03/17/2016

· Yes, I do know it’s Thursday, but I’m on annual leave today and tomorrow participating in a nephew’s wedding weekend / Thomas family reunion (of sorts) and I’m fearful a golf game may break out tomorrow and completely consume my day.

· Compassion… a ​strong ​feeling of ​sympathy and ​sadness for other people’s ​suffering or ​bad ​luck and a ​desire to ​help . – Cambridge Dictionary Online

· During the IPS Leadership Team meeting yesterday, we talked for a few minutes about distractions to our work and how, lately, issues facing the University are on our minds AND, many times, the minds of our customers. Like you, I’ve found myself listening to and enduring the sometimes sarcastic and failed-attempts-at-humor comments others have provided us as we go about doing good work. We also talked about the importance of staying the course and keep moving forward. Thank each of you for your forward-looking vision. We each expect it and deserve it of each other…and our customers certainly should.

· Earlier this week, you read about UT’s online training, Haven for Faculty and Staff , about sexual assault, harassment and related topics in the IPS Catch Up. That training has been developed in partnership with the Tennessee Board of Regents and has been under development for several months. Here’s a link that will direct you to the training
http://humanresources.tennessee.edu/eod/haven.html . Your participation is voluntary but I hope everybody will join me in committing the 45 minutes it takes to complete it.

· HR 128’s…I’m not real good about getting them filled out and submitted in a timely way. Oh yes, I eventually get to it, but need to “get to it” a lot sooner than I do. Timeliness is what I’m talkin’ about here, folks. I’m going to follow your lead in doing better with this. Thanks for helping me. (Now, how’s that for subtlety?)

· Fifty-nine years…simply amazing! That’s how long Betty Modrall served as Columbia’s City Recorder. Betty died earlier this week. Read about her service to Columbia here
http://columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/city-recorder-betty-modrall-passes-away-after-serving-columbia-59-years . Our thoughts are with Columbia and her fellow city hall staff members.

· Attention! Attention! Two amongst us have logged THIRTY YEARS OF SERVICE with MTAS this month. Al Major went to work on March 1 ^st and Richard Stokes joined him a few days later on March 17 ^th …both in 1986. Wow! Pats on both of your backs and thank you for being key parts of this thing called MTAS. THIRTY YEARS OF SERVICE!

· 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 The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others . - Albert Schweitzer
o Frances, hope your birthday next Wednesday (March 23 ^rd ) is very happy! Your 39 ^th , I believe, isn’t it?
o Does anybody know how many golf clubs you can (legally) have in your bag during a golf game?

· It’s sort of a holiday weekend…today being St. Patty’s Day and such. I hope it’s a comfortable one for every one of us.

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

jim.thomas@tennessee.edu

www.mtas.tennessee.edu