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Colleagues honor Rusty Roselle's 45-year stewardship of Mecklenburg County water quality
Summary
Colleagues at Mecklenburg Stormwater Services remembered Rusty Roselle, who led the county's Grama Water Quality Program for more than 40 years and was credited with building a nationally regarded stormwater program and a close workplace culture.
Rusty Roselle, who served for roughly 45 years with Mecklenburg Stormwater Services and led the agency's Grama Water Quality Program for over 40 years, was remembered by coworkers as a committed steward of the county's surface waters.
"Our program has been viewed across the country as one of the best programs," said Speaker 1, a staff member with Mecklenburg Stormwater Services, praising Roselle's leadership and long tenure. Colleagues described him as authentic, respected across the office and the community, and someone who blended technical work with relationship-building.
Speaker 2, who said Rusty "was the first person who hired me, almost 21 years ago," recalled him as both a mentor and a friend who brought people together. Speaker 3 linked Roselle's commitment to a local family history on the Catawba River, noting the family's ferry and long ties to the waterways that inspired lifelong conservation work: "I do this job because I love our surface water resources," Speaker 3 said.
Staff recounted personal details meant to illustrate the culture Roselle fostered: hosting events at his house, cooking for staff and their families, and encouraging work done with passion and a service mindset. "We are not just coworkers. We are family," Speaker 1 said, adding that while the agency can fill the role, "we can't replace the person."
The tributes emphasize both Roselle's technical influence on regional stormwater practice and his role in shaping office culture and mentorship. No formal actions or votes were recorded in the transcript; the remarks were presented as remembrances and reflections by current staff.
