manhattan.
The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce has announced Bishop as the new Military Relations Manager for the Chamber. In Bishop’s new role, she will serve as the liaison between the Manhattan region and Fort Riley.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Christian joining the Chamber team and leading the incredibly important program,” said Jason Smith, President and CEO of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. “We had identified her early in the process as a leading candidate for this position. With her knowledge and connections of both Manhattan and Fort Riley, we know she will hit the ground running and play a huge part of making key connections to protect and grow our relationship with the post.”
Bishop currently serves as the Outreach Services Director for Child and Youth Services at Fort Riley. Previously, she spent three years as a Protocol Specialist in the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters as the lead planner and coordinator for a variety of functions involving community and Fort Riley Leadership. Bishop began her career at Fort Riley as the Child Development Director in Child and Youth Services. She is a graduate of Kansas State University.
“I am excited to join the chamber and build on the relationships between Manhattan and the Fort Riley Community,” Bishop said. “Our collaboration is essential in providing quality of life to soldiers and families during their time at Fort Riley, but also ensuring they choose Manhattan as a place to call their home.”
The Chamber’s military relations program is a joint venture between the City of Manhattan, Riley County, the Little Apple Brigade and private business investment through the Chamber’s economic development program, Advantage Manhattan.
As the new manager of the military relations program, Christian becomes a part of the Chamber’s economic development team. The focus of the economic development program is enhancing economic opportunity for Manhattan area residents by attracting jobs, entrepreneurial ventures and people to the region.