Valdosta State University’s Council on Staff Affairs presented Rosezella Ward, associate director of employee administration and benefits in the Division of Human Resources and Employee Development, with the 2015 Excellence in Service Award during the university’s fall convocation. Ward is one of three staff members to receive the award.
 
“It has been an honor and an encouragement to receive this award,” shared Ward, who began working as a senior secretary in the Division of Human Resources and Employee Development 18 years ago.
 
Ward supervises all aspects of the employee hiring process, including in and out processing, benefits, policy applications, and more.
 
“Rosezella Ward is the backbone of Human Resources and Employee Development,” said Dr. Denise Bogart, director of the Division of Human Resources and Employee Development. “Rosezella is committed to ensuring that every VSU employee — whether it’s a new, current, or retiring employee — is provided with the most appropriate and up-to-date information regarding their benefits and retirement. She has wisely counseled and advised employees with sincere care and guidance at the most vulnerable times in their lives…it is Rosezella who serves the role as parent, teacher, counselor, and therapist when speaking to employees [about] family issues, the birth of a new child, or the passing of a terminally ill parent, family member, or the employee themselves. The importance of ensuring that the right type of person with the right type of caring personality is in this position often goes unnoticed until you find that there is an issue in your own life. VSU can rest assured that the right person is in this most important role.”
 
Ward believes that what sets her apart from others in her career field is the desire to help people succeed. Every day she rededicates herself to the university by providing all of the necessary information and options possible to ensure that each employee is able to make the best choices for his or her career and life success.
 
“She is extremely knowledgeable about her field and always has the answers related to anything HR,” said Stanley Jones, registrar in the Office of the Registrar. “She is honest. When it’s not going to work, she tells you so, but always offers suggestions for next time. She seems to always be in good spirits, which makes her very easy to approach."
 
Ward is described by her co-workers as a humble, kind, dedicated, hardworking, and committed employee whose readiness to assist is always evident.
 
“Her customer service is truly beyond reproach,” said Sherri Adams, assistant director of student employment in the Division of Human Resources and Employee Development. “She exemplifies the qualities that help make Valdosta State University a great place to work.”
 
Ward is the mother of Cassandra Ward, senior administrative secretary in the Office of Academic Affairs, and U.S. Army Sgt. Adrian Crawford, who is stationed in Fort Sill, Okla. She has two grandsons.
 
In her spare time, Ward practices being an “amateur flower and vegetable gardener.” She is a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church; the Morven Rosenwald Alumni Association, a center for community assistance in Brooks County; and the Society for Human Resource Management at the local and national level.
 
COSA presents the Excellence in Service Award each year at the convocation held in the fall. All full-time classified staff employees, with the exception of direct reports to the president, are eligible for the award.