EUGENE, Ore. – After three seasons as the Director of Esports for the Beacons, Miles Adkisson announced that he will be resigning from his position. Assistant Director of Esports Elyse Crichton will serve as the Interim Director of Esports for the remainder of the academic year.
 
Associate Athletic Director Sarah Freeman said, "We want to thank Miles for his leadership of our Esports program these last three years. His efforts in recruiting and building team culture helped our program more than quadruple in size. It has been a joy to work with him and to see the impact he's had on our gamers. Thank you Miles, we are sad to see you leave Bushnell but are excited for your next steps and know you'll always be a Beacon for life."
 
Adkisson, who also served as the Director of Admission Operations at Bushnell, has accepted a position as a Senior Business Consultant with Jenzabar. 
 
"I want to thank Sarah Freeman and Bushnell University for all their support these last three seasons," said Adkisson. "The opportunity to be a Beacon has been a privilege. While it is a difficult decision to be stepping away from the program, I am confident it will be in good hands and will only continue to get better."
 
Adkisson oversaw major growth in the Esports program which is now one of the largest teams at Bushnell. Under his leadership, the program has seen a roster increase from seven to more than 25 competitors in just three years. In addition, two student-athletes have been named All-NACE selections.
 
"It was an honor and a joy watching Miles grow this program from six students after its inaugural year to now nearly 30 athletes," said Crichton. "We have added multiple new games under his leadership, and he has been an integral part of our improved streaming growth. While Miles will be missed, we wish him the best in his next chapter. I look forward to a strong spring semester of competition." 
 
Crichton, who has been with the Esports program since 2019 alongside Adkisson, will be stepping into the Interim Director of Esports position for the remainder of the academic year. She also currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Operations at AM Solar in Springfield.
 
Adkisson said, "Elyse has been with me as an assistant since day one when I took over. She is a Beacon through and through and knows what it takes for this program to perform at a high level. I am excited for Elyse in this new role and excited about my new role as one of the program's biggest fans!"
 
A search for the next Director of Esports will begin in the spring.