MTAS Mustard for week ended 5/15/20

 

Good Wednesday afternoon to you MTAS,

I’m going to start this Mustard off with gratitude. Thanks to you all for making the shift to the home office so quickly and adapting as needed; and then, as we try to return to a normal environment, for coming back with the same grace and deftness. I mentioned it previously, but want to reiterate that Adaptability is the first word in our values statement. We defined it as “The quality of being able to adjust to new conditions, including being open minded and flexible in an ever-changing environment.” This is exactly the pandemic we are in: an ever-changing environment. When we worked on these values at a retreat, I think we had in mind that situations change for our customers all the time. Little did we know then, how applicable it would become for ourselves too.

Next, I’d like to share some good news with you. This week Eric told me that his daughter, Cate, is the Valedictorian for the Class of 2020 for Westview High School in Martin. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and one that I imagine she did with a little help from Dad along the way. Congratulations to you both Eric and Cate on her amazing high school success.

I’m going to continue with the happy thoughts and point out our celebrations over the last week. Ronnie had a work anniversary on May 11. Ronnie, thanks for all the years of loyalty, love and living that you’ve given to MTAS. I would argue that it takes a lot of passion for something to put that many years of service into it. In that vein, Ronnie, I probably liken you to former Lieutenant Governor John Wilder and his lengthy legislative career.

I have one new announcement for you, and that is Pat Hardy has asked to return to consulting full time and to step back from being a program manager. Pat, thank you very much for your years of service to the MTAS leadership team. I’ve really enjoyed working with you in that capacity, and I wish you well as you have more time to spend with your cities and other priorities. Taking Pat’s place will be Angie Carrier who will begin with new responsibilities on May 25. Congratulations Angie!

Also last week I had a question presented to me about return to the office dates. I made an assumption that if one person had this question, likely others do too, so I’ll address it here. In Dr. Byrd’s May 13 email he mentioned employees with high risks (themselves or family members) are not expected to return until a later date. The question was: what is a later date? I interpret that to mean the fourth phase of the return to office. So, for the offices in Knoxville, Johnson City and Martin we enter Phase Four on June 15; for Nashville, Chattanooga and Jackson Phase Four begins June 29; and for the Memphis office Phase Four begins July 13. When I surveyed everyone about preferred return times (Memphis staff, yours will be coming shortly), if you responded with option B (as late as possible) I’m trying to accommodate that request with a Phase Four return date. I hope this further explanation helps you in your planning. As with everything virus related, this schedule is subject to change and I am tracking numbers daily.

So, it seems I leave the Mustard the same way I started it, with appreciation for you and your flexibility. Thanks for working with me as we work through the new reality and as we figure out what the new normal looks like.

I hope you have a great rest of the work week and that you find a special way to observe the Memorial Day holiday coming up on Monday.

Take care and stay well,
Margaret