A Boss at Leadership: Catching Up With Ron Evans in Working@Duke’s 20th Year

Six years after being featured, a Duke police leader reflects on growth, responsibility and the relationships that still guide his leadership

A man holding a magazine
Duke University Police Department Major Ron Evans was one of the people featured in the cover story of the December 2019/January 2020 issue of Working@Duke. Photo by Travis Stanley.

This story is part of the celebration of the Working@Duke print publication's first 20 years. Since its first issue in 2006, the publication has grown into a dynamic digital source for employee news, storytelling, video and social media. Through 2026, check for more stories.

When Working@Duke last featured Duke University Police Department Major Ron Evans, he was fresh off a yearlong experience in the Duke Leadership Academy and reflecting on what he had learned.

As one of 10 staff and faculty who shared their top professional development tip fro 2020 as part of a cover story, Evans spoke about how the experience reinforced his belief that effective leadership is built on relationships.

In the six years since, Evans’ role has expanded, requiring him to step into new areas of policing and adapt to new challenges. But the foundation of how he leads has remained steady, shaped by the Duke Leadership Academy lessons.

As Working@Duke celebrates its 20th anniversary, we catch up with Evans, who appeared in the magazine’s 105th issue, to revisit how his career and leadership have grown in the years since.

As part of the Working@Duke magazine cover design, a photo of Ron Evans was made to look like a comic book drawing. Evans has a version of this image on his office wall.
When Evans was featured in Working@Duke, what was happening in his life?

Evans had served 28 years in the Durham Police Department before joining Duke in 2010. Early in his career at Duke, Evans served as a patrol lieutenant, overseeing a nightly squad of about 20 police and security officers and emergency dispatchers.

Just before entering the Duke Leadership Academy in 2018, Evans was promoted to major, taking on oversight of all patrol operations and a team about five times larger than the one he had led as lieutenant. He shared his experience with Working@Duke the following year.

“When I made major, there was an increase in good and bad stuff, a lot of challenges and opportunities,” Evans said. “It made me think about things I didn’t know about leadership and life.”

Why was it important for Evans to share his story?

Evans wanted to show that there’s more to being a good leader than simply handling the job. By truly exploring the ways effective leaders can lift people around them and create environments where creativity and camaraderie can flourish, they can harness the full potential of the role.

Evans said his time in the Duke Leadership Academy, a Duke Human Resources program, reshaped how he thinks about active listening and deepened his focus on helping teams and its members thrive.

“The leadership academy brings your curiosity out,” he said. “It makes you think of things in a more scientific way and opens your mind to different levels of leadership.”

What changed in his life since he was featured in Working@Duke?

In 2025, Evans took on the role of overseeing the department’s emergency communications team. It’s run out of a state-of-the-art communications center with complex video monitoring and communications systems that field emergency calls from community members and keeps all emergency personnel at Duke University and Duke University Hospital connected and informed.

“I like to be present, I like to encourage people. If I had to pick my leadership style, it would probably be that of a servant leader,” he said. “I care about the well-being and good feelings of my teammates.”

What has kept Evans at Duke?

Now in his 16th year at the Duke University Police Department, Evans appreciates the way that Duke community members seem invested in growth. Whether it’s being around students chasing their dreams or staff members moving through their careers, Evans said the feeling of collective momentum is thrilling.

“Everyone wants to be successful at Duke,” Evans said. “The opportunities are there.”

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