By Josh Epps |ContributorFinding someone who gets joy from helping others is uplifting in any environment. Margie Russ displays this joy proudly and was smiling before I even entered her office.Margie Russ is the senior administrative assistant in the Music Department in the Pamplin College at Augusta University. While the list of her duties is long, she summed it up well herself: “Whatever the faculty needs, I’m there to assist them.”Russ came to Augusta University in 1999. She came here with her husband, who was in the U.S. Army at the time, stationed at Fort Gordon.When asked about shifts in the department, Margie reminisced to when the Music Building was still shared with the Art students.“When I started it was Art and Music in the same building and then we split in I think 2004 when the art moved to Washington Hall," she said. "The music stayed in this building and now we’re about to go through some renovation.”The Music Department is extending a wing of their building to build a concert hall, updating classrooms and creating a space for their recitals and Margie gets to play a large role in the administrative side of that.Margie’s demeanor during her interview showed such a positive outlook on the future of the department as they grow and change. She is such an important person in the development of the department as she is described on the University website as “the initial contact person for all visitors, vendors, [and] deliveries.”Margie’s upbeat attitude in greeting a student asking for her time late in the afternoon displayed just how good of an impression she makes on incoming students and potential vendors.Having faculty with an attitude like hers only draws more people to a growing department.The Music Department is renovating its facilities and growing as it approaches this project, and Margie is one of the faces of that movement. Having worked through so many stages in the department’s journey, Margie shows no faltering in her commitment to improving each person’s day who gets to interact with her.She spoke highly of her department and her colleagues, when wrapping up she said: “[It’s] a great place to work. Never a dull moment.”