Vice President of Advancement Brooke Peterson named Bryce Pendleton the new director of Marketing and Communications at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, beginning June 2. He will oversee the university's marketing strategies, communications, and branding initiatives, as well as the Marketing and Communications department.
Pendleton joins BYU–Hawaii from Southern Virginia University (SVU), where he served in numerous marketing, communications, and technology roles, including most recently as the Vice President of Brand and Technology.
“Bryce is an incredible professional with more than 10 years of experience in higher education branding and marketing,” said Vice President Peterson. “During his time at SVU, he directed a full visual identity rebrand and redesigned and rebuilt a responsive university website from the ground up. We are excited to bring his testimony and talents to BYU–Hawaii.”
Pendleton graduated as valedictorian from SVU with double majors in Art and Political Science, where he also earned ESPN Academic All-American honors as a basketball player and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society. He later completed the M.Arch III architecture program at Virginia Tech and worked at an architecture firm before returning to SVU as an instructor of design and UX designer on the marketing team.
"I believe deeply in the power of education and in the Lord's commandment to seek learning by study and by faith,” said Pendleton. “Education opens doors of opportunity and prepares disciples of Jesus Christ to lead and serve — I'm inspired by the opportunities that BYU–Hawaii provides for students and the generational impact those opportunities create.”
Originally from Washington state, Pendleton served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Nevada Las Vegas mission. He and his wife, Neely, met as students at SVU and were married in the Washington D.C. Temple. Neely served a full-time mission in the Arizona Tempe mission before earning a B.A. in Spanish. She has worked as an elementary school Spanish teacher, taught early morning seminary, and served for nearly 12 years as the head cheer coach at SVU.
The Pendletons have spent much of their married lives serving and working with youth and young adults; Bryce has served as an elder’s quorum president, Young Men’s president, a counselor in a YSA ward bishopric, and in a Sunday School presidency. Together they have three children, and when not at work, the family enjoys spending time at the beach, watching sports (especially basketball), catching an episode of Bluey, and studying the gospel of Jesus Christ.