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: Project Media Manager, Rural CTE Grant, ROE26 (2025-Present); Communications Consultant, Arizona Rural Schools Association (2024-Present); Communications Consultant, National Rural Education 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); Communications Consultant, The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (2018-2023); Rural Illinois Career and Technical Education Grant Media and Marketing Support, Western Illinois University (2025); Lead Producer, The Original Company, Inc. (Now TOC Direct Media) (2021-2025); Communications Consultant, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (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); Graphic Designer, AlterEgo Marketing (2019); Animator, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2018-2019); Digital Media Specialist, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2017-2018); IT Customer Service Representative, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2016-2017); Amazon Prime Student Ambassador, Riddle & Bloom (Now Wasserman Next Gen) (2018-2019); Marketing Intern, HireLevel (2018-2019); Amazon Prime Student Ambassador, Fuse, LLC (2017-2018); Brand Associate, Old Navy, LLC (2017); Customer Service Representative, Dimaggio’s Pizza (2014-2016); Team Member, McDonald’s (2013)
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 field of graphic design.
Attributing her success to the people around her, Ms. Winkleman’s parents were always supportive of her artistic pursuits growing up. In high school, she wasn’t able to enroll in some classes she wanted to, due to limited teachers and course offerings in her small town in Indiana. As a result, she ended up in 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 and a Bachelor of Arts in art history.
Having gained sufficient work experience during her college years as an intern, digital media specialist, and animator, Ms. Winkleman launched her career officially as a graphic designer at AlterEgo Marketing in 2019, the 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 Miss Illinois Organization, 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 four 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 2019. 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 the Illinois Senate in 2023, which established the Rural Education Advisory Council—a carefully selected group that works directly with the 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, a communications consultant for the National Rural Education Association and Arizona Rural Schools Association, and as the project media manager for the Regional Office of Education #26.
In addition, in 2024, Ms. Winkleman spearheaded a campaign aimed at replacing the aging curtains at a high school, some of which dated back to the 1980s. Her efforts were focused on fundraising; she ultimately succeeded in bringing the issue before the school board, which agreed to the replacement. This endeavor was part of a larger campaign in collaboration with the Carmi League of Arts. 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 those around her, including her supportive parents and the several mentors throughout her life, Ms. Winkleman looks forward to continuing her important work in the future. 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.