Steven Rose

County of Nevada

Director of Human Resources

Personal Life

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up in the East Bay, specifically, Martinez, California.

What made you want to become a Human Resources Professional? 

My mother worked as the Risk Manager for a county. I was exposed to working in an HR-type career in the public sector from early on. After graduating high school, I joined the military and my last job as Base Commander really provided exposure to the HR field. My undergraduate and graduate degrees (economics, HR) cemented my interest in HR.

Favorite hobbies, sports, and interests outside of Human Resources? 

I'm not a huge sports fan (watching or playing) but I do love to travel, cook, garden, swim, bike, run and walk. I enjoy spending time with my family, too.

Finish this sentence:  On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me...

Trying to relax after a long week! Catching up with personal life and spending time with family.

What college(s) did you attend?  Can you list your degrees, any honors, and involvement in Human Resources organizations during school? 

University of Nebraska for Undergrade. Major in Public Administration, minor in Human Resources and Criminal Justice.

University of Oklahoma for both Masters: Economics MBA and Human Relations.

Honors: Magna Cum Laude Undergrad, Distinguished American Legion School Award, Golden Key National Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Lambda Military Academic Achievement Award

Work & Professional Life

Describe your responsibilities and some significant projects. 

As the Director, I have overall responsibility for the full scope of HR duties. We are a small, rural county but we like to consider ourselves as groundbreaking in what we do and how we do it. I am most proud of the various projects the HR team has completed that have led to a CSAC Challenge Award, a NaCO Achievement Award, the HRDirector award for one of the 29 most innovative HR departments in the US. Two of our 7 employees completed their Bachelor's degrees recently, and two received professional certification!

What is your favorite part about being a Human Resources professional?

Advancing others! Paying it forward! Working with High Performance Organization and Continuous Process Improvement models. Helping people achieve more, being a coach, mentor, and inspiring others—it is what motivates me!

What skills do you find most valuable to focus on in your career?

Surrounding self with dedicated and motivated people. Building great teams and leaders at all levels. Creating value, inspiring people to see things in a new way and providing clarity and encouragement to help others make decisions that support change and improvement.

What drew you to your specific career path? If you could start your career differently, what would you do differently?

I am fortunate to have worked with so many great people and in different positions over the years. Every position has prepared me for the current job that I am in. Sometimes jobs are not easy! But I've learned a lot. I would not have the same perspective without the background I've had, including my diverse military background. Every job that I got to do gave me the opportunity to be innovative in my work. So, looking back at all my life's work, no, I would not do it differently.

IPMA-HR & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What is your favorite benefit of the Sacramento-MotherLode IPMA-HR Chapter?

Networking. Learning from the ideas that others in the group share. Being able to give and receive professional support from others. Having Chapter-led educational opportunities.

Who is someone you admire and why?

Networking. Learning from the ideas that others in the group share. Being able to give and receive professional support from others. Having Chapter-led educational opportunities.

Who is someone you admire and why?

I admire my parents. Dad was an electrical engineer and mom worked for local government as a Risk Manager. Mom always provided me with inspiration and encouragement to make things better in every role that I was in.

Lastly, what would be your personal motto?

Excellence: The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

-Vince Lombardi

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