11/09/2004

MTAS Retreat - See you in Manchester.

IT Duties - Since Justin has arrived at MTAS, Lisa has restructured who does what with IT. Here's the list. When in doubt, call any one of the three and they'll make sure you get help from someone.

Lisa
Notes development
Supports Knoxville Novell server
Computer purchasing

Justin
Notes administration
Supports Notes servers
Hardware/Software Support
Access to servers, printers
Coordinates user training
Software upgrades
Supports tape backups for Knoxville
Future - municipal consulting

Debbie
Hardware/software support for Nashville
Supports Nashville Novell server
Assists Nashville LEIC staff
Assists Nashville President=s office staff
Supports tape backups for Nashville
Assists Justin with major software & hardware upgrades
Updates GML data, updates municipal directory posted on web site, creates labels for outside requests.

Innovation awards - Last year I nominated Alcoa for an "Innovation Award" from the Southern Growth Policy Board. They received some well-deserved recognition for their economic development program. The focus this year is rural development. Do we know of any small city or project that would be eligible? The deadline for this years' award is November 22. Please let me know of any city we should talk to about preparing a nomination.

2005 Innovator Awards Nominations

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Time is running out to nominate a program for Southern Growth's 2005 Innovator Awards. Nominate a program on-line today!

Each year, Southern Growth honors innovative Southern programs and initiatives that are improving the quality of life in the region through the Innovator Awards program. Awards are presented annually to one organization in each of Southern Growth's member states - Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Award winners represent initiatives from the public, private and nonprofit sectors that fit both the criteria for innovation and relevance to the theme of Southern Growth's annual conference, where the awards are presented.

This year, the focus of the Innovator Awards is on rural development. Nominated initiatives must be unusual or unique in their content or approach, but may operate on the local, state or regional level. Initiatives may relate to workforce development, technology and innovation, community development, or responses to globalization and display some of the following characteristics:

Regional collaboration (urban/rural or rural/rural).

Higher education institutions engaged as partners.

Entrepreneurial focus.

Connecting rural leaders to national and regional peer networks.

Identifying and leveraging underutilized wealth and leadership in a rural region.

Using technology in an innovative way.

Connecting rural businesses to the global marketplace.

Elevating the capacity of the rural workforce.

Working effectively across racial, cultural or economic lines.

Nominations may be submitted on-line at
http://www.southern.org/main/innovators/nomform.shtml, or by mail and fax by downloading a nomination form
http://www.southern.org/main/innovators/Innovators Nomination form.pdf.

Deadline for Nominations is November 22, 2004.

An outside evaluation panel will choose one innovator from each Southern Growth state for this special recognition. Alabama Governor Bob Riley will present the awards at Southern Growth Policies Board's Summit on the Rural South conference in Point Clear, Alabama on June 12-14, 2005.

For more specific questions regarding potential nominees, please contact Sandra Johnson at sjohnson@southern.org or 919-941-5145. For more information on Southern Growth Policies Board, visit
www.southern.org.