PUTNAM COUNTY
Eatonton native and Lake Country resident Melissia Rusk received the 2022 Georgia Local Government Personnel Association (GLGPA) Professional Achievement Award on Nov. 4, during an industry conference at Callaway Gardens, near Columbus.
“I was just super excited,” Rusk said after explaining she had no knowledge of being the award recipient until the moment her name was announced. “I was like, ‘All this for a little Putnam County girl?’ Yeah, it was really exciting to win this award. I think it’s huge, and not just for me but everyone I work with at Walton County.”
The GLGPA website states the Professional Achievement Award requires a demonstrated level of accomplishment in three core areas: leadership, organizational impact, and commitment to the HR profession.
Rusk said she was raised by her grandparents, the late Melvin and Ealvy Thomas, who owned the Dixie Oil Company and Glow gas station near downtown Eatonton. She said she attended public school in Eatonton until graduating in 1994 from Putnam County High School.
“But we didn’t have much money, so of course, I had to go to work as soon as I graduated, so actually, I don’t even have a college degree,” Rusk revealed, despite enjoying a 25-year career so far in human resources.
Previously with Putnam County’s HR department, Rusk has been working for nearby Walton County the past five years and was promoted in May 2021 to human resources director there.
She was nominated for the GLGPA award by Walton County Commission Board Chairman David Thompson and Public Works Director John Allman, among others.
“It’s very rewarding because Walton County has really appreciated my hard work and my dedication,” Rusk said. “And it’s just very humbling to work for an organization like Walton that values their employees and allows them to grow and to be successful.”