During each of its three commencement ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 9, GwenDolyn Hargrove Ruff, 1988 Columbus State University graduate, provided a charge to the university’s 870 fall graduates as its fall commencement speaker. She shared life and professional perspectives stemming from her decades of professional, military and civic service—including her 26 years as an administrator and senior executive with Columbus Water Works.

“You will take with you the values you have learned, your exposure to servant leadership, the challenge to be creative, and the valuable personal and professional relationships you have developed and cultivated in your season at Columbus State,” she said in offering her congratulations to graduates in attendance. “Today is not the beginning, nor is it the end. Today is a super special event for you in this journey called ‘Life.’”

Along with her congratulations, Ruff charged graduates with being resilient, defining their purpose, and establishing a legacy throughout their personal and professional lives.

“Once you recognize your purpose, you can then focus your energy, time and talents on things that are meaningful for you and the things you believe will have a positive and long-lasting impact,” she said of the importance of understanding one’s purpose before moving onto speaking about the importance of legacy.

“At some point in our lives, we have all received some type of mentorship and most likely have directly or indirectly mentored others on a regular basis,” she continued. “Creating a legacy simply means that you are creating something or investing in a vision that can be enduring and that can be passed along. Take the time to reflect on and celebrate the positive impact your words and actions can have on others and on the world.”

Ruff is known throughout local professional, civic and personal circles as an experienced business and human resource executive, a community volunteer, a retired veteran, a servant leader, and a proud Columbus State University alumna.

In her professional life, Ruff has devoted more than 40 years to leading in public, private and government sectors—more than half of that in various roles with Columbus Water Works where she is currently senior vice president for administration and community outreach. A proud veteran, she served for 30 years of combined active and reserve duty in the U.S. Army and in various senior leadership positions—retiring as a full colonel in 2011.

“You may ask yourself when she finds time to rest amid her wide-ranging community, civic and professional association involvement,” Interim CSU President Dr. John Fuchko III joked in his introductory remarks while citing Ruff’s impact throughout the Chattahoochee Valley.

In addition to the master’s degree in administration with a focus on personnel management she earned at Columbus State in 1988, she holds degrees from Mercer University, the U.S. Army War College, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Water and Wastewater Leadership Center. It is her CSU degree that fuels her enthusiasm as a current trustee of the CSU Foundation, a director of the CSU Alumni Association, and a member of the CSU Black Alumni Council.

Ruff’s entire remarks are part of the recorded livestream ceremonies available on the CSU website at graduation.columbusstate.edu.