Carolyn Rolfson Sargis Award – Tina Rajski, Human Resources
Advocate. Proactive. Conscientious. Dedicated. Trustworthy. Leader.
These words, used to describe Tina Rajski, a payroll and benefits specialist advanced in Human Resources, reflect the values recognized by the Carolyn Rolfson Sargis Award. Given annually to a university staff member who has 20 or more years of service, the award honors those "behind the scenes" who make positive contributions to their unit and the university as well as a commitment to personal and professional growth and community service.
A payroll troubleshooter, Rajski rose to the challenge of taking on the additional role of benefits specialist when the benefits administrator position was eliminated. She has become an expert in the field, acting as mentor to new employees and those with life changes that affect their benefits. She offers advice by understanding how personnel processes such as retirement, job changes, benefits, payroll and leave are connected.
"Tina will go to bat for any and every employee on campus to ensure that their needs are met and they have what they need to be productive while also ensuring that our people are treated fairly," said Eric Roesler, director of Human Resources. "She knows how important our people are and how hard they work, so when she sees something that does not feel right toward an employee, she will advocate for that employee."
"I enjoy being a person they can rely on and turn to for answers or solutions," said Rajski, who first began working at UWSP in 1998.
The COVID-19 pandemic also increased HR workload through furloughs and COVID leave and the resulting impact on benefits. Rajski helped implement and make these processes as efficient as possible through communication, tracking each employee's furlough use and fixing issues as they arose. She also created an online resource to give employees better access to their benefits while working at home during the pandemic.
In 2019, Rajski was instrumental in helping more than 650 employees switch to a new state health insurance provider when a major vendor was discontinued. The work, shared with another employee, included mass communications and individual calls to people across campus to make sure every employee had continued health coverage with a new provider.
In the community, Rajski has volunteered with Meals on Wheels since 2012, serving as a driver as well as its board's president, treasurer and a member of its marketing and finance committees. She has also volunteered in county-wide clean-up efforts and a food drive.
"Tina really cares for the people she is helping," said Kari Stetler, UWSP's Helen R. Godfrey University Child Learning and Care Center, in support of Rajski. "I am sure glad to have her in our university family!"
See also:
Excellence in Teaching, Scholarship and Service Award - David Barry
Excellence in Teaching Award - Lauren Gantz, Kyle Herrman, Kate Kipp, Erin Speetzen
University Scholar Award - Chris Diehm, Alex Ingersoll
University Service Award - Jennifer Collins, Shelly Janowski, Kathryn McGarry
Academic Staff Spirit of Community Service Award - Lisa Golda
Outstanding Work Performance Award - Janette Baumann, Corinna Neeb, Lisa Nelson, Heather Springer
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