Every week, the office of University President Jesse Rogers can be busy place with university officials, donors, and staff. Behind the are three women who work closely with Rogers on a day-to-day basis.
Ruth Ann Ray, assistant to the president, has worked in the president’s office for eight years. She said one of the most challenging parts of working in the office is greeting people with the right attitude that comes to the door.
“Dr. Rogers comes in every day and he is ready to work,” Ray said. “I have never seen a man worked more hours, he’s here every day and when he is ready to work, you’re ready to work for him.”
Debbie Barrow, director of Board and Government Relations, has worked in the president’s office for 35 years. Over the years, she has worked with four, but she said her relationship with Rogers has grown leaps and bounds over the years and it’s something that keeps the university moving forward.
“Each president that I’ve worked for has a different needs and different things that they thought was important, so I think that we found a nice balance with our office staff to help make it go smoothly and I think that we have a very strong team, and we work well together”
Barrow met Rogers when she was 22 years old and was a student worker in the president’s office when he was the vice president of Academic Affairs.
“I feel that he has been in the big events in my life, he was there when I got married,” Barrow said. “He’s seen me pregnant, watch my daughter grow up and I feel like he is a part of my family and has been a really good part.”
As part of her job, Barrow and Rogers regularly head to Austin to meet with Texas legislators to discuss matters of higher education. In these political exchanges, she said, she has been along with Rogers, fighting for college funding and other issues that affect college campus statewide. According to Barrow, those trips over the years have been an important part of keeping MSU funded and profitable.
Ray said the mechanical engineering program has been a project Rogers has invested in over the years, and it’s a program she has benefited from because her son has graduated from the program.
“I really don’t think I can’t imagine that program getting off the ground if it wasn’t for Dr. Rogers,” Ray said. “He wanted it. He knew enough about it to talk about it to be able to convince others about it and he could talk the donors, explaining to them it’s importance so that was really special.”
Rogers’ strong track record of getting things done is something his executive secretary Cindy Ashlock agrees with.
“During his presidency, he has raised roughly over $90 million dollars in donation funds,” Ashlock said. “I can’t raising $90 much less $90 million. That’s just incredible.”
As his executive secretary, Ashlock deals one-on-one with the president on his week appointments, travel arrangements, sometimes serves at his comic relief.
“I met him when I first worked started here and I thought he was such a dork and so funny and fun to work with on that level,” Ashlock said. “He’s a lot of fun to work for. He’s a scientist by training so you think of a pencil holder geek type, but he spreads outside of that. It’s been a fun 14 years.”
Barrow said a new president will bring a different personality.
“It’s finding the right fit for the office and then our job, as his support staff is to try to make the environment function well and smoothly.” she said.
At the end of the day, Barrow said change isn’t easy.
“I have worked with him or for him for more than half of my life,” Barrow said. “So, it’s going to be very odd for him not to be there, but I am so excited for him to get to move on to this next chapter of his life.”