Thirty one years after he came to Ohio State, Steve Sterrett was honored Monday afternoon by a visit from the Ohio State Winter Athletic Band. He was even allowed to try his hand at conducting the band as part of his honorary ceremony.
“That was fantastic,” Sterrett said after leading the band. “That was one of the best things in 31 years.”
But Sterrett has done some more important work during his tenure.
He has served as the community relations director of Campus Partners since its inception in 1995. During his time with the organization, he helped create a working relationship among the university, the university district and the several communities surround OSU.
“Steve will be impossible to replace,” said Doug Aschenbach, president of Campus Partners. “He has done a really good job of bridging the symbolic gap between the university and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Sterrett was hired by OSU in 1978 as the editor of onCampus, OSU’s faculty-staff newspaper. He became the news editor of University Communications in 1982, then became the director of OSU’s news services.
“What I’m most proud of with Campus Partners is the collaboration between the communities around campus and the city of Columbus,” Sterrett said.
Notable guests who attended to honor Sterrett’s career were OSU President E. Gordon Gee, OSU Senior Vice President Jeff Kaplan and OSU Chief of Police Paul Denton.
Though Sterrett is retiring, he doesn’t plan to go far.
“I’m even going to keep working out at the RPAC,” he said.
