Over the past 35 years, Marilyn Hawkins has worked with a diverse group of corporations and other organizations. Before forming her own firm, Hawkins was VP/Marketing at The Rockey Company in Seattle and she began her agency career as VP/Public Relations at Sharp Hartwig Advertising. Her greatest expertise is in marketing communications, media relations and crisis response.

Hawkins is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and a past PRSA Puget Sound Chapter President.  She was named the Chapter’s “PR Professional of the Year” and received the “Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2014.  She was named a “Marketing Immortal” by Seattle’s Marketing magazine in 2018. An established teacher and corporate coach, she served five years as an instructor in the University of Washington’s PR Certificate program.

Her client experience includes work with AT&T, Xerox, The Oregon Community Foundation, Medtronic/Physio-Control, The Home Depot, Swedish Health Services, Kimberly-Clark, Associated Grocers, MultiCare Health System, Asante Health System, the John Stanford International School and others.

After years as a buttoned-down communications consultant in Seattle, she relocated to sunny Ashland, Oregon, and fell hard for the fast-growing Rogue Valley wine industry. Thoroughly smitten, she “chased the grape” to Walla Walla in 2016. Hawkins helps wine businesses effectively market themselves, build their reputation and communicate with important audiences. She serves on the Advisory Committee for the Institute for Enology & Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College, teaches a “Writing for Wineries” course, and coordinates the Wine Marketing Roundtable. 

Hawkins is a WSU graduate and completed all coursework for an advanced degree in English at the University of Washington. She has served as a mentor to Murrow College seniors and is a lifetime member of the WSU Alumni Association.