Tony has seen some changes at Ross during the past five years. But, more than that, he’s played an important role in bringing those changes about.

The Ross Leadership Team unanimously nominated Tony for the MVP spotlight. “Everyone in the organization recognizes Tony’s superior work ethic, attention to detail, accuracy and availability,” explains Ross CEO, Paul Mitchell. “Tony exemplifies our leadership keys: Accountable, Prepared, Proactive and Analytical.”

Tony says economic conditions naturally spurred interest in post-secondary education over the past two years, but a number of moves initiated by the Leadership Team ensured Ross would be the first choice among prospective students.

“Upgrading our facilities and equipment, rolling out new locations and refining our curriculum strengthened our programs and our position in the allied health career education segment,” he explains.

Re-engineering Ross’ graduate placement strategy also put Ross ahead of the competition as the job market changed, he says: “We put a greater emphasis on developing relationships with employers to create job and externship leads.”

With all that in the past, Tony plans to take a breather now, right? Not a chance! He says Ross will stay ahead of the game in the near future by adding allied health programs, offering advanced degrees and expanding online learning opportunities.

“We always need to differentiate ourselves,” he says. “We’ve done that by being in smaller communities and having smaller campuses with high-touch programs and by offering a higher level of service. What we plan to do over the next few years will help us maintain our position as a leader in post-secondary education.”

New campuses don’t just spring up on their own. Someone has to order the furniture, buy the equipment, stock the supply closets and hire the employees.

Don is that someone. He joined Ross just before the Niles, Ohio, campus opened in May. Overseeing operations at the new Canton, Michigan, location has been keeping him busy this summer.

Once the facilities are in order, Don sets to filling the staffing positions. He assists in the hiring of a director and assistant director, then screens and interviews administrative staffers and at least a dozen instructors.

The goal is to have the campus ready six to eight weeks before classes start so prospective students can take tours and enroll. Classes begin in Canton October 4.

Don came to Ross with a background in operations with McDonald’s. For 25 years, his duties in the opening of new restaurants included hiring and training employees.

“I retired for a while, then ran a consulting business for a number of years,” he says.

He won’t be living the laid-back life in his position with Ross, which plans to develop three to five new campuses in the upcoming year in small- to mid-sized communities. It’s part of Ross’ plan to differentiate itself from the competition.

“We could have gone into Cleveland,” Don says, “but Niles was a perfect market for us. There was a real need there.”

Serving as Niles’ interim director for several weeks was exhilarating, he says.

“I got to meet some of the students, and it was great to see their eyes light up,” he recalls. “These are people who want to make a change, and that’s why we do what we do: To help them fulfill their dreams.”

Tony makes sure the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed in paperwork Ross files to maintain its state licenses and the accreditation that gives graduates an edge in the marketplace.

He didn’t miss a single dit or dash when he prepped employees in Sylvania, Ohio and Fort Wayne, Indiana for campus visits from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools teams that found the Ross sites in compliance with all standards.

“Perfect scores are a rare accomplishment,” said Ross President Jim Walsh.

Tony explained that while schools must be licensed by the state to operate, accreditation is optional. “You need accreditation for students to be eligible for federal financial aid programs, but accreditation also benefits students in the classroom and in the workforce,” he said.

Tony insures Ross’ reports are complete and easy to follow. “I worked for two national accreditation bodies before I joined Ross, and I saw materials that were sent in a mess,” he says.

Accreditation requires submitting the curriculum—the content of the courses—for review; verifying the number of hours students spend in class; demonstrating the qualifications of faculty members; and showing that faculty members receive education training and participate in career development activities.

There are other requirements, but Tony says outcomes are important: “We survey our students, graduates and externship employers to get feedback, and then we have to show ABHES how we’re using that feedback to make improvements.”

Paperwork makes some people’s eyes glaze over, but Tony says he prides himself on smoothing the path to licensure and accreditation.

“I knew before I came here that Ross was committed to quality,” he says. “I’m glad to do my part.”

What Sharon likes most about her job is knowing that her students have proven themselves as professionals even before they graduate.

“Our students aren’t going out and answering ads,” she says. “They’ve proven themselves during their externships, and their employers want to keep them on staff.”

Running her class like a dental office is the key.

“We start on Day One,” she explains. “They come in the morning and open the office, setting up trays, doing what they’ll be expected to do when they’re working in their careers. If they’re not going to come in on any day, they have to call in sick. That’s the best preparation for what goes on in a professional setting.”

Sharon knows what she’s talking about. She’s been in dental assisting for 32 years. In addition to teaching at Ross, she trains new teachers and serves as an assistant to campus Director Connie Monville, helping write, critique and implement the curriculum.

Still, she knows that what’s second-nature for her won’t always come easily to her students.

“When most students come into my class, they don’t know anything about teeth or dental assisting,” she said. “Some come straight from high school and some are changing careers, but everyone gets treated equally.”

She takes an individual approach when a student is having a hard time.

“A game does it for some people, while for others it’s doing walk-throughs—show, tell, do,” she says. “I’m always looking for the best approach.”

“Our students have proven themselves during their externships, and their employers want to keep them on staff.”

Jacquie says the two things she loves most about her role with Ross are helping people change their lives and then watching them do it.

“The students come to me knowing how much the program they’re in will cost, and if you’ve got no job and you’re a single parent and you’re trying to take care of three kids, that can be scary,” she explains. “But as we go through the process, and they begin to see that, yes, this can be worked out, you can see the load being lifted off them.”

After our prospective students have met with admissions and are eligible for enrollment we schedule a one-on-one financial aid appointment and review the items needed. I like to follow-up by phone as well to prepare them further for our meeting. This phone conversation allows Jacquie to discover whether the student is employed or married or living with relatives. The answers ensure the students bring the right information they’ll need to their individual financial aid appointment.

“What we do on the phone allows us to individualize it, because everyone has a different situation,” she says.

During the face-to-face meeting, Jacquie helps students complete the financial aid application—making sure all the answers are correct. Software then analyzes the forms so that students immediately know how much aid they can get.

That, Jacquie insists, is just when the fun starts.

“A big advantage of a small campus is that we can stay in touch with the students the whole time they’re here,” she says. “We want them to feel comfortable so they’ll come to us to talk about problems with their finances—or about problems-- whether they’re at home or at school—and we can often help them with those issues, too.”

The payoff for her, she says, is when the students they helped at the beginning are getting close to completing their studies at Ross.

“They come in all excited to say, ‘I only have one module left,’ or to tell us where they’re going for their externships,” Jacquie says. “Seeing that change, seeing how excited they are…that’s when it’s the most satisfying for me.”

“The students come to me knowing how much the program they’re in will cost, and if you’ve got no job and you’re a single parent and you’re trying to take care of three kids, that can be scary.”

Every Ross employee needs to work toward meeting the school’s objectives, and Doreen Kephart’s contribution as corporate recruiter is to identify people who are up to the task.

“I like to say that we need people who believe it can be done,” she says. “I’m always looking for people who believe in people, who want to help others improve themselves.”

Doreen says she’s “on the frontline” of bringing new talent to the management team and administrative staff. Prospective employees respond to online job postings or come to Doreen’s attention through networking Web sites like LinkedIn or by referral. After prospects complete online assessments and a first interview with Doreen, she consults with the Ross supervisor to determine who should advance to the next step. Once the supervisor has chosen a candidate, Doreen finishes the process by doing a background check.

“I don’t decide who to hire,” she explains. “The managers decide. My role is to be a gatekeeper, a time-saver…a rodeo roundup queen. I’ve heard it called different things in my time with Ross.”

Before joining Ross at the beginning of 2009, Doreen worked at a recruiting agency for 12 years.

“It’s different at Ross because to be happy here, you have to want to serve others,” she says. “That’s one of the things I really like about what I do.”

Working as a dental assistant for 18 years, Maggie Vasquez often found herself teaching new employees how to do things they should have learned in school. As a dental assisting instructor, she’s committed to making sure Ross graduates are ready to go before their first day on the job.

“Some people who go to other schools get very little chair-side experience,” she explains. “At Ross, my classroom is set up like a dental office, so I make sure students get as much chair-side experience as they need.”

Taking X-rays, for example, requires more than just book-learning, she says.

“I teach students what they need to do to make the patient comfortable and still get awesome pictures,” she says. “There are things you can do to make sure the film is in right while also making sure the patient doesn’t gag, but until you actually do those things—until you feel it—you can’t possibly know.”

Maggie’s philosophy is simple: “You stay right there with the students, until they get it.”

In addition to being a classroom instructor, Maggie serves on the Curriculum Committee and trains other instructors. The latter role has taken her from her base in Saginaw to other Ross locations, including Muskegon and Cincinnati.

“I like that part of my job,” she says. “Wonderful people; dedicated professionals: It’s the same at every Ross campus.”

In his job, Cliff Leibold has to spend some time on the road, but that’s OK with him.

“I can do it because I believe in what Ross does,” he said.

Part of Cliff’s job is to work with campus directors to make sure each location is doing all it can to attract prospective students. But while he’s proud of how that helps with the Big Picture, he still says the highlight of each day comes when he sits down with people who are thinking about attending Ross and helping them reach their goals.

“I try to listen more than talk so they can tell me why they feel they need to go back to school,” he said. “From these conversations, I can tell how committed and motivated they are, and then I can show them what Ross can do for them.”

It’s important, he added, that students think about the long-term. “I understand that people make sacrifices,” he said. “They need to see their education as an investment in themselves that will benefit them and their families.”

He tells a story about a woman he counseled who was working third shift so she wouldn’t have to pay for child care.

“She wanted to stay in health care, but she needed stability for her family,” he said. “So, there I’d be at 8 a.m., just waking up, drinking my coffee, and this woman would come to Ross straight from her all-night job. Now, that is commitment.”

“I understand that people make sacrifices. They need to see their education as an investment in themselves that will benefit them and their families.”

Brighton’s three Career Development Coordinators—Steve Redmond, Susan Mall-Krinke and Cathy Daugherty—have two secrets for success: Stay in tune with employers and never give up.

“We want every single student to be successful,” Cathy said. “We get to know them starting Day One, and they get to know us as their biggest cheerleaders.”

When she started with Ross five years ago, the students didn’t meet career development coordinators until they were ready to do their externships. Now, the coordinators tell students on their first day at Ross what they need to do to succeed (attend class and get good grades) and what they can expect from the CDCs (unflagging effort to land them externships and, after graduation, jobs), Steve said.

Susan noted that team members spend lots of time getting to know employers and finding out what they want from externs and new hires.

“We get to know the culture of each site,” Susan said. “Maybe they’re looking for a person with a certain set of skills, or a specific kind of experience, or a certain personality type. We try to match up the students and the employers to make it easier for everyone.”

The coordinators also go into the classrooms to teach skills like resume writing and interviewing. The co-teaching helps gives students a variety of perspectives, and having job-search skills integrated into the modules helps students connect what they’re learning in class to what goes on in the workplace, Cathy said.

The team’s goal, said Brighton Campus Director Cathy Dziabuda, is for most students to find employment where they extern, but that’s not always easy. Steve recalls working with a graduate who was highly qualified, but hard to reach because she had no permanent address.

“It was like, ‘What’s her phone number this week?’” he said. “But I kept tracking her down, and we found a great placement for her. I’ve gone so far as to call neighbors to see if they could help me locate someone. We just never give up.”

Ross students don’t have a lot of contact with Greg Brenner, but they do appreciate his work. As Chief Technology Officer, Greg makes sure Ross students have access to the best available technology—and keeps it working right.

“My job is to be able to handle anything and everything having to do with computers and technology on campus,” Greg said. “There’s a different challenge every day, but that’s one of the things I like about my job.”

Greg, who’s been with Ross for nine years, works with program directors to determine what hardware is needed to help instructors provide the most meaningful classroom experience.

“The directors tell me what software the instructors want to run, and I do research to match up the hardware that works best with it,” he said.

Getting the systems up and running is only the beginning for Greg. It’s also his job to keep them up running smoothly on a daily basis. Sometimes this means that he works to repair an issue throughout the night or on weekends.

“If something’s not working right, the students tell the instructors, and then the instructors tell me,” he explained. “I go in after hours and make sure everything’s back in order. So, even though students usually don’t see me doing my job, I have a direct impact on the experience they have at Ross. And that’s what’s most important.”

Barb Westrick liked being a Medical Assistant, but she says she found her true calling when she got a taste of administration. Now she feels a thrill every time a student flashes the same spark of enthusiasm.

“Some students start out unsure of themselves, thinking maybe they won’t be able to follow through and end up with a great career,” she says. “Seeing those students being successful in their studies and becoming more and more confident is the most rewarding thing I’ve experienced in my whole career.”

Barb was a clinical Medical Assistant for 15 years and has worked in administration for the last 10. She joined Ross as a medical assisting instructor five years ago, then helped pioneer the Medical Insurance, Billing and Office Administration Program.

“Some people want to be in the medical field knowing there are aspects of working with patients they don’t want to deal with,” she explains. “Administration is an exciting field to be in. Everything is changing, and while some people don’t like change, I love it. The technology is evolving as we move toward a time when everything will be paperless.”

A paperless medical system will be more efficient and better for patents and providers, but people who understand the new technologies will be needed to make it work, she says: “That’s why it’s so great to see students leave Ross so confident and ready to go.”

The word “compliance” can have ominous connotations, but not when you talk to Carol Blevins, who is part of the corporate financial aid compliance staff.

“A big part of my job is helping students,” she says. “I’m on their side, because they need to know their rights and responsibilities when they take out loans.”

Carol has worked in several departments since starting at Ross 27 years ago. In her current position, she ensures that the school and students follow standards and rules pertaining to student loans. She reviews all Ross student loan applications, and after students finish at Ross, follows up to see if the loans are being repaid.

“If people aren’t making payments, the first thing I do is gently remind them of their rights and responsibilities,” she says. “Sometimes people run into difficulties, and I give them advice about what they can do. I even call lenders on their behalf to explain the situation.”

The proactive approach, Carol says, has led to a student-loan default rate at Ross that is below the national average. Furthermore, she adds that helping students address their problems early on helps them avoid more serious difficulties down the road.

Cari McPherson teaches the same class every six months, but she says she won’t be getting bored any time soon. “The students make every day different,” she explains. “They always have new questions and come up with new challenges for me to address.”

Cari has taught at Ross for 11 years. As a clinical instructor, she introduces terminology in anatomy and physiology and teaches back-office skills like drawing blood and giving injections. She’s also taught front-office skills, like administration and billing—and says that after working 30 years as a nurse in a large pediatric clinic; she’s equally comfortable with both.

Cari opens every module by telling students about her background so they know she understands what they need to learn. “Every student has a right to a comfortable, respectful learning environment,” she says. “They appreciate that I can relate what they’re covering in class to what they’ll encounter in their careers.”

Another thing she likes about Ross is that coursework goes beyond the so-called hard skills. “A lot of students,” she says, “have had no professional role models to show how important soft skills, like attendance, punctuality and having a good attitude, are to their success.”

Is she that role model? “Well,” she says, “many of my students have gone on to successful careers and have come back to teach at Ross.”

Connie loves telling what she calls her “Annette” story.

“This student—no one knows her real name—came to my office to say she was going to quit school,” Connie says. “I told her, ‘If you want my permission, I won’t give it to you.’ She left without saying another word—but she finished the program. Three years later, after I moved to another city to take care of an ailing family member, I got a phone call. It was “Annette,” and she wanted to thank me.”

Connie started with Ross as an instructor in 1986 and has served as director at other campuses before taking her current position. She says Ross is unique because faculty members, administrators and counselors pay attention to what’s going on in students’ lives.

“We call when they miss class sometimes,” she says. “If you find out a student had to take care of a sick child or couldn’t get a babysitter or had a problem with transportation, you can direct them to someone on campus who can help.”

Little actions like that add up, Connie says: “You never know what you might say or do that might will end up making a big positive difference in someone’s life.”

Sharon has been an instructor at Ross for 19 years, she says, because she loves witnessing the huge transformation students make in just seven months.

“Most students come to Ross knowing almost nothing about the medical profession, but when they leave, they’re fully prepared for a successful career,” she says. “But, just as important, they leave with a great deal of self-confidence, knowing they can succeed and accomplish anything they want to accomplish.”

Sharon gladly shares the secret: “To teach at Ross, you have to know your field, but you also have to care about the person. Teachers here build rapport with students, and the students feel it very quickly.” Sharon, for example, builds rapport by showing up for classes a half hour early so she can work one-on-one with any student who has questions.

“Of course,” she continues, “it’s not just in the classroom. We also have people who can help students with financial aid, child care, transportation. It’s an institution-wide approach that makes it feel like a family.”

Stacia says the easiest part of her job is putting a smile on her face.

“A student once said, ‘It’s so nice to come here,’” Stacia recalls. “I told her, ‘It’s because we like our jobs.’ It makes students more comfortable to see you’re happy.”

Stacia started at Ross six years ago after stints as a project coordinator for a construction company and as a stay-at-home mom.

“I have a degree in English—who would have guessed I’d be working with numbers like I do?” she jokes. Still, she adds that the collegial relationship she has with her Ross coworkers began when, even though she came to her current position with no direct experience, she received thorough training and plenty of help.

“We keep the lines of communication open,” she says. “It’s gotten to the point where we can finish each other’s sentences.”

That’s also important when it comes to making sure students get the help they need.

“We have various ways for students to make payments,” she explains, “but some students aren’t as knowledgeable as others about financial aid. Lots of times students who have good sources of income don’t realize they qualify for certain loans or aid programs. It’s exciting when they hear the good news. They say, ‘You’re kidding!’ and I get to tell them, ‘Nope…you qualify.’”

Josh will tell you that Ross graduates are the school’s best advertisement.

“I was with a staffing agency, and it was refreshing to work with Ross,” he explains. “I could call up Ross and they would come up with the exactly candidates I needed. Ross was the only school that provided its students with career development skills. The more I worked with Ross, the more I came to see the value Ross provided its graduates.”

He was so impressed that he decided he’d like to work with Ross students and employees full-time.

He also says he was impressed with how much Ross employees cared about students—and with the school’s high ethical standards—pointing out that “everyone at Ross was dedicated to bridging the gap between education and employment.”

As Career Development Director since August 2009, Josh oversees career development activities at all Ross campuses. That includes classroom instruction as well as helping students secure externships, build their resumes, improve their interviewing skills and, ultimately, find jobs after graduation.

“Career development is a team effort between Ross and the students,” he says.

The best thing about working at Ross, Josh says, is that everything done at the school is aimed at helping people.

“Everyone at Ross,” he says, “is constantly dedicated to helping people change their lives for the better.”