USA Today marketing director finds new journey in teaching, coaching

Christopher Kimble poses for a portrait photo outside of Room 51 during third period at Manteca High School in Manteca, Calif. on Monday November 4, 2024. (ADDISON JACKSON/The Tower)

By ADDISON JACKSON 
The Tower 

In a bustling and active downtown Los Angeles in the mid-1980s and 90s, young Christopher Kimble watched his father work in the towering skyscrapers of corporate America.  

Every morning: Tie a tie. Pack a suitcase. And sometimes, drag your son along with you. Little Christopher cherished these moments, turning the office into his own playground, fiddling with the commercial copying machines. Surrounded by the culture of business and large enterprises, Kimble sought a degree in business management and a life of affluence.  

“Straight out of college, I knew I wanted to be in corporate America,” he said, “and I finished my corporate career with the biggest newspaper company in the (country).” 

Kimble is one of several teachers on campus who utilize their past career experiences to enhance their teachings and devote their knowledge to Manteca students.  

Corporate America  

At a small text start-up in San Ramon, Kimble worked in the sales department and managed salespeople for three years until his big break into the newspaper and digital advertising industry. He was hired at USA Today, the largest newspaper publication in the United States.  

Kimble climbed the management ladder, earning a promotion to manager after only a year. With eight years under his belt, he finished his career as the director of advertising.  

USA Today was a leader in the advertising industry. With partners like Google Premier, Kimble oversaw all revenue generation and was responsible for the oversight of a whopping $10 million budget every year.  

It takes a special persona to make it in business. Previous co-manager Laure Reynolds described the fundamental qualities that facilitated Kimble’s success in the industry.  

“Christopher has a versatile personality that adapts well to a full range of ages, genders, ethnicities, intellects, interests, and the income or social status of nearly everyone he encounters,” she said. 

Christopher Kimble helps Aaliyah Morales on her Business Applications typing assignment during third period in Room 51 at Manteca High School in Manteca, Calif. on Monday November 4, 2024.  (ADDISON JACKSON/The Tower)

Although Kimble’s skills and characteristics were well fit for the advertising field, much of the administrative expertise he developed during his time at USA Today translated into his coaching and teaching career.  

Transition into Teaching 

“Mr. Kimble was always made for teaching, he would hold trainings for large groups of people, and it was always well prepared and delivered at a high level.” 

Manteca High special education teacher and baseball coach, Mark Ruiz, has seen it all. Sharing a similar journey, Ruiz was hired by Kimble at USA Today and later transitioned into a teaching position at Manteca High. Their classrooms both reside in the MHS 50 wing.  

After leaving the newspaper behind, Kimble was notified by Ruiz of an open coaching role in the Manteca High girls basketball program. 

With his love for coaching, he always knew it was something he could return to. Since his youth, Kimble spent a lot of time around kids and teenagers. He coached high school basketball at 19 and his first job was at an after-school program with kids.  

Kimble is currently the junior varsity girls basketball coach and enjoys the steady pace of his lifestyle at Manteca High.  

“I wanted my own time back,” he said, “and want to be able to coach again.” 

It’s a far cry from where he was five years ago at USA Today.  

Late nights and heavy responsibilities were brought on by the pandemic and print was on the decline. The newspaper wanted to convert to a digital platform, and as director, it was a daunting obstacle in Kimble’s career.  

“These are the biggest businesses in the community, and they if needed something at 3 o'clock in the morning, it was my job at the top of that totem pole to make sure they got it,” he said. 

The pressure and competition were immense, driven mostly by money.

“That world is very competitive and cutthroat,” Kimble said. “There’s always someone that wants your job and there were always other companies that wanted my clients.” 

Reynolds touched on the harsh reality of corporate politics and how hard it is to trust anyone.  

“As with most professions, maintaining the truth is difficult for many.  Unfortunately, too many will take liberties with demographic data to skew information based on a particular client's interests,” she said. “It makes it harder for honest professionals to earn trust among potential clients who have been misled by others.” 

After quitting, the corporate weight was lifted from Kimble’s shoulders. Deciding to switch gears, he immersed himself in a more peaceful and humbler environment, where he would make genuine connections with coworkers and students.  

Receiving a much-needed mental refresh, Kimble used the opportunity to give back to the community through his students.  

Content within the Community 

Kimble is grateful to be able to share his business knowledge to his students and help them understand life after high school.  

He is able to give students advice and guidance on even nonbusiness matters as he has worked with clients from many different fields. Kimble’s vast variety of knowledge makes him a great person to go to with any questions regarding career or life advice.   

Local connections around Manteca tie his past career to the present, from blue collar settings to nurses, Kimble has recruited and worked with many people in the past as they still bear relevance in the Manteca community today.  

Having students and coworkers from all sorts of backgrounds and being able to connect with them through different aspects of business and industry. 

“All the skills I learned even in business school, my experiences in the workplace, managing people, dealing with different backgrounds, dealing with different types of people, working with different industries, has kind helped shape my lens of how I view people and my students,” Kimble said. 

As Kimble’s life has almost come full circle, it brings him joy to be a part of a unified community like Manteca.  

“This is the community,” he said. “Like I'm in the community every day with the kids of the community, and so that connection between my old job and this one is all really cool, and I think that's kind of been a central thing in my life, always.”