10/01/2001

This is the twelfth WEEKLY staff update in a row. It's a new record! Please note two additions at bottom.

Dates - The TML policy committee day is October 18 at the Nashville downtown Sheraton. You only need to attend if you have been assigned a committee.
The TML legislative committee (an almost exact subset of the TML Board of Directors) will meet November 8 from 10 to noon to review the recommendations of the policy committees.
The TML Legislative Conference is February 25 & 26, 2002 also at the Nashville downtown Sheraton.

Finances - Nancy gave the management team our monthly financial report today. Through August we had received 17% of our expected revenues and spent 15% of our expected expenditures. Since we are two months or 16.67% into the fiscal year, we are close to being on target. We have just been told that the state has impounded 1% of our state revenues or $13,700. This may get worse if state revenues continue to lag projections.


TAMCAR - Warren reports that Sally Oglesby, city clerk in Crossville, has been named clerk and recorder of the year by TAMCAR. Warren and I can't decide if she won the award because of her management consultant or because of her years of service as a member of the MTAS advisory committee. In fact, it may be because she is such a fine city clerk.


And while we are discussing awards - it seems that everyone who works for Steve has received an award recently. Sandy and Linda both were honored at the IPS conference. Dianna received the MOLLY award for naming MOLLY. I want to grant the first ever Red Ribbon for fitting in and becoming so productive so soon award to Jennifer. She has certainly hit the ground running in answering the telephone, routing faxes, and most important the time she spends importing codes to the database, converting charters, and helping with administrative code updates.

And while I'm on a roll - the library staff receives the apple award for getting the new Notes database (now called MOLLY) up and running on schedule. This included converting over 14,000 records from our old system to the new.

Campus Chest - The campaign (as you know from Laura Smith's email) is about to start. Please give what you can.

Personnel Actions - Melissa Ashburn will start as a legal consultant in Knoxville on November 1. Melissa has a BA in English from UTK and received her law degree from the University of Tennessee. She has been an associate with the firm of Leibowitz & Cohen in Knoxville since 1994. Sid is glad she's starting soon and so are the rest of us.

We have one more legal consultant to hire and we will have that interview with Tom Ballard Tuesday afternoon.

EXTRA - October 2, 2001

Moving On - Ann Thompson, data integrity clerk in Knoxville, has submitted her resignation effective Friday, October 19. Since March 1999 Ann has been responsible for distributing our publications and maintaining more databases than you can imagine. Two major databases are the government mailing list and the salary survey database. She has kept them accurate and error free. We'll miss her for her talent and skill, but mainly for her friendliness and willingness to help.

EXTRA - October 4, 2001

EMS dissolved - On Monday, October 1, Events Management Services (EMS) was dissolved and the former staff members now work for the Center for Industrial Services (CIS). That is, the training support functions report to CIS. We will continue to use CIS to support the training activities coordinated by Sally.

Here's an excerpt from an email from Mary Taylor: " T.C. Parsons and his staff have the appropriate customer service and fee-for-service orientations to make that operation even more successful in the long-term than it has been in its short tenure. The conference support functions will report directly to me until I determine a better organizational fit long-term. These changes are consistent with our current policy of reviewing all organizational structures and programs to determine if they are consistent with our mission and priorities. I know each of you will continue to work with and support each of these staff members as they make the transition to their new 'home'."

I don't think our customers will notice any difference as all of the activities previously supported by EMS will now be handled by CIS. Please let me know about your experiences (either good or bad) with the new arrangement.
Thanks.