Solid Waste Director Russell Gossett earns STARS Award

Russell Gossett, director of the Murfreesboro Solid Waste Department, is the newest STARS award recipient. Mayor Shane McFarland recognized Gossett Jan. 27 before the regular City Council meeting.

Gossett joined the City team as director of Solid Waste on Sept. 28, 2020, after serving in the private sector for FedEx Freight and Republic Services. Recently, when inclement weather closed Middle Point Landfill, Jan. 6-7, Gossett and his department operated collection services on Saturday Jan. 8 to efficiently complete garbage service for the week.

The following STARS award nomination was submitted by Jennifer Smith, an employee in Solid Waste:

“Russell, since being hired as the director of Solid Waste, has increased moral in our department. He has made a lot of positive changes. He exhibits fairness and stability with all employees. He doesn’t openly display favoritism toward anyone. He does not ask anything of us that he himself is not willing to do. He leads by example, not by rule and do as I say. He has earned the respect of the department by this display. He treats us all as adults and expects us to act like it. He is honest and truthful. If we ask a question and he does not have an answer immediately, he will tell you and will get the answer and get back to you, regardless of the amount of time it takes to get the answer. He doesn’t just tell us something to satisfy us so that we will go away. He has integrity and expects the same from those of us he supervises. If has been a very difficult adjustment for some and for others it is the change we have been waiting and wanting. . . .He doesn’t say one thing to one employee and something different to another. He is the same with everyone, including vendors, other City departments’ employees and most importantly citizens.”

STARS stands for “Succeeding Through Attitudes Reflecting Service Excellence.” They’re examples of representing the City in a positive light, exhibiting the core values, and creating a better quality of life for citizens.

The STARS Service Excellence program is intended to recognize outstanding employees who embody the city’s standards for service excellence and exemplify the city’s core service values. The purpose of the STARS award is to recognize and reward those employees who go above and beyond their normal job duties in providing outstanding customer service to internal and external customers.

Congratulations to Russell Gossett for being named as a STARS recipient.