“Dedicated to serving” and “making a difference.” These, and more, are the qualities possessed by Rosewood’s latest “Shining Stars.” Tammy Hammond, Executive Director of Rosewood, recently announced
that Teresa Wilson and Desiree Halseth were chosen by their peers to receive the award for the month of October.
Teresa was nominated for making sure that the cowboys and cowgirls at the Rosewood Rodeo were prepared for their competitions. According to her peers, she worked several days prior to the rodeo, making sure all the participants had the appropriate shirts and ties for their individual events. She also attended several trainings in the days before the rodeo which prepared her to serve on the team of horse handlers. Teresa has been employed with Rosewood Services since 2007 as a Ranch assistant. She enjoys helping out with the horse shows and the annual rodeo. She says, “Rosewood is a unique and special place to work because each client is so diverse, and many strong friendships have been formed through daily interactions between the people there.” Teresa loves seeing the riders’ excitement when they are on the horses. Her supervisor, Eric Hammond, says that Teresa always has a positive attitude no matter what she is doing, and he can always count on her to help out when there is a need. When she found out that she had won a Shining Star award, she said that she was shocked and overcome with emotion. In her spare time, Teresa enjoys photography, sketching and sewing. She has five children and five grandchildren as well, who keep her very busy.
Desiree was nominated for helping a client with a financial need. She provided transportation to Larned for him when he didn’t have the money to go on his own. And her coworkers say that she also spent several days of her own time attending training to become a horse handler during the Rosewood Rodeo. On the day of the event, she spent the day assisting the riders as they mounted their horses and readied themselves to compete. She has been employed with Rosewood for 5½ years in the Day Services Department. Currently, she is a ranch worker and supervisor at the Rosewood Ranch. She feels that the best part of her work experience is the one-on-one time that she spends with the clients. She says, “The clients here make this a special place to work.” When asked how she felt when informed of her award, she said she was very surprised. Her manager, Debbie Larkin, says that Desiree deserves the Shining Stars award because, “She is a hard worker and she has a great attitude when it comes to working with the clients, which helps to motivate them in a positive way.” Desiree spends her time away from work with her daughter, age 6, and her son, age 4.
The SHINING STARS employee recognition program honors employees who go “above and beyond” their normal work duties to assist clients and coworkers. Tammy Hammond, who founded Rosewood twelve years ago, expressed her pride in Wilson and Halseth, stating “Rosewood is known for its wonderful employees. Our agency celebrated its 12th anniversary in May, with the employee slogan ‘I Make a Difference.’ Teresa and Desiree certainly demonstrate that their work makes a difference in the lives of our clients and their families and guardians. We couldn’t be an agency of excellence without the quality of people who work at Rosewood.”
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