02/26/2016

· Hmmmmmm! Distraction - a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. Extreme agitation of the mind or emotions. – Google Dictionary

· EEi, EEi, oooh! I mean “EO, EOA”. Folks there’s a bunch of MTASers presenting Elected Officials Academy literally from one end of the state to the other today and tomorrow. Thanks to everybody involved in getting them organized and presented and for giving up part of your weekend to do so. Not enough can be said about the importance of this program. One day, elected officials will recognize that. It won’t be tomorrow or next week, but they will talk about the importance of their attending EOA.

· Some of us may have already seen the job announcement for a position in MTAS for an IPS Specialist II, Grants and Training. It was posted yesterday. So what is it? The successful candidate will work to identify, apply for and hopefully be successful in helping us enhance grant money available to supplement our training activities. The position fits well into our (and all of IPS’s) efforts to enhance the variety and quantity of revenue resources. The employee in the job will be highly incentivized to be successful since the salary will be paid from grant proceeds secured by their efforts. We’ll keep you posted on the search and its progress.

· In an effort to enhance our marketing efforts, we have recently purchased some things that all of us can use as we visit with customers, attend conferences or make presentations. Pens and note pads with MTAS’s wordmark on them…a return of the popular coasters with MTAS imprinted on them…a table skirt with the wordmark on it that clearly tells who we are…a banner with MTAS all over it similarly designed like the new display that was put into service at last year’s TML Conference. And we’re having enough of the banner and table skirts made up so that there is at least one of each in the Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson offices. We’ll get supplies of the smaller items to each office as they are received. I’m looking forward to having something I can give somebody when I meet them that will sit on their desk with our name right in front of them or be in their hand. Thank you, Armintha and Frances, for taking the lead in getting the banners and table skirts and notepads and coasters and pens and stuff pulled together.

· Once again, thanks to all for keeping us on track with the APR process. We’re on schedule and will certainly wrap everything up before our deadline.

· Lastly, remember a few things…
o What each of you do every day for our customers and each other is recognized and appreciated. Really! It is!
o Happy birthday this coming week to…………….Oops! There aren’t any. But if there were, it would be their 39 ^th , I believe.
o Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them . - Jack Canfield
o Jordan Spieth, a relative newcomer to the Professional Golf Association tour, made $22 million in 2015 PLAYING GOLF! And he’s 22 years old. I was trying to figure out how to get out of graduate school when I was 22. I’ve lost that much over the years hitting balls into water hazards.

It’s sunny and in the low 50’s in Jackson right now. I hope it’s that way where you are and that it stays that way for a few days so that we all enjoy a comfortable weekend!

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

jim.thomas@tennessee.edu

www.mtas.tennessee.edu