During the past year, I’ve had the privilege to attend the IPS Leadership Academy where our cohort visited all UT campuses from Memphis to Knoxville and places in between. We were fortunate to interact with other agencies and hear from speakers and sessions in ways we normally may not have the chance to experience.

During this time, I had the pleasure to attend the graduation ceremony for LEIC’s National Forensic Academy. Executive Director Rick Scarbrough opened the ceremony by telling the graduates they “get to” be here, not that they “have to” be here. The graduates’ calling to public service and public safety is an opportunity, not an obligation. They “get to” serve their communities, coworkers and state.

A have to mindset focuses on obligations, tasks and drudgery. Meanwhile, a get to mindset focuses on opportunities, growth and new ways to be of service.

This is a great reminder of our own opportunities within IPS. Almost all of us had other employment prior to IPS. Some of us worked in the private sector, while others in the public sector or a mixture of both. Regardless, all of us found our calling to IPS, and we get to continue serving our communities, our state, and for some agencies, departments across the United States.

It is through our leadership and public service that members of CIS get to help manufacturing and economic developers build jobs and plan growth for future communities. The same goes for MTAS staff where we get to visit with city personnel to teach, train and guide them so their cities run well and avoid costly mistakes. Recently, CTAS got to provide its annual County Officials Orientation Program to train newly elected county officials from all over the state to help ensure these new trustees, sheriffs, mayors and many others can produce effective and efficient county government for their citizens.

These numerous “get to” opportunities help solve problems for our customers for short term issues and create opportunities to shape long-term plans for our public and private customers and citizens.

While our work at IPS may not have the same visibility to the public in ways that other public or private entities may have, our impact is absolutely critical to our customers in all aspects of our service.

Our service at IPS may come with challenges, but as soon as we stop saying 'I have to' and start saying 'I get to,' we are reminded that leadership and public service is not a burden, but rather a privilege we have been given.