Executive News
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01/16/1998
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Vision and mission - The management team has revised our vision document and we will distribute it when I get done checking the typos. ALSO, we have scheduled a series of organizational assessment interviews using the RMS consulting firm. The Knoxville interviews will be February 4, 5, and 6; Nashville (and west TN) interviews will be February 9 and 10. We would like everyone to schedule this half hour interview. The purpose is to make sure we have everyone's ideas and suggestions as we plan to improve MTAS. The interview methodology is the same our consultants often use when working with a city.
MTAS Retreat - We are developing an agenda for the MTAS retreat. It is in the staff discussion database. Please review it and let me have your comments. Or, you can give your comments during the discussion at your next team meeting. PLEASE NOTE, we are starting the morning of April 1, so Martin, Jackson, Nashville, and Johnson City staff will have to drive over March 31. We will make room reservations.
So Long Heather - We have mixed feelings about Heather Doncaster's new job. It will be a promotion for her so that's good news. She will work as Coordinator of Services which is an exempt position with the UTK Graduate School. But the bad news is that we will miss her. As library specialist, she was in charge of periodical ordering and routing, mail (incoming and outgoing), publication distribution, two student assistants, the MTAS website, and handled the accounting for all purchases by the library. A couple of years ago, in a weak moment, she accepted responsibility for working with the programmer who was developing the new government mailing list. Heather has not only survived that experience, but made sure the program would work when it was finally delivered.
Notes mail is coming - Please remember that we will start using Notes E-mail to replace GroupWise by the end of January. That gives you about two weeks to clean up your e-mail in and out boxes. We only will convert the latest 100 messages in each. MTAS Knoxville will be the test site for the e-mail switch with the other offices following shortly thereafter. We are shooting for the last week of January as the test time for MTAS Knoxville. We will conduct training for all Knoxville staff either before or during that week. Lisa and Sally will let you know about the training schedule soon. And since we are already using Notes, it should be a relatively short training session. Thanks.
So Long to Ed Archer (soon) - Ed has announced his retirement effective March 31. We are planning a retirement dinner and reception on April l at the MTAS Staff retreat. (If you have ideas you would like to contribute, see Sharon, MikeP, or Carol - the planning committee.) We are trying to recruit a replacement for Ed now, but we will never find anyone else like him.
Annual State of TN Economy - Soon, CGT will announce the annual State of TN Economy program with Dr. Matt Murray in March. This is a program that Constance Smith coordinated last year, and one that is appreciated by city and county officials. CGT is reserving the sites but it is likely to be from 1 - 4 EST on March 10, 12,19,24 or 26. As soon as we know the exact date, we'll pass it on.
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