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William “Bill” Ross retires after 50 years of service

By Victoria Brown 

William “Bill” ross retires after 50 years of serviceFamily, long-time friends, and colleagues gathered to wish William “Bill” Ross well as he retires after 50 years of diligently serving students at Southwest. The legendary employee was given a farewell reception on Nov. 6 at the Bert Bornblum Library Art Gallery.

Ross, who most recently worked as director of Student Financial Services, served in a number of positions over the years at Southwest and Shelby State Community College. Skilled in preparing compliance reports, Ross always made sure that the college met compliance deadlines. Ross also often shared his vast historical knowledge about Southwest’s operations with colleagues and students.

Bill Ross
Bill Ross (L) pictured with two of his family
members.

Jeanette Smith, Southwest’s chief financial officer who worked closely with Ross, shared that Ross always had Southwest’s best interest at heart.

“Bill has been a good friend and someone I could always depend on – someone who deeply cared about us, not just professionally but personally,” said Smith. “He has been our safety net. He knew the pitfalls, due dates, and was a great source of advice when issues arose. I’m confident that he will remain a trusted resource for Southwest when needed, but most importantly, Bill will remain a friend to us all.”

“Bill’s favorite part of the Southwest experience was serving at graduation and seeing students accomplish their goals,” said Smith. “He recounts that each year, without fail, several students would stop him at graduation and thank him for his help, stating that he was part of their success story. This is what fulfilled Bill the most, helping our students.”

We wish Bill the very best on his retirement. Congratulations, Bill!