Kurt D. Rose B.A. '09, M.S. '19

Kurt D. Rose receives the UW-Whitewater 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award for Community/Regional Service

Written by Dave Fidlin | Photos submitted

From a young age, professional development and lifelong learning have been pivotal pillars in Kurt D. Rose’s life. Regardless of the setting, Rose said he feels a strong sense of service through his professional and civic work.

Rose, a Milwaukee native, credits foundational experiences at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for the accomplishments and milestones he has achieved since graduating. 

In 2009, he earned a bachelor’s degree in speech with an emphasis in organizational communications. In 2019, he earned a Masters of Science in Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health. 

“To come full circle and think about it, Whitewater played a huge part in that, just in building my confidence up, both in terms of my social interactions and my ability to interact with others as humans,” Rose said.

This spring, Rose is receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award for Community/Regional Service. The recognition is presented to a UW-Whitewater graduate who has demonstrated outstanding and significant civic and service contributions for their community. 

Beyond his two core degrees, Rose has attained graduate certificates in human resources management and professional ergonomics from UW-Whitewater and a certificate in labor relations from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also holds five professional certifications in human resources.

Professionally, Rose has channeled his inner objectives in the field of human resources. During a 12-year period — 2010 to 2022 — he held a myriad of different HR roles with the University of Wisconsin-Extension and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Working within the broader Universities of Wisconsin, Rose said, provided numerous challenges that he readily appreciates today because they allowed him to grow personally and professionally. His time included assistance with the reorganization of the two-year and four-year campuses as well as consolidating the UW-Extension operations into UW-Madison. 

“I learned a lot, from an HR perspective, navigating that extreme time of change and helping so many employees through it,” Rose said. “I also worked through that transition and helped ensure that core Extension services weren’t going to be cut.”

Rose said the rapid and widespread pace challenged him to hold steadfast to his overarching goal, which was to keep students and the community top-of-mind through his work.

Since then, Rose has worked in several other roles within the public sector, including a one-year role as the director of HR operations with the Madison Metropolitan School District and, currently, work as an deputy human resources director with the City of Madison. 

“Whitewater had a big part and was the foundation of how I now interact and engage in my civic duties and community work,” Rose said. “I learned so much at Whitewater that I took with me. It helps me through my profession and my volunteering and civic work.”   

Outside of work, Rose has been involved in the community through a number of avenues, including a four-year stint as president of the Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals. He currently is vice president of the National Urban League Young Professionals’ Central Region.     

As a result of Rose’s desire to be of service and give back to the community, In-Business Magazine named him to its class of Forty Under 40 in 2020. Two years later, Madison365 named him as one of the 2022 Most Influential Black Leaders of Wisconsin and the 2023 Young Professional of the Year.

Regardless of his professional and personal pursuits, Rose said he often thinks about his pivotal years at UW-Whitewater, which was one of multiple schools he considered after graduating high school. He ultimately decided on the campus after weighing family members’ strong recommendations. 

“Everybody talked so highly about Whitewater, so I chose it,” he said. “I made the right decision because I wouldn’t be where I am today without the supportive environment of this university.”

Rose said his sense of service and involvement grew through the various organizations he took part in as an undergraduate on campus.

His campus contributions included a role as president of the TIFU Cultural Ensemble, as well as involvement with the Black Student Union, ALMA Latin dance organization and the gospel choir. He also looks back fondly on being named Homecoming king in 2006 and Big Man on Campus in 2008. Additionally, he worked in the career, development and leadership office.

Rose’s imprint on UW-Whitewater also was made as he worked as a management intern with the Student Entertainment and Awareness League, where he had a role in designating student fees for campuswide programming.  

Reflecting on his early adult years, post-high school graduation, Rose said UW-Whitewater quickly became a “home away from home” and, in a different way, still feels that way today whenever he returns to his old stomping grounds. 

“I get a nostalgic feeling whenever I’m back on the campus,” he said.