More than Words: Rusty Surette’s Service Through Storytelling
In the Brazos Valley, the name “Rusty Surette” has become nearly synonymous with local news. He’s who the community turns to when they need answers, updates, or to shine a spotlight on someone in need—but few know the true story behind the man who’s spent decades telling everyone else’s.
Learning to Love Service-The Formative Years
Rusty got his start in his hometown of Port Arthur near Beaumont, TX. His family, a small blue-collar bunch, would gather together every evening to watch the news and hear about the breaking stories from all around the world. In his adolescent orbit, Rusty’s grandfather shone brighter than all the others. He saw his grandfather as “the smartest person in the world,” a man plugged into every source of knowledge — from glowing television screens to the rustle of the morning paper.
Around age 14, his grandparents gifted him a police scanner and a video camera after he expressed an interest in pursuing law enforcement as a career. There were nights in his childhood that were red, white, and blue in memory, the result of familial struggles involving substance abuse. Moments gripped by volatility were diffused thanks to the calm intervention of the Beaumont Police Department. Those moments shaped his desire to pursue a career devoted to serving others.
Rusty would sleep next to that police scanner, waiting for a voice to crackle through with news of a crime in progress. More than once, he admitted, he snuck out to capture video footage of the scenes—footage he later sold to the local TV station for $30 a pop. The station eventually got wise and hired Rusty on part time at age 16 for $4.25/hour.
Rusty’s family was always supportive of his dreams and pursuits: “Had I not had a support system and people on my side providing me with the equipment, I don’t know where I would have gone.” Over the next few years, Rusty started to realize that his desire to help people could be fulfilled through storytelling and journalism. With that, his path to KBTX began.
Childhood Dreams to Social Streams
Raised on small-town streets in a family that stayed where life planted them, a bright-eyed Rusty Surette dared to break the mold. The next several years would take him from one corner of America to the other, chasing stories while cementing his place in the world of broadcast journalism. Between stints in places like Las Vegas, Raleigh, and Lake Charles, Rusty paused his broadcast career to give back with the American Red Cross. With a resume like this, it’s no wonder he became a beloved local figure.
Rusty did not attend college, but instead learned the craft through hands-on experience. He attributes his skills to several patient mentors over the years who taught him everything from video editing to producing, reporting, and finally news anchoring. Rusty’s impeccable resume and heart of gold led him to our close knit community in 2015, where he was offered a position with KBTX.
It took several years for Rusty to become the household name that we know him as today. He described to me what he believes it takes to be become a great reporter: “When it comes to media, you have to build trust with your community. You have to be embedded in the community, you have to go and work for that non-profit and dedicate your time, or show up to that little league game, or just listen to people who reach out to you.” Rusty’s idea of a great reporter sounds a lot like how I’d describe an ideal mayoral candidate… but I digress.
In regard to how he handles the constant attention, he had this to say: “As I became more ‘well-known’, the more scrutinized things were when I would post different material or content on social media. Everyone starts to look at it with a fine-toothed comb, and rightfully so, but it’s been a learning experience–At the end of the day, if I can go home and know I was able to share someone's story who otherwise would have remained silent, or expose some sort of wrongdoing or help to correct a wrong, that's a good day.”
In Rusty’s eyes, a newsroom is only as great as the diversity within its body. Having come out as gay in high school, Rusty added his voice to the chorus of representation within KBTX. “A good newsroom is very diverse. Age, religion, background, orientation, everything. It is critical. There’s always back and forth and disagreements but a great newsroom welcomes that.”
I asked Rusty about his experience being open with his sexuality in the public eye. This was his perspective:
“Thankfully, it’s never been an issue. I don’t think one's sexuality is the end all, be all of that person. I am a journalist who happens to be gay. I don’t hide it but I don’t scream it to the mountaintops—If you’re a trustworthy, credible, journalist and you’re there for your community, they will accept you.”
The Next Chapter: Rusty’s Vision and Guidance
So what’s next for Rusty Surette? Initially, I thought, “Surely he has plans to move to a bigger market.” But after spending a little over an hour with him, I wasn’t at all surprised when he told me the exact opposite. “At the end of the day, I like doing what I do, I like where I’m doing it, and I am going to be here to continue doing it. For now, my full intention is to stay here with the people who have backed me and supported me for many years.”
Through the ever-evolving world of media, what keeps Rusty anchored to his work? “The piece of the puzzle that is going to keep journalism alive is that we’re history writers, we’re advocates for our viewers, and we’re responsible for separating the truth from the not so true things. That’s why I still do what I do twenty-something-years later.”
If you’re interested in journalism or want to be a news anchor like Rusty one day, here’s his advice to you:
“Start now. What are you waiting for? Connect with people, build your network, build your portfolio. If you want to get into this business, start doing it yesterday.”
Closing Thoughts
Throughout his life, Rusty has found countless ways to be of service to others, and in doing so fulfills his childhood dreams every day. His playbook is simple but powerful: a life of service is a life well-lived. Rusty’s legacy is not measured in fame, but in his dedication and commitment to the community he serves. If we strive for even a fraction of that commitment to serving each other, we’re headed in the right direction.
While discussing Rusty’s upbringing and all the support he had, he mentioned something that stuck with me. “You can look a young person in the eyes and say ‘you can be anything you want to be’ but if you aren’t providing that person with the support, the resources, or at least pointing them in the right direction…it’s very shallow—Let’s make it more than words.”
While these are absolutely words of wisdom to a community, I also see it as a personal challenge.
I’ve always struggled to take the necessary steps to get my vision out of my head and into reality. It’s easy as pie to imagine you could create something great, but it’s a completely different beast to bring that figment to fruition. “Make it more than words” has been surround sound, bouncing off the walls in my brain this week. I have taken this to heart as a mantra to live by. I want to turn my passion into action and I know I’m not the only one. I challenge you, reader, to step out of your comfort zone this week and do one thing that advances that dream you’ve always kept inside.
I’ll leave you with a quote from my mom, because I have always found I can do hard things when I remember this saying:
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Make it more than words, one bite at a time.
