05/12/2017

· Dr. DiPietro’s visits to West and Middle Tennessee week before last were successful. He, Dr. Millhorn and Herb were able to see and hear about some of the really good work that IPS folks do for our customers every day. In the Memphis area, the collaborative project between CIS and Memphis where Memphis Public Works was helped with its street cuts dilemma was highlighted. In Sumner County, they visited and heard firsthand from emergency management staff how the planning for a consolidated countywide emergency dispatch system was planned and designed by CTAS and MTAS. Thank you Dennis, Ronnie, John and Rex for helping, not only with the projects, but also in getting arrangements made for the visits. We’re still trying to get an east Tennessee visit set up. That will probably happen sometime early summer.

· Have you bought that perfect card for your mother yet? Sunday is her day. Better not forget it.

· Several of you helped Carol Graves at TML recently with recommendations of cities TML might recognize at its upcoming annual conference for especially innovative and effective projects and services. Carol sent me the list last week and it is…
1. Bristol – Excellence in Human Resources
2. Chattanooga - Excellence in Green Leadership
3. Collegedale – Excellence in Planning and Community Development
4. Dyersburg – Excellence in Police Services
5. Erwin – Excellence in Economic and Community Development
6. Germantown – Excellence in Fire Safety
7. Livingston – Excellence in Downtown Revitalization
8. Portland – Excellence in Parks and Recreation
9. Paris – Excellence in Public Works
10. Townsend - Progressive Leadership Award
11. Small City Progress - Harriman
12. Small Town Progress – Chapel Hill

· Everybody got a message from Rick recently about the Survivor benefit beneficiary form. I appreciate his attention to letting us all know about it and I hope…I really hope…each of us has paid appropriate attention to it, filled it out and gotten it back to Tomi by now. Nuff sed!

· All IPS agency advisory boards will meet in a joint session next Wednesday through Friday in Murfreesboro. On Thursday, we’ll hear from Andy Goodman as he helps us learn to tell our story…something the strategic plan listening sessions last summer showed us we need to do a much better job of. Frances, Lisa, Rick and I will participate along with the advisory board members.

· Steve Wyatt and Al Major both celebrate birthdays next week…Steve on Wednesday and Al on Thursday. Amazingly, it will be the 39 ^th for both! Happy birthday guys!

· A service anniversary next week. On May 17, 1999, Ralph Cross joined MTAS. Congratulations, Ralph, and thank you for all you do for our customers and each of us.

· 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 “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
o Not sure who said it, but… Your best round of golf will be immediately followed by your worst round. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former. Amen, sisters and brothers. Amen.

· A comfortable weekend for all!

Jim Thomas, Executive Director


(O) 615. 532.4950 (C) 615.972.9219

jim.thomas@tennessee.edu

www.mtas.tennessee.edu