GwenDolyn H. Ruff, SPHR

Vice President
Strategic Planning and Employee Services
GwenDolyn H. Ruff, SPHR, serves as the VP, Strategic Planning and Employee Services for the Columbus Water Works, Columbus, Georgia. She has over thirty years of experience in the Human Resources and Public Administration field in the public, private and government sectors. As a member of the CWW Senior Management team, she provides direction and has full accountability for the successful implementation of strategic planning related processes, practices, policies and outcomes in order to maximize achievement of CWW’s short and long-term business goals. By providing oversight and direction to six separate organizational strategic teams, she is responsible for the development of programs and activities in support of strategic benchmarking and identification of best practices research as it applies to the water and wastewater industry. In her role, she is responsible for working with each team to develop and facilitate avenues to effectively partner strategic initiatives with all operational departments within the organization to ensure strong and effective continuous improvement practices are implemented throughout the organization. In addition, she is also responsible for the senior-level supervision and management of the Water Works’ Human Resources programs, to include, but not limited to, ensuring proactive planning and effective execution of talent acquisition, diversity programs, performance management, employee and leadership development programs, employee benefits programs, employee engagement, total rewards and recognition, wellness programs, training, and organizational effectiveness. She has a BS in Biology from Mercer University (Macon, Georgia), a Masters of Science in Administration from Columbus State University (Columbus, Georgia) a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Army War College (Carlisle Barracks, PA) and is a 2005 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Water and Wastewater Leadership Center. She is also life certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Gwen served 30 years combined active duty and reserve in the United States Army in various senior leadership positions and before retiring as a Colonel in 2011. She is actively involved in numerous civic and professional organizations at both the local and national level, to include the Lower Chattahoochee Workforce Investment Board of Directors; The Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc. (Board of Directors); West Central GA Chapter of the American Red Cross (Board of Directors); Society for Human Resource Management; American Water Works Association (AWWA); Water Environment Federation (WEF); Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP); Member - AWWA Workforce Strategies Committee; Graduate - Leadership Georgia (1999) and Graduate - Leadership Columbus (1992).

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