01/29/2016

· Remember, there are only 330 shopping days left ‘til Christmas!

· “…and the hits just keep on rollin’…for the third consecutive reporting period (calendar year), MTAS staff has achieved 100% completing 32 or more hours of professional development. In IRIS, there are 2,800 total hours logged for MTAS. So, I’m guessing the actual number is somewhere north of 3,000 hours. In my first couple years, I wondered how we DIDN’T achieve 100%. Seemed to me one would have to work hard at NOT getting in at least 32 hours. But the last three calendar years says we each understand the importance of professional development and we do what is necessary to get it done. Reach around there and pat yourself on the back. Thanks for your close attention to this.

· Governor Haslam will deliver his “State of the State” address to a joint session of the legislature Monday evening. With that, he will also be delivering his proposed FY2017 budget. Gail White will be working hard beginning early Tuesday morning to understand how MTAS is impacted in his proposal. With that information, additional work will be moved forward to prepare MTAS’s budget plan for FY2017. I’m going to be watching his address. I hope you have the opportunity to see/hear it also.

· Dr. DiPietro will deliver his annual “State of the University” address on Tuesday, February 16 ^th . From what I’ve learned, it will be video streamed. That’s all the details I have. When I know the time and video link, I’ll pass them on to you. I hope each of you will join me in watching / listening to it.

· The 2016 IPS Conference Planning Committee met earlier this week in Chattanooga and is very close to making a decision about which hotel to use there. Upon that decision being made, the dates of the conference will be finally set. Dennis Wolf and Michelle Terry are our MTAS representatives on the committee. At this week’s meeting, Michelle took on the chairmanship role. Thank you, Michelle, for doing that and all MTASers stand ready to help you and Dennis.

· Earlier this week we got a message from Frances about the schedule for submitting articles and posting of the quarterly MTAS newsletter. I’ll be contributing an article for each issue. Join me by committing to contribute at least one article to the newsletter this year. There’s plenty of stuff that goes on inside MTAS or with our town and city customers that others will find interesting and maybe even informative.

· It was with sadness that we learned from David Angerer late yesterday that Linden Mayor Jim Azbill died yesterday afternoon at Vanderbilt Medical Center where he was transported earlier this week after suffering significant injuries from a fall. Mayor Azbill was first elected in 2002. David reports that Linden enjoyed significant achievements under his leadership, particularly in Linden’s town center revitalization. David is working with the town council as it works to fill the mayoral vacancy.

· Last year (and maybe in previous years…I’ve slept since then), TML asked for our help in identifying cities that it (TML) could showcase in a special display at its annual conference. Some of you were asked to consider cities who had experienced some great achievements and innovations and recommend them to TML. TML picked 6 cities…Unicoi for its community kitchen; Johnson City for its Tweetsie Trail; Manchester, White House and Savannah for their Parks and Recreation programs; and McKenzie for its downtown revitalization. Once again, TML has asked for our help. You know which of our customers have done a particularly good job on something…so let’s let TML know about them. Please send your recommendations straight to Debbie Kluth (
dkluth@tml1.org ) at your earliest convenience, but no later than Friday, February 19 ^th . Thanks in advance for your help with this.

· I know you’ll be surprised to hear that the Tennessee legislature is in session in Nashville. Yep. Sure is. Amazing! I know. Elisha reports several things about all that…
o The “get-to-know-you” pre-session meeting MTAS and CTAS had with the folks in the legislature’s fiscal review committee office seems to paying dividends. The lists (yep, I said “lists”) of bills they are asking help on are no fewer than in the past, but they are arriving earlier in the process and in a more organized fashion than in past years.
o In addition to the work for fiscal review committee, she has reviewed every (repeat…”every”) bill filed this session and picked out the ones that have even a remote chance of impacting city governments. She has done a full analysis on 130+ of them and the list is growing continually.
o She used the word “wonderful” earlier this morning when I asked about the help and support she has gotten from many of you when she asked for it. Her word reinforces with me that we all understand how important our role with our town and city customers really is…and…that when one MTASer asks for help, all MTASers step up. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

· As we learned last week, Nick Meanza would be joining us this week…and, by golly, he did. Welcome, Nick! We’re glad you are with us at MTAS.

· Lastly, remember a few things…
o What each of you do every day for our customers and each other is recognized and appreciated.
o Recent (Sorry, Pat. Forgot about yours last week) and upcoming birthdays. Pat Hardy’s was on Sunday, January 24 ^th and Sandy’s will be on Friday, February 5 ^th . Thirty-ninth for both, I believe. Happy birthday, Pat and Sandy!
o Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. – Winston Churchill
o No one knows for sure how many golf balls are lost each year worldwide, though the total in the United States is estimated at 300 million. Hundreds of thousands of golf balls are lost or abandoned every day in lakes, ponds, forests, wetlands, deserts, backyards, gardens, parking lots, cemeteries, on rooftops and at the bottom of woodchuck holes. – On Par, the New York Times Golf Blog, Bill Pennington, May 2, 2010
o Somehow, I feel responsible for a goodly number of that 300 million. I have, in fact, hit a ball into cemetery in Ireland…never to be seen again.

Looks like a “shorts and t-shirt” kind of weekend in Middle Tennessee. Hope it’s that way where you are.

Jim Thomas, Executive Director
(O) 615. 532.4950 (C) 615.972.9219

jim.thomas@tennessee.edu

www.mtas.tennessee.edu