Western Nevada College News & Notes: Graduate promoted to manager of Reno business publication

After becoming a successful media executive in the area, Alsy Brinkmeyer sought to enhance her skills even more. She did so by going back to school.

As general manager of the Northern Nevada Business Weekly, a community-minded publication, she provides readers with current, useful business information.

By using flexible scheduling that was available at Western Nevada College, Brinkmeyer carefully arranged classes around a demanding work schedule and completed an Associate of Arts degree.

“It was the best thing I could ever have done for myself,” said Brinkmeyer, one of WNC’s 2016 graduates. “It’s never too late to start.”

Brinkmeyer is now pursuing a bachelor’s at the University of Nevada, Reno. In addition, she has taken a larger business role in Northern Nevada. “She’s an example of someone who has progressed through her own drive and commitment, from entry level positions to positions of considerable responsibility in a relatively short period of time,” said former Sierra Nevada Media Group general manager Mark Raymond, whom Brinkmeyer refers to as her mentor.

“Earning the opportunity to take the lead at the Northern Nevada Business Weekly was an exciting moment for me in my career,” said Brinkmeyer. “As a current resident of Reno, I couldn’t have picked a better time to take the lead of this fantastic business publication. The NNBW has been led by some great people in the past and is managed today by a group of passionate people. I’m eager to immerse myself in the Northern Nevada business community and to connect with business leaders that are leading us into the future.”

After beginning as a front-desk receptionist at Swift Communications — owners of the Sierra Nevada Media Group, Nevada Appeal and Northern Nevada Business Weekly — out of high school, Brinkmeyer began taking classes at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. When she relocated to Carson City in 2010 to work for the Sierra Nevada Media Group, she vowed to return to college.

“I enjoyed the smaller college atmosphere and was looking for a school that would allow for the flexibility I needed to work in a demanding career and excel in the classroom. WNC certainly fulfilled that need.”

Brinkymeyer’s ability to attend college while wearing many hats for Swift didn’t surprise Raymond.

“You don’t find too many people as committed to succeeding and improving as Alsy is; she’s very driven,” Raymond said.

“More than anything, my takeaway from WNC was learning how to manage my time effectively, both in the classroom and out,” Brinkymeyer said. “My professors were understanding of my schedule and showed patience.

“I recall one professor who took time to tutor me after our night class, knowing that my day schedule was full. I appreciated his desire to help me succeed more than he probably knew.”

That instructor, Del Byassee, recalls Brinkmeyer’s dedication and commitment to the evening mathematics class he was teaching.

“I appreciate how difficult it is to work all day, then come to class and apply critical thinking skills; that’s tough,” Byassee, said. “I always try to work with students.

“I remember that she worked and tried really hard, and her work ethic allowed her to get one of the highest grades in the class.”

Along with her career, Brinkmeyer is immersed in completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Business at UNR.

“Beyond my B.A., the sky is really the limit,” she said.