- October 2019
College of Forest Resources
Years in position: 6 months
Years at MSU: 8 years
Gina Bell wears a variety of hats as an office associate in the dean’s office of the College of Forest Resources.
Her responsibilities include preparing and selling hunter permits for the John W. Starr Memorial Forest, reconciling leave for the department, coordinating and scheduling departmental vehicles, and requesting and booking travel as a delegate for the department.
“It is exciting to meet and interact with the faculty, staff, students and guests who come into the main office. I love assisting with whatever needs people have and seeing what new challenges and problems arise,” Bell said. “It makes every day more interesting.”
Bell said her favorite part of the job is the opportunity to participate in departmental and university-wide events and celebrations such as Staff Appreciation Week.
“MSU is a special place to work, and it is a natural fit for me to be in this position where I can use my organizational, problem-solving and interpersonal skills,” she said. “Since I had worked at MSU before, I knew coming back on campus would be a great choice.”
She said her career is most rewarding because she gets to serve other people.
“I also like that I am a part of something greater by contributing to the vision and goals of the College of Forest Resources and of MSU,” Bell said.
Bell emphasized that flexibility is highly important in her position because she must be ready for whatever tasks need to be done. She never knows what issue will arise or what someone in going to need when they come in the door.
“Being friendly and outgoing is also vital because of the great number of people coming into the office,” she said. “It is also necessary in my position to be detail-oriented when organizing, planning and scheduling so everyone has what they need and in a timely manner.”
In her spare time, Bell loves listening to music and said she feels blessed to serve as music minister in her church. At home, she enjoys reading and cooking. Gina said her greatest joy comes from spending time with her family, especially her husband and two daughters.