07/01/2016

· Happy New (fiscal) Year!

· “God doesn’t take things away to be cruel. He takes things away to make room for other things. He takes things away to lighten us. He takes things away so we can fly.” - Pat Summitt. Rest in peace, Coach!

· Yesterday, I received a notice with a link to a document described as the final version of the University’s safety policy concerning firearms on campus. The policy can be found here
http://policy.tennessee.edu/safety_policy/sa0875/ . While I don’t expect any further edits in the near term, I’ll let you know if there are any.

· “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” - Erma Bombeck

· Thanks for the quick attention to “Securing the Human” online training. In the first few days of its availability, more than a third of us have completed it and the deadline isn’t until October 21 ^st . Great work! Thanks.

· We’re within a few weeks of the strategic plan listening sessions. We’re making progress on getting ourselves and our stakeholders registered. Remember, we’re shooting to get two stakeholders each to one of the sessions. I’ve gotten my tow (dozen) registered. How ‘bout you?

· Frances gets the “extra effort” award. She’s actually reserved a university van and is going to drive her stakeholders to the Oak Ridge listening session. Any extra seats available in that van, Frances?

· 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 “540 million. That is the number of golf balls that are estimated to be sold each year in the United States alone. That is over a half-billion of the little dimpled spheres. Here’s the real kicker… it is estimated that about 300 million, or over half of those, end up getting lost!” –

www.ultimategolfadvantage.com (a bunch of those were mine)

· Another week next week without an MTAS birthday or service anniversary, but we’ll all observe one…a really important one…on Monday. My hope is for everyone’s comfortable (and safe), long Fourth of July holiday weekend!

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

jim.thomas@tennessee.edu

www.mtas.tennessee.edu



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Oops! I messed up…BIG TIME!

Sharee came on board with MTAS exactly four years ago today…July 1, 2012. Thanks, Sharee, for what you do for our customers and all of us!