Evyson Beasley, the Creative Services Director at Renton Technical College, received a prestigious regional Rising Star Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. NCMPR is the national organization for communications professionals from two-year colleges. 

Beasley received the District 7 award, which includes colleges in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and Canada. The Rising Star Award recognizes an up-and-coming communication professional at a two-year college who has demonstrated special creativity or ability in college marketing and PR and shows evidence of a promising future. It's awarded annually in each of NCMPR's seven districts, and district recipients automatically qualify to compete for the national award. The award was presented during the district conference, in Vancouver, Wash., Oct. 17-18.

In his five years of the college, Beasley has elevated the college's brand, created impactful and award-winning designs, and spearheaded efforts toward greater inclusivity at the college.

"Evyson consistently exceeds expectations, fosters relationships across campus, and keeps student success and equity at the focus of all his work," said Katherine Hedland Hansen, Executive Director of College Relations and Marketing, who nominated him for the award. "He is also a joy to work with, and everyone at RTC appreciates not only his exceptional work, but the attitude with which he approaches it." 

He founded RTC's Faculty and Staff of Color Network and co-founded the College's Lavender Network and serves as the lead for the RTC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council's Special Projects Committee. He further organizes an annual contingent of RTC staff and faculty attending the Washington Faculty and Staff of Color Conference–a conference for which he serves on the Asian American Affinity Group. Lastly, Evyson serves on the Web Accessibility Team and mentors students. Throughout these service roles, Evyson seeks to build community, listen, and use a critical lens to identify what is missing or needed.

Also at the conference, Beasley and Hedland Hansen accepted three Silver Medallion Awards for creative work at the college: Quick-Turn Video for the 2022 Commencement Highlights; Social Media Post for the LinkedIn post announcing Dr. Yoshiko Harden's appointment as president; and Excellence in Writing for the story on Celebrity Chef Shota Nakajima.

These awards are recognition of the collaborative work of the Communications and Marketing Team, which also includes Web Content Specialist Matt Stephen; Graphic Designer and Photographer Ken Vensel; and Research Assistant Sil Xayamouangbo.