Title: Owner, Founder
Company: Evil Eye Creative Studio
Education: BFA in Communication Design, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Summa Cum Laude (2019); BA in Art History, Minor in Classical Civilization, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Summa Cum Laude (2019)
Career History: Director of Communications, National Rural Education Association (2025-Present); Project Media Manager, Rural CTE Grant, ROE26 (2025-Present); Director of Communications, Arizona Rural Schools Association (2024-Present); Director of Communications, The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (2024-Present); Owner, Founder, Communications and Design Consultant, Evil Eye Creative Studio (2019-Present); Rural Illinois CTE Grant Media and Marketing Support, Western Illinois University (2025); Communications Consultant, National Rural Education Association (2021-2025); Lead Producer, TOC Direct Media (2021-2025); Communications Consultant, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2024); Communications Consultant, The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (2018-2024); Media and Advocacy Manager, Rural Schools Collaborative (2023); Advocacy Media Coordinator, Rural Schools Collaborative (2021-2023); Advocacy Liaison, National Rural Education Association (2019-2020); Advocacy Liaison, Rural Schools Collaborative (2019-2020); Graphic Designer, AlterEgo Marketing (2019); Animator, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2018-2019); Marketing Intern, HireLevel (2018-2019); Amazon Prime Student Ambassador (2017-2019); Digital Media Specialist, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2017-2018); IT Customer Service Representative, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2016-2017)
Hailey Nicole Winkleman, Owner and Founder at Evil Eye Creative Studio, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the fields of communications and graphic design.
Growing up, Ms. Winkleman’s parents were always supportive of her artistic pursuits, though she wasn’t sure how to build a career with them. But in high school, she took a Photoshop and web design course, led by an impactful instructor, Jason Craig, which completely changed her perspective on what she could do for the rest of her life. She later attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where she initially began as a marketing major but quickly switched to graphic design, and ultimately graduated summa cum laude in 2019, with a Bachelor of Science in art history and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in communication design.
Having gained sufficient work experience during her college years as an intern, digital media specialist, and freelance consultant, Ms. Winkleman launched her career officially as a graphic designer at AlterEgo Marketing in 2019. That same year she founded her own communications and design consultancy firm, Evil Eye Creative Studio, which she’s been running ever since. In this capacity, she has consulted for a variety of businesses and projects in design, communications, and marketing/advertising throughout Illinois and beyond, including the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools, the National Rural Education Association, and the I Am a Rural Teacher national advocacy campaign funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Among her myriad responsibilities, she manages her team; collaborates with clients across the country, including rural advocacy clients in education; and attends several conferences every fall, performing on-site photography and videography, handling live social media posts, and providing any technical support needed.
One of Ms. Winkleman’s most proud achievements has been her work with rural education organizations since 2018. Through her marketing efforts in a dedicated campaign, she and her team played a pivotal role in the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 1787 in both the Illinois House and Senate in 2023, which established the Rural Education Advisory Council—a carefully selected group that works directly with the Illinois State Board of Education to advocate for issues specific to rural schools. To accomplish this, they conducted extensive grassroots marketing, including printed materials, mailing, emailing, and leveraging social media to spread the message. She ultimately earned a commemorative plaque in recognition of her efforts. She’s currently active as the Director of Communications with the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools, the National Rural Education Association, and the Arizona Rural Schools Association.
In 2024, Ms. Winkleman spearheaded a campaign aimed at replacing the aging curtains in her hometown high school, some of which dated back to the 1980s. This endeavor was part of a larger campaign in collaboration with the Carmi League of Arts. While the initial focus was on fundraising, it eventually shifted to awareness and advocacy. The group ultimately succeeded in bringing the issue before the school board, which agreed to the replacement. By the end of the year, just in time for the students’ fall musical, new curtains were installed. While she did not singlehandedly raise the funds, her awareness campaigns effectively highlighted the potential safety hazards of the old curtains, marking a significant achievement.
Attributing her success to several mentors throughout her life, Ms. Winkleman looks forward to continuing her important work in the future. She would specifically like to thank David Ardrey, Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Dr. Allen Pratt, John Glasgow, Jc Tinsley, Nic Skovgaard, Don Winkleman, and Sherry Passmore for their continued support and mentorship. One of her goals in the next five to 10 years is to expand her advocacy for rural schools to other states. In addition, she hopes to expand her efforts to support more nonprofits, particularly in rural education, and help young people in K-12 education. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys doing community theater, singing, drawing, traveling, studying history, and spending time with her three dogs, Athena, Nike, and Calliope.