Colonel Jo Rusin
Colonel (Ret) Jo Rusin was a career Regular Army officer in combat service support, with most of her time in troop assignments. She began as a naive platoon leader, then an OCS TAC officer, and went on to command three companies, two battalions, and a nondivisional support brigade in VII Corps in Desert Shield/Desert Storm, where she was the most senior woman commander on the ground. She also paid her dues serving in staff positions at every level. She has the distinction of having been one of the first women in the Army to command a mixed gender company. Colonel Rusin was also the first woman battalion commander at Ft. Benning, as Commander of the Reception Battalion in the Infantry Training Center.
Jo is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Air War College. In addition to her diverse assignments, she served on five Department of Army centralized selection boards. Having reviewed thousands of officer and non-commissioned officer personnel files, Jo knows what it takes to succeed in the military, and also what can stop your career. She was fortunate to have several outstanding mentors and many great Soldiers and civilians, who taught her the skills to succeed. Now she believes that it is her responsibility to pass these skills on to today's military leaders in the form of her military leadership books.
As the only military leadership author who directly addresses gender issues, Colonel Rusin wrote Move to the Front, specifically for military women. At the suggestion of male senior NCOs and officers and with their advice, she wrote Women on Your Team to focus on these issues from a man's perspective. While there have been major advances in the military in regard to integrating women, there are still significant challenges as new young men and women enter the military, bringing with them traditional stereotypes of male and female roles. Jo is also the author of Move Out , which unlocks the secrets to advancing as a military leader, and Military Writing, a comprehensive handbook for military leaders.
Along with her military service, Jo has volunteered with the YWCA, YMCA, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Association of Village Pride, inner city public schools, libraries, a rehabilitation hospital, food bank, and animal rescue programs. Her first book, Volunteers Wanted: A Practical Guide to Finding and Keeping Volunteers, was the outgrowth of this experience. It is currently in use by military family support groups, community based volunteer programs, and as a university textbook. Jo is now an active volunteer with the Lumberton Public Library, and the NAACP Tutoring and Learning Program in Waveland, MS.
An avid reader herself, Jo knows that books must be easy-to-read and to the point. She is a natural storyteller and illustrates her points with hundreds of examples based on experience. Jo and her husband, Colonel (Ret.) Johnny Rusin, live on the Gulf Coast in Waveland, Mississippi. In addition to writing leadership books, Jo also operates a small business, re-caning and weaving chair seats and teaching this time honored craft. See www.Seatweaver.com
Jo is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Air War College. In addition to her diverse assignments, she served on five Department of Army centralized selection boards. Having reviewed thousands of officer and non-commissioned officer personnel files, Jo knows what it takes to succeed in the military, and also what can stop your career. She was fortunate to have several outstanding mentors and many great Soldiers and civilians, who taught her the skills to succeed. Now she believes that it is her responsibility to pass these skills on to today's military leaders in the form of her military leadership books.
As the only military leadership author who directly addresses gender issues, Colonel Rusin wrote Move to the Front, specifically for military women. At the suggestion of male senior NCOs and officers and with their advice, she wrote Women on Your Team to focus on these issues from a man's perspective. While there have been major advances in the military in regard to integrating women, there are still significant challenges as new young men and women enter the military, bringing with them traditional stereotypes of male and female roles. Jo is also the author of Move Out , which unlocks the secrets to advancing as a military leader, and Military Writing, a comprehensive handbook for military leaders.
Along with her military service, Jo has volunteered with the YWCA, YMCA, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Association of Village Pride, inner city public schools, libraries, a rehabilitation hospital, food bank, and animal rescue programs. Her first book, Volunteers Wanted: A Practical Guide to Finding and Keeping Volunteers, was the outgrowth of this experience. It is currently in use by military family support groups, community based volunteer programs, and as a university textbook. Jo is now an active volunteer with the Lumberton Public Library, and the NAACP Tutoring and Learning Program in Waveland, MS.
An avid reader herself, Jo knows that books must be easy-to-read and to the point. She is a natural storyteller and illustrates her points with hundreds of examples based on experience. Jo and her husband, Colonel (Ret.) Johnny Rusin, live on the Gulf Coast in Waveland, Mississippi. In addition to writing leadership books, Jo also operates a small business, re-caning and weaving chair seats and teaching this time honored craft. See www.Seatweaver.com