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THIS TIME IT'S PERSONNEL

by Jim Morgan

Hitting a home run isn't easy. Sure, baseball greats like Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa make it look simple, but anyone who has ever played the game knows that tagging the long ball takes a blend of skill, patience, and luck. Immodest as it might sound, we at RL Hudson are proud to say we've hit a few homers in our day. As a matter of fact, we knocked one well out of the park when Rosannah Townsend became our director of personnel development.

Those of you who have been following the box scores know that Rosannah is not a recent acquisition. She first joined our team back in September of 1987 as an inventory control specialist. She soon transitioned into our purchasing manager, then served as an account manager for five years. During that time, she took it upon herself to work informally as a mentor for new employees, helping them become better accustomed to their work procedures and to the needs of our customers. When someone suggested that this training function be formalized, Rosannah enthusiastically agreed.

"I really liked the idea," she recalls. "I began to see it as my own personal – or personnel – crusade, so I pitched the idea to Roger [Stair, one of our vice presidents]. I said, ‘This is what I want to do: I want to work with every new person we hire, so each of them will start with the same training. It'll be easier for us as a company and much better for both our suppliers and our customers.' As a result of this talk, I was given the opportunity to be our first-ever director of personnel development. And guess what – I love it!"

So does Ronda Lau, who became our newest account manager in March. As such, she was immediately taken under Rosannah's wing. "My training with Rosannah was essential," says Ronda. "She was right there with me as I learned our computer system, and she presented the applications of the software in a very understandable way. It is extremely reassuring to have someone I can call on to help me understand my job completely."
Even as she works with our current employees, Rosannah is also busy scouting out a number of training-related issues that she wants to address in the months ahead. As she sees it, one of her biggest priorities is the production of a video-based technical curriculum designed specifically for new employees. It's a project that will take some time to develop, but Rosannah is confident that, once completed, it will pay dividends for many years.

"I'm not yet where I want to be in doing everything I have planned," she says, "but we're definitely making progress, and I'm excited about what's in the works. I've been known to be a little bit impatient sometimes, but I've learned that you have to be very
patient, with both circumstances and with people. Life's a whole lot better when you are, and, ultimately, you get a lot more accomplished. Besides, it takes time to train someone well, and I consider that time to be a very worthwhile investment in the future."

Off the playing field, Rosannah devotes her energies to the home team, comprised of her husband Paul (a pharmacist) and her two daughters, Stacy (a nurse) and Danielle (a pharmacist-in-training). Three grandsons – Jaylin (age 5), Juliene (3), and Josiah (2) – round out the roster. "I can afford to be a little more lenient with the boys than I was with my daughters," Rosannah says with a smile. "Besides, as a grandma, I'm expected to spoil my grandkids."

Rosannah is also very active in her church, where she oversees the Helps Ministry made up of ushers, greeters, and counselors. Just as she does in the RL Hudson offices, Rosannah takes it upon herself to make others in the congregation feel welcome and comfortable. "I'm a firm believer that it's just as much my church as anyone else's, and that being the case, I have just as much responsibility as anyone else to make sure people's spiritual needs are being met. Whether it's a smiling face or a kind word or a silent hug, that's my responsibility. If I can be there when somebody needs me, I feel like I've really accomplished something. That's my version of a home run."