Mary E. Evins

It is with profound sadness, deep respect, and great love that we announce the passing of Mary E. Evins — a truly unique and unforgettable woman. Mary was an icon in the Austin and Texas business community and a legend in the Texas staffing industry.

Mary founded Evins Personnel Consultants on August 20, 1967, at a time when very few women owned or operated their own businesses. After spending more than 20 years traveling the world as the wife of Command Sergeant Major Chester A. Evins, she looked at the future of military retirement life and said, “That’s not enough.” So she built something more.

Drawing on the many skills she learned over decades of working whatever jobs were available to an Army wife, Mary created a future not only for herself and her family, but eventually for thousands of people whose lives she touched through her work.

Over those years, Mary worked as a retail clerk, telephone operator, door-to-door salesperson selling vacuum cleaners, flatware, and waterless cookware, undercover security auditor, bookkeeper, and much more. Every job taught her something valuable, and she carried those lessons into the business she would later build.

At 37 years old, she opened Evins Personnel Consultants, Inc. in the Westgate Tower next to the Texas Capitol in Austin. From that first office, the company eventually grew to 14 offices across Texas.

Mary had an extraordinary eye for people and surrounded herself with exceptional individuals who shared her vision. There were many who found not just jobs at Evins, but a true home and family. Mrs. E, as her staff affectionately called her, loved her employees in a deeply personal and maternal way. Many people helped her build Evins Personnel over the years. Too many to name each but some made special contributions that she would want recognized: Vera Wilkes, Don Warner, Lana Reed, Janie Sides, Wendy Chance, Roger Lozano, Roberta McCollum, Marc Chandler, Cecilia Murphy, Marian Lyerly, Jim Brooks, Inez Gillen, Barbara McDonald, Claire St John, Albert Gonzales, Charles Lee, Donna O’Dell, Tom Ray, Sylvia Reeves, Dorothy Milner and John Porterfield. There are many more and Mrs. E appreciated you all!

She held high standards for herself and expected the same from everyone around her. Her work ethic was legendary. She could be demanding and, as one longtime employee lovingly described her, “a fiery redhead,” but her staff always knew they mattered to her. Once you worked at Evins Personnel, you became family.

That was one of Mary’s great secrets to building a successful company for 54 years: finding good people, believing in them, and keeping them close. Perhaps Mary’s greatest gift was her ability to see the best in people. She recognized potential where others often did not. She believed in people, encouraged them, and helped them dream bigger for themselves. And no one worked harder to help dreams come true. She wanted everyone to succeed!

Mary was known for her professionalism, organization, and exceptionally high standards. She wrote procedures and training manuals for nearly every position in the company. She proudly hosted annual company conferences that focused on education, training, motivation, and recognizing both individual and team accomplishments. One of her favorite moments each year was announcing how many people Evins Personnel had helped place into new jobs and careers. The numbers were extraordinary. Over the decades, thousands of people found jobs, careers, and new beginnings through Evins Personnel. In 2020, the final year Mary owned the company, Evins Personnel had more than 2,000 employees working at client sites. Multiply that over 54 years and her impact becomes almost impossible to measure.

People frequently stopped Mary just to shake her hand and thank her for helping them when they needed work or for helping launch their careers. She always remained humble about it, guided by the philosophy of Zig Ziglar: “You can get everything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Mary believed that meaningful work could change lives, and helping people find that work became her life’s mission. She also mentored countless people on how to live successfully. She taught the importance of believing in yourself, setting ambitious goals, working consistently, and visualizing success. She believed strongly in the power of mindset and often spoke about the “law of attraction” — the idea that positive thinking, determination, and hard work could help shape your future. She reminded people often that they were writing their own stories. And she certainly wrote hers.

Mary’s professional accomplishments were numerous, but several were especially meaningful to her.

In 1999, she was inducted into the National Association of Personnel Consultants Hall of Fame and recognized for her pioneering leadership, innovation, and willingness to take risks.

She helped professionalize the recruiting industry by developing the first Personnel Services Industry certification program in the early 1970s. That program became a model for certification programs nationwide, and thousands of recruiters have since become Certified Personnel Consultants (CPCs).

She was the third woman business owner to join the Austin Chamber of Commerce — and quite possibly the first woman founder.

In 1975 she was presented with the Governor’s Award for Women in Leadership and later appointed as the first woman to chair the Texas regulatory board overseeing the employment services industry. For more than 40 years, she remained the only woman in the US to have held that distinction.

Mary also served multiple terms as President of the Austin Private Employment Association.

Throughout the years, Mrs. Evins and her company were regularly recognized by Texas media and business organizations as one of the Top Staffing Firms in Texas, one of the Largest Woman-Owned Businesses in Texas, one of Austin’s Fastest Growing Companies, and one of the city’s Top Employers.

She was recognized so many times by the Austin Business Journal as a “Profile in Power” recipient that she eventually asked her staff to stop nominating her so other women could have the opportunity to be honored.

In 2017, Mrs. Evins received a special recognition award from the Austin Human Resource Management Association (now Austin SHRM) for being the organization’s longest-serving vendor and sponsor, supporting the association continuously since its inaugural annual conference in 1987. She first joined the Austin Personnel Association in the 1970s as an affiliate member.

In 2022, Evins Personnel Consultants established the Mary E. Evins Scholarship Award through Austin SHRM, funding annual scholarships to support the next generation of HR leaders committed to professional growth and development.

Mary Evins was a true trailblazer — in business, in the staffing industry, and in life. But beyond all her accomplishments, she was a woman of heart, determination, generosity, and lasting impact.

In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Mary was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She cared for her husband through a 35-year illness. She was present at every event for her two sons and all the grandkids (and great grandkids)! She loved motor homing and especially enjoyed spending summers traveling with family and road tripping to annual family reunions. Mary was known for hosting epic holiday dinners and she always ensured everyone received an invite. Surprise guests showed up frequently for her gracious hospitality. She had exquisite taste in clothes, jewelry, and home furnishings. Her home was immaculate, decorated in gold and white, and filled with treasures from her many travels. She especially loved the jungle motif, and her favorite clothes were leopard prints.

She gave back quietly and generously to many causes, especially organizations supporting veterans, families, and those in need, including The Salvation Army.

Mrs. Evins was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Command Sergeant Major Chester A. Evins; her son, Guyland W. Evins; her parents, W.A. Richard and Francis Treadwell; her beloved former daughters-in-law, Kathy Senterfitt and Regina West; and her siblings, Jack Treadwell, Jill Clegg, and Richard Lee Treadwell.

She is survived by her son, Jeffrey A. Evins and wife Lisa; daughters Kaitlyn and husband Matt and their son Mills; Lauren and husband Jeremy and their son Theo; Guyland’s daughters Michelle Evins, her children Matthew, Katrise, Brandon, and Hailee; and Monique Mattson, her husband Russell and her children Brittnee and Patrick; as well as a bounty of great-great grandchildren.

Her family wants to especially thank the wonderful friends and committed caregivers that cared for Mary over the last 8 years: Ann Bradford, Ronnie Mimms, Esperanza Espinoza, Jane Giddens, Grace Ibarra, Robin Clary, Desiree Hernandez, Jennifer Jackson, Heather Bagley, and Margarete LeMaire.

While Mrs. Evins loved flowers and would certainly appreciate their beauty, what she loved most was helping people. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be considered in her honor to organizations such as The Salvation Army, the First Baptist Church of McAlester OK (founded by her grandfather in 1896), or Unity Church of the Hills in Austin.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 16, at 1:00 p.m. at Unity Church of the Hills, 9905 Anderson Mill Rd 78750. Interment will follow at Capital Memorial Gardens, 14501 North IH 35 78660.

Mary Evins spent her life believing in people, building opportunities, and helping others succeed. Her legacy lives on in the thousands of lives she changed, the family she loved fiercely, and the company and community she helped build.

She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.