Deanna Byar

Alan Watts once said, "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." I've always had a passion to learn, to discover new things, to welcome change instead of fighting it. That passion has led me to always keep going because nothing lasts forever, good or bad. Creating a stable life doesn't mean creating a stagnant life; I've always found a way to achieve what I put my mind to, even if the path I took didn't look how I thought it would when I started.

My environmental sustainability professor, Dr. Richard Jurin, gave me advice that I still carry with me today. When I was transitioning out of clean energy work at the Department of Energy to go work for the City of Commerce City, I had this slight sense of guilt that I was leaving the clean energy field. Dr. Jurin really supported me and told me that sustainability has everything to do with everything on our planet. The fact that I was transitioning to support my local community and local residents was just as important as doing the clean energy part of it. It's not just clean energy and clean transportation - I was doing the social component of sustainability. His advice lessened the guilt I'd been feeling that I wasn't in the field I had set out in, because in a way, I still was. He had so many things that he would say in his classes that I still hear in my head to this day as I'm living my daily life.

Don't be afraid to speak up. Trust that you are an expert in this field. Your input and your perspective is unique to you and vital in a communications world. Every single perspective that somebody brings to the table is what makes sure that we don't miss the mark in our communication because we didn't think of something. Speaking up doesn't have to mean being disrespectful. You have a voice, and it is valid, and it does deserve to be heard.

In communications, you're sending out messages to the audience you're trying to communicate with, and you never know when your voice is going to speak for them. It's not guaranteed that somebody's going to pay attention or hear you, but that's what you're there for - to at least try to be the voice of people that have similar experiences and similar perspectives to you.

Right now, government communications feels like it’s balancing on a tightrope. People want information instantly, clearly, and in plain language, all of which they deserve. However, at the same time, government decisions move slower than the internet does. When you add in declining trust and a fragmented media landscape where misinformation can spread in minutes, and it can feel daunting. But I also see it as an incredible opportunity. When communications is brought to the table early and treated as a strategic partner, not just the team that “writes the press release,” we help people understand not just what their government is doing, but why. And when we do that well, we build trust one conversation at a time.

Trust is at the center of everything for me, both giving it and earning it. I care deeply about being dependable. There’s something incredibly fulfilling about knowing that the people in my life, personally and professionally, feel steady when they think of me. That they know I’ll show up, follow through, and do what I say I’m going to do.

I also really value joy. Laughing during the good times, not taking life so seriously that we forget to enjoy it. And when things are hard, offering warmth and steadiness instead of distance. Life is going to have both and I want to be someone who can hold space for the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Creativity and freedom matter to me, too. The ability to be fully myself, and to give others that same room to be who they are without judgment. And above all, respect and honesty. I want the people around me to feel valued and safe. I never want to lead someone wrong or act out of spite. If I’m building something, a career, a family, a friendship, I want it built on integrity and kindness.