POST ARCHIVE
University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services Brings Supply Chain Support to ManufacturersJune 14, 2022The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS) is introducing CONNEX™ Tennessee, a new program launching June 22, which is designed to strengthen the local and domestic manufacturing supply chain.
CONNEX™ Tennessee is a powerful online manufacturer database and connectivity platform provided as a no-cost resource for Tennessee manufacturers. It’s designed to help manufacturers connect with each other, find local and domestic suppliers, explore production capabilities, and manage their supply chain such as identifying single supplier risks and finding opportunities for diversification.
“The UT Center for Industrial Services is always looking for ways to help Tennessee manufacturers achieve their goals,” explains UT CIS Executive Director Paul Jennings. “We see CONNEX™ Tennessee as a great resource to help our state’s manufacturers mitigate supply chain risks, become stronger and grow.”
CONNEX™ Tennessee is also supported by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry whose President and CEO Bradley Jackson said, “For manufacturers, the pandemic demonstrated just how vulnerable supply chains are. Many manufacturers are now searching for ways to domestically or locally develop supply chains to protect their operations from additional supply chain disruptions. We hope that Tennessee manufacturers will be a part of the CONNEX™ Tennessee program which can help solve some of these problems.”
To help manufacturers develop more reliable supply chains and find alternate suppliers, the CONNEX Tennessee platform will help manufacturers identify potential suppliers within the state based on their capabilities, not just current production. Results can then be filtered using hundreds of unique criteria such as equipment, processes, materials, certifications and more to meet a manufacturer’s specific needs.
In addition, disruptions to existing supply chains have resulted in shortages of materials and inputs to manufacturing processes, which is hampering the productivity and profitability of Tennessee manufacturers. CONNEX Tennessee will offer manufacturers the ability to post requests for information (RFIs) and requests for quotes (RFQs) for such items in the platform’s B2B Exchange Center to which qualified suppliers may directly respond to the post with their capabilities and availability. These platform features will help Tennessee manufacturers quickly find the materials and inputs they need to meet their productivity and profitability objectives while improving supply chain robustness for downstream manufacturers as well.
The CONNEX Marketplace technology was developed several years ago by i5 Services to connect the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. It’s now being used by manufacturers and suppliers across the country to connect with each other and find new business opportunities. Tennessee is the seventh state to roll out the CONNEX Marketplace™ platform, joining Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan and Utah. In each state, the platform is managed by a MEP center to provide a coordinated approach to outreach and direction for users.
“We are thrilled to have UT CIS and the Tennessee Chamber sponsor and support CONNEX Tennessee,” said President and CEO of i5 Services Alan Davis.. “It’s a sign of their strong leadership and commitment to the Tennessee manufacturing industry which is one of the pillars of the Tennessee economy.”
Free registration for Tennessee manufacturers and suppliers will begin on June 22 when the platform officially launches. In the meantime, more information can be found at: https://www.cis.tennessee.edu/connex-tennessee/connex-tennessee-faqs
About the University of Tennessee’s Center for Industrial Services
UT CIS, an agency of the UT Institute for Public Services, is a member of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network™. The MEP National Network is a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing U.S. manufacturing. It’s focused on helping small and medium-sized manufacturers generate business results and thrive in today’s technology-driven economy.
About Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
As the Tennessee affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council, the Tennessee Chamber works today with its national and state business allies to maintain a strong, healthy business climate in Tennessee for companies to grow, to profit, to expand and to hire.
About CONNEX Marketplace by i5 Services
Founded in 2009, i5 Services develops solutions to significantly improve complex technical processes in various industries. They are working to connect the U.S. and global manufacturing supply chain into a single platform, which will solve many of the world’s supply chain issues. Called CONNEX Marketplace, this online platform connects manufacturers and suppliers to an accurate, searchable supply-chain database allowing Primes, OEMs and governments to post their needs and quickly find suppliers based on deep data such as equipment, certifications, capabilities and more. For more information, visit: www.ConnexMarketplace.com [...]Read more...
IPS Accepting Scholarship ApplicationsMay 9, 2022Applications for the Mary and Jack Jinks Scholarship as well as the Jim and Marie Murphy Scholarship are now being accepted. The Jinks Scholarship is open for IPS employees and their family members who are enrolled at a UT campus. The Murphy Scholarship is open to any family member of a CTAS employee or employee of the County Officials Association of Tennessee. The deadline for submitting applications is June 15. [...]Read more...
UT Center for Industrial Services Certifies New Economic DevelopersApril 27, 2022The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS) recently graduated the 15th class through its Tennessee Certified Economic Developer (TCED) Program. This cohort brings the total number of Tennessee certified economic developers to 86.Graduation was held at the new IPS Training Center in Nashville. During the session, the graduates presented their Capstone projects, the final requirement for certification. TCED candidates completed a week-long Basic Economic Development Course in addition to a series of six core courses pertinent to economic and community development. The TCED Program gives participants a broad-based knowledge of economic trends, tools and core components required to compete in today’s global economy.
The Spring TCED graduates are:
Kathrine Bailey, director of strategic planning/research analyst with Austin Peay State University. Her Capstone project topic was Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Rural Tennessee Agriculture: A Workforce Study.Landy Fuqua, director of the UT Martin Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (REED) Center and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. Her Capstone project topic was Creating a Coworking Space in Rural Northwest Tennessee.Jeff Taylor, president/CEO of Greene County Partnership. His Capstone project topic was Economic Impact of Generational Revitalization Projects in Small Towns.
“All of our Tennessee certified economic developers made a serious commitment to achieve this designation,” said Kim Denton, director of the TCED Program. “They now will be able to use this in-depth knowledge to benefit their communities and regions.” New graduates will be invited to join the TCED Alumni Group, which provides continuing education and networking opportunities several times throughout the year. [...]Read more...
Kim Harmon named Executive Director of Naifeh Center for Effective LeadershipJanuary 6, 2022Kim Harmon, a long-time state of Tennessee employee, will serve as the next executive director of the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership, an agency of The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS). Harmon succeeds previous director Dr. Macel Ely who is now in the role of director of organizational improvement for IPS. Her Naifeh Center tenure begins Feb. 1.
“We are excited to have an executive leader of Kim’s caliber joining our institute,” said Dr. Herb Byrd III, vice president of IPS. “Her tremendous knowledge of leadership principles and her experience in Tennessee state government will be a great addition. I have full confidence that she will continue to build on the success of the Naifeh Center.”
Since 2018, Harmon served as inspector general for the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Inspector General Division. From 2001 to 2010 she served as a special agent in the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and from 2011 to 2018, she was a special agent in charge for TBI’s training division. Harmon received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Carson-Newman College and a master’s in professional studies from Tennessee State University.
The Naifeh Center provides training and professional development for leaders at all levels, from the emerging supervisor to the experienced executive. [...]Read more...
Walden Named CTAS Executive DirectorNovember 17, 2021The UT Institute for Public Service (IPS) has named Jon Walden as executive director of the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS). Walden has served for a year as interim director of the agency following the retirement of Robin Roberts.
“Jon has been a dedicated public servant since joining CTAS in 1993. He’s widely respected by staff and customers, and we’re fortunate to have him in this executive director position.” said IPS Vice President Dr. Herb Byrd III. “He’s done an outstanding job serving as the interim director. I know he’ll continue to use his vision, institutional knowledge and relationships to lead CTAS in the years to come.”
Walden joined CTAS in 1993 as administrator of information technology before being promoted to manager of information technology in 2002. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Tennessee State University and earned his master’s in leadership and public service from Lipscomb University. He will begin his new role on December 1. [...]Read more...
IPS Celebrates 50 YearsJune 11, 2021You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby: The Evolution of IPS
Fifty years. Six current agencies. More than $1.43 billion annual benefit to the state economy.
Since its creation in 1971, the Institute for Public Service (IPS) has amassed an impressive history of outreach, taking UT’s experts and expertise into communities statewide to improve government, industry, law enforcement and others. From the start, its end-goal has remained the same: improving the lives of Tennesseans.
IPS was established to serve as an umbrella organization for a number of smaller agencies. Over the years, agencies have come and gone as IPS leaders defined and refined the mission of IPS.
Two IPS agencies — the municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) and the Center for Industrial Services (CIS)— existed before the umbrella organization was created. When IPS was created, it also became home for the Center for Government Training (established in 1967 and dissolved in 2001), and the Civil Defense Program (established in 1963). Through the years, IPS served as the parent organization for agencies, including the Government, Industry, Law Center (created in 1963 and dissolved in 1973, after moving to IPS); the Technical Assistance Center (created in 1970); and the Critical Care Education Program (created in 1971 and dissolved in 1998); and the Center for Telecommunications and Video (created in 1985 and later moved elsewhere).
Today, IPS is funded through state and local appropriations, grants and contracts, fees and program income, and its endowment and gifts. In 2020, IPS answered more than 40,000 requests for assistance, trained more than 29,000 municipal, county, and state employees, manufacturers, law enforcement personnel, and others. It helped create or support more than 15,000 jobs statewide.
Here’s a look at the six major divisions of IPS today:
Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS)
MTAS was created in 1949 by Tennessee lawmakers at the urging of the Tennessee Municipal League. Its mission was – and still is — to provide outreach for governmental entities akin to what the Agricultural Extension Service provides to farmers statewide. Its services include technical assistance in finance and accounting, human resources, research and information, codification and law, municipal management, public safety, public utilities, and public works through consultants and in-person and online training.
Today, the agency’s 50 staff members are based in Knoxville, Memphis, Johnson City, Chattanooga, Nashville, Martin, and Jackson and work statewide.
Margaret Norris, who has been with MTAS for 20 years and has been executive director for three years, said the agency’s 2019-2024 strategic plan calls for MTAS to “work with Tennessee municipalities to improve the lives of those they serve” with a vision of helping Tennessee municipalities become “a national model of good governance.”
In 2020, MTAS had 58,791 contacts with customers, hosted 5,010 training participants, completed 11,362 projects for customers, and logged 246,247 website visitors.
Norris said the agency had an economic impact of nearly $6.8 million in 2020. In addition, its staff clocked 3,365 hours of professional development to ensure they were at the top of their fields.
All of this, she said, exemplifies the agency’s values, as outlined in its strategic plan: adaptability, service-oriented, integrity and quality.
“I’m really proud that we did all of this during a global pandemic when we spent months working from home and serving municipalities as they struggled to learn how to work in a pandemic environment too,” she said.
Center for Industrial Services (CIS)
Created in 1963, CIS is the arm of IPS that works with manufacturers, small businesses, economic developers, and other organizations critical to community growth and success.
CIS provides training and consulting in manufacturing excellence; economic development; government contracting; energy efficiency and environmental management; and health, safety, and emergency preparedness.
“CIS has grown and evolved over the past 50 years,” said Paul Jennings, who has served as executive director for 11 years. “From a small, traditional industrial extension service, CIS has grown into a multi-program agency that serves a range of customers, including small manufacturers, economic developers, small businesses and government agencies.”
In six offices across the state, CIS has 40 full-time staff and additional part-time employees who work with the agency on a project-focused basis. Each year, CIS assists more than 800 companies, trains over 5,000 people, and facilitates $1.2 billion in customer-reported economic impact through cost savings, new and retained sales, and capital investments.
Over the years, CIS has grown its efforts to include nationally recognized programs, including the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Training Institute, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration University Center.
“We emphasize working with partners across Tennessee and the United States to address local and regional initiatives and apply CIS and university expertise to problems and opportunities,” Jennings said.
“The need for CIS expertise continues to grow as the economy evolves. The pandemic has only accelerated economic changes, and is impacting how we deliver services, ensure a safe workplace, and help customers navigate issues ranging from cybersecurity to supply chain disruptions.”
County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS)
From questions about budgets to advice to counties as they build new jails to technical queries about property purchases or granting marriage licenses, CTAS is a go-to source of information for county officials.
Created in 1973, CTAS – which divides the state into eight service regions — helps improve government by providing direct assistance to county administrators and their associations.
Its services run the gamut: financial, legal, information technology, highway, public safety, environmental services, training, and research and analysis. Along with its consultants, CTAS provides a host of online resources, including an electronic library of county publications, a compilation of private acts, salary schedules for county officials, sample documents, and a newsletter that covers a variety of current topics, from the 2020 Census to population projections to information about the state’s opioid crisis.
Headquartered in Nashville, CTAS has 34 staff members, including eight county government consultants, each of whom works with 10 to 14 counties.
When a county needs assistance, they reach out to their assigned consultant who serves as a liaison with CTAS’s network of experts.
In the past fiscal year, the agency conducted 26,650 activities, from face-to-face meetings to training events to correspondence over issues.
“CTAS evolved a great deal over the years,” said Jon Walden, interim executive director, who has been with CTAS for 28 years.
Much of the change has come through the agency’s use of technology. The agency has become even more nimble because of the pandemic.
When COVID-19 shut down face-to-face meetings, CTAS had to figure out how to provide the same caliber of training and assistance virtually. The lessons learned during the pandemic are totally revamping the way CTAS works.
Going forward, the agency will be able to offer in-person, virtual and hybrid training – reaching more people while making services more convenient and affordable.
“It’s helping us become more flexible in the way we provide assistance to our customers,” he said.
Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC)
Formed in 1997, the LEIC evolved from the Southeastern Community Oriented Policing Education Institute and provides state-of-the-art training for law enforcement professionals.
“No one else does what we do,” said Executive Director Rick Scarbrough, who has led the center since August 2018.
LEIC has 12 full-time staff members and 70 subject matter experts in law enforcement and public safety, executive leadership and management, community education, safe and secure schools, internet and information technology, seminar and conference development and curriculum development.
Over the past 15 years, LEIC has trained more than 50,000 law enforcement officers representing more than 4,000 law enforcement agencies across the country and around the world. It has also trained participants from the U.S. Army and Air Force.
Launched in 2001, the LEIC’s flagship course is the National Forensic Academy. It is a 10-week program that provides specialized training for crime scene investigators. Participants practice shooting incident reconstruction, bloodstain pattern analysis, scene photography, and latent print processing. A three-week version of the program is offered for undergraduate and graduate students in criminal justice.
These programs continued during the pandemic with minor adjustments to ensure participants’ safety.
The can-do attitude is what’s made LEIC one of the nation’s elite training services.
“It was not if, but how we’d provide the training,” Scarbrough said.
LEIC also offers different levels of law enforcement leadership training and specialized workshops on active shooter training, curbing domestic violence, firearms simulator, and chemical weapons awareness. And, like other IPS agencies, LEIC is nimble enough to respond quickly to help law enforcement deal with emerging issues – from social justice and the need to eradicate biased-based policing to the growing threat of cybercrime.
The agency is now in the midst of a two-year $1.3 million Department of Justice-funded program to take its programming – leadership training, de-escalation techniques, and crime scene management — to 42 rural areas where law enforcement departments may not have the resources to send their staff members to the LEIC.
LEIC also worked with the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to create a national certification program that will help minimize biased-based policing in the law enforcement community by increasing diversity in law enforcement ranks and examining perceptions, stereotypes and cultural assumptions. Roll out began with UT campus law enforcement agencies and will expand to local law enforcement agencies across Tennessee and the nation.
Tennessee Language Center (TLC)
During the pandemic, the Tennessee Language Center was called on to translate all sorts of important health information – public service announcements, guidance about isolating and quarantining, vaccination consent forms and cards, exposure letters, employer and employee notification letters, and vaccine phase information – into Spanish, Arabic, Kurdish, Somali and Chinese.
It’s just one of the ways TLC is working to level the playing field by eliminating language barriers in Tennessee.
The TLC was created in 1986 as the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, and it was the first agency of its kind in state government nationwide. It became part of IPS in July 2018.
It was borne out of the state’s growing diversity: Tennessee is home to more than 830 foreign-owned businesses with more than $24 billion investment in the state. The state also welcomes about 1,600 refugees from around the world each year.
Executive Director Janice Rodriguez, who has been with the agency for 22 years, said lawmakers who crafted the legislation creating the agency were “visionaries” who understood that language services were key to Tennessee remaining competitive in education and economic development.
“They wanted to create a center of excellence to address the teaching of language and the interpretation and translation needs of government, tourism, public health and other entities so that language would not be a barrier to Tennessee’s success.”
The TLC provides group and custom language classes, translation and interpretation services, and professional development programs for interpreters, translators, and language instructors. It also provides diversity and cultural awareness programs for government and business officials, educators and the public.
TLC provides specific training for court or legal interpretation, as well as medical interpretation. The agency also works with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. and the city’s Transportation Licensing Commission to test taxi drivers’ English language skills and provide taxi drivers with training in hospitality skills and map reading.
Using a Ford F-650 truck fashioned into a fully functioning classroom, TLC’s ESL to Go program provides English as a Second Language instruction to more than 1,700 people in the Nashville area. The truck goes to areas of the community where large numbers of refugees reside.
TLC employs 20 full-time employees, dozens of adjunct or part-time instructors and hundreds of independent contractors.
In a typical year, the agency gets more than 10,000 requests for interpreter services and more than 1,200 requests for written translations. It services more than 36,000 people via telephonic interpretation. In the past year, the agency has worked in 95 different languages. It has served 1,157 people through language classes, interpreter training and cultural training.
While the agency charges a fee for many of its services, some – like instruction for refugees – are federally funded. While the agency works primarily with Tennessee entities, it has worked nationwide.
Looking to the future, Rodriguez said the agency is assessing needs county by county and constantly looking for ways to let people know that it exists to help with interpretation, translation, and language training, living its motto of “creating a dialogue with the world.”
Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership (NCEL)
Established by the Tennessee Legislature in 2009, the NCEL is one of IPS’s newest agencies. Named for Jimmy Naifeh, longtime Tennessee Speaker of the House of Representatives, the center was created to help groom effective leaders in business and government.
NCEL absorbed the training components from the agency once known as the Center for Government Training (CGT); CGT’s consulting components were moved to MTAS and CTAS.
NCEL offers certificate programs, academies in management and supervision, mentoring, leadership development, human resources, and administrative support. It also helps organizations administer leadership and behavioral assessments and can facilitate team-building workshops.
The center’s eight staff members are based in Nashville and Knoxville but work statewide. In the past year, the center has trained more than 8,000 business and government leaders.
“We’re a small team, but we feel like we have a large impact across the state,” said Macel Ely, executive director of NCEL. He said the center is increasingly being called upon to provide customized training and programming.
This past year, in one of the center’s key programs, the Certified Public Manager Program, groups of middle- and upper-level managers from local, state, and federal agencies came together in Jackson, Nashville, and Knoxville. Each cohort spent 300 hours in training culminating with each participant doing a capstone project on a way their particular agency could become more efficient and effective. Those projects had a whopping $19.6 million economic impact in Tennessee.
“That’s a real wow moment,” Ely said. [...]Read more...
Employees Share Practical ExperienceJune 9, 2021Whether someone wants to learn to speak another language or police departments want to offer de-escalation training to their officers, they have a cadre of experts from which to choose within the UT Institute for Public Service (IPS). The institute’s six agencies have 170 statewide employees who each boast a number of years of practical experience in their specific fields. Find out more in the Spring issue of Brighter Tennessee. [...]Read more...
Scholarship Applications AvailableMay 21, 2021IPS is now accepting applications for the Mary and Jack Jinks Scholarship as well as the Jim and Marie Murphy Scholarship. The Jinks Scholarship is available to any relative of an IPS employee and the Murphy Scholarship is available to any relative of the County Technical Assistance Service or the County Officials Association of Tennessee. [...]Read more...
National Deaf History MonthMarch 29, 2021Submitted by Lori Barton, IPS Admin
The first public school for the deaf was opened on April 15, 1817 in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. was the world’s first institution dedicated to advanced education for the deaf and hard of hearing. It was officially founded on April 8, 1864.
Deaf Awareness Week got its start back in 1996 when a couple of deaf employees at Washington, D.C.’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library taught sign language to their colleagues. The week of awareness was a period of time that allowed people to gain a greater understanding of the deaf community, which later evolved into a month-long period.
I remember as a young girl my mom learned sign language and wanted our family to learn it. I can recall going to a Christmas party with her at the Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville. I had a wonderful time meeting lots of new people. I knew very little sign language. Actually, I only knew the alphabet and a few other signs. One thing that stood out to me and I will never forget is the excitement and look on their faces when I started talking with them. They got so excited and started signing so quickly. I had to hurry up and ask them to slow down, but they did not mind one bit. They did not care if I had to spell everything out letter by letter. They were just excited someone took the time to learn to talk with them and show an interest. By the end of the night, I knew more sign language. It was exciting for all of us.
I still do not know a lot of sign language, but just taking the time to say hi, tell someone my name, ask their name, and ask how they are doing has brought numerous smiles to people’s faces through the years.
If you haven’t done so already, please take a moment and look over the alphabet. Try starting with that and see where it takes you.
U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services – National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language
Deaf Chat Chattanooga meets the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10am-12pm at Starbucks located at 2217 Hamilton Place Blvd., Chattanooga, TN 37421
https://tndeaflibrary.nashville.gov/connect/calendar/event/2021-03-20/deaf-chat-chattanooga
Library Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219
https://tndeaflibrary.nashville.gov/connect/calendar/month/2021-03
TN Disabillity Pathfinder: Navigating the Path to Special Education Support Webinar – Thursday, March 4, 2021 11am to 1pm CST
https://tndeaflibrary.nashville.gov/connect/calendar/event/2021-03-04/tennessee-disability-pathfinder-navigating-the-path-to-special-education-support-webinar
Disability Day on the Hill 2021
https://tndeaflibrary.nashville.gov/connect/calendar/event/2021-03-11/disability-day-on-the-hill-2021
Please schedule your meeting with a representative by February 25th SCHEDULE YOUR VIRTUAL MEETING: https://www.tfaforms.com/4866699
Psychological Impact of Audism – Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Online – Zoom $20 per webinar
https://tndeaflibrary.nashville.gov/connect/calendar/event/2021-03-17/psychological-impact-of-audism
Audism in Deaf Education – Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Online – Zoom $20 per webinar
https://tndeaflibrary.nashville.gov/connect/calendar/event/2021-03-24/audism-in-deaf-education [...]Read more...
Celebrating Irish American MonthMarch 29, 2021By Steve Wyatt
In October 1990, Congress passed a Public Act to establish March 1991 as Irish-American Heritage Month. Since 1997, the president has issued annual proclamations for the observance. The month of March, was chosen to coincide with Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17), which is an Irish national holiday.
Irish immigration to the Americas started in the late 16th century with mainly petty criminals, beggars, prisoners of war following Cromwell’s defeat of Ireland and some indentured servants being transported as cheap labor. There were two later major waves of immigration to the Americas. These two waves had significant differences. The first wave started around the 1720s when the “Scots-Irish” immigrated to the Americas. “Scots-Irish” is a term only used in the United States, which refers to the immigrants from Ireland who had Scottish Presbyterian origins. This wave was received well by the citizens of the United States. The immigrants mainly spoke English, were Protestant, and had job skills. The second wave began around 1946 due to a famine in Ireland. These immigrants were mainly Catholic. The second wave being Catholic, with limited English and lacking the skill set of the early wave. These immigrants met with resentment and distrust. Acceptance of the Catholic Irish began to appear during the Civil War due mainly to the fact that a vast number of Irish fought for the Union.
Approximately 32 million people in the United States claimed Irish ancestry of some type in the 2015 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The previous survey had a response of 39.6 million. The change was probably due to roughly 5 million people identifying as “Scots-Irish” and of Northern Ireland descent. The current estimate on the population of Ireland is 4.9 million.
The three most common ancestries listed by Tennesseans are:
United StatesAfrican-AmericanIrish
At least 22 presidents have some Irish ancestral origins. These include:
Andrew JacksonUlysses S. GrantTheodore RooseveltHarry S. TrumanJohn F. KennedyRonald ReganBill ClintonBoth Bushes Barack Obama.
Persons of Irish descent have made impact in the United State from sports, science, literature, the arts, and business. A few examples are;
Gene KellyNeil ArmstongHenry FordWalt DisneyAlfred HitchcockMichael MooreAnn CoulterJimmy FallonChris MatthewsBill O’ReillyEllen DeGeneresWilliam F. BuckleyTom ClancyF. Scott FitzgeraldAudie Murphy
On a personal note, I am “Scots-Irish”. Genetically, I am 35% Irish and 50% Scots/English. My family is composed for Brisendines, and McSwains who originated in Scotland. The McSwains and some of the Brisedines migrated to Ireland. I also am a Call, which is English in origin but portions of the family moved to Ireland and Scotland. [...]Read more...
Celebrating Women’s History MonthMarch 2, 2021By Elisha Hodge, MTAS
Every year, during the month of March, we recognize the unparalleled obstacles that women have overcome and celebrate the game changing contributions made by women in this country and around the globe. During this past year of turmoil and uncertainty, women led the dialogue and the marches for social justice, led the teams racing to find a cure for COVID-19, and led at the polls with more women than ever before being elected to Congress. And while we celebrate all the gains being made by women, we must always remember those individuals who paved the way.
How many of you all are familiar with the name Agnes Sadler? Hopefully many of you are, but the reality is that you probably are not. I had never heard that name until about 3 weeks ago when a colleague shared an article with me from the Knox News Sentinel. The article featured Terry Caruthers describing the fictional children’s book she wrote called The Big Day, in which a young Black child describes the day she goes on a life changing adventure with her grandmother, who happens to be going to cast the first vote in Knoxville by a Black woman. It was through that article that I was introduced to Agnes Sadler, the main character in the book. However, it was through a subsequent conversation with . Caruthers that I learned about the real Agnes Sadler, wife, mother, and domestic laborer, whose bravery and determination paved the way for all women of color who vote in Knoxville today.
About 5 years ago, Caruthers began going through old newspaper articles from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as part of a preservation project she undertook as special projects librarian working on the Calvin C. McClung Historical Collection. As she began going through the newspaper articles from July -December 1919, she says that she was surprised when she came across several articles about the suffrage efforts in Knoxville. While the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was not ratified until August 18, 1920, women in Tennessee, due to an act of the legislature, had enjoyed the right to vote in presidential and local elections for over a year, by that time. According to Caruthers, the women of Knoxville were first allowed to vote in a local election held on September 6, 1919. She stated that prior to the election, there was a “flurry of activity in Knoxville from suffragist educating women about their right to vote.” One group that was instrumental in educating and mobilizing women voters was the Colored Women’s Political League. Through the efforts of the group, Ethel M. Downer was the first “COL” or colored woman to register to vote in Knoxville, but on election day, she was not the first woman of color to vote. Sadler was, and according to Caruthers, this discovery in the old newspaper articles “absolutely took my breath away,” because even though she minored in Women’s Studies in college, she had never really been “exposed to . . . anything women of color had done.”
According to Caruthers, because the Black owned weekly newspapers were not preserved like the articles from the Knox News Sentinel, little else is known about the day Sadler cast the first vote by a black woman in Knoxville. While Caruthers was not able to find out much more about what happened on September 6, 1919, she was able to find that Sadler spent the rest of her life actively involved in the Mechanicsville community where she lived and owned her own home. She also contributed to the “Empty Stocking Fund,” served on the board of the Ethel Beck Home of Negro Boys and Girls, and was part of a national council of PTAs for Black schools.
As we wrapped up our time together on the phone, I asked Caruthers if she interviewed any of Sadler’s descendants as part of her research for The Big Day. She said that she found a few relatives after quite a bit of searching and they had no idea that Agnes was such a pivotal part of women’s history in Knoxville. I then asked Caruthers to describe to me what her research on Agnes, her connection with Agnes’s family and the release of The Big Day meant to her. She said, “I am thrilled that I made this discovery so that I can show what she did in Knoxville, not only to the people who buy and read the book, but also through connecting with her family and being able to share with them this achievement in her life.”
During this Women’s History Month, I want to express my gratitude to Caruthers for her commitment to telling Sadler’s story and telling it right and to Agnes Sadler for modeling what excellence looks like for generations of women to come.
Click here for more information on Caruthers and The Big Day.
Additional resources related to Women’s History Month:
https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month
https://www.oprahmag.com/life/a26294031/womens-history-month/ [...]Read more...
LEIC to Deliver Protocols to Native American Law Enforcement PersonnelDecember 10, 2020The UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) is partnering on a U.S. Department of Justice grant to develop a program to train Native American law enforcement agencies in the area of forensic investigation.
LEIC formed a partnership with the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI), the primary grant recipient. UNTCHI will work with Native American and Alaskan law enforcement agencies on solving cold cases and identifying human remains. LEIC will develop written protocols for an active investigation for the agencies. LEIC’s forensic experts Tim Schade and Jason Jones will also provide technical assistance to agencies when needed.
The overall grant is part of Operation Lady Justice, an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The executive order formed the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Task Force’s mission is to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system, specifically addressing the concerns of American Indian and Alaska Native communities regarding missing and murdered people – particularly women and girls.
“While North Texas will focus on the technical areas of remains identification and DNA processing, our role is to come along and develop protocol for active investigations,” said LEIC Program Manager Jeff Lindsey. “The tribal agencies are similar to the smaller, rural agencies we work with in Tennessee. They lack staff and resources and this assistance will be valuable to them when working missing person or homicide cases.”
LEIC’s work with Operation Lady Justice is expected to begin in early 2021. [...]Read more...
MTAS Earns USDA GrantsSeptember 15, 2020The Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS), in collaboration with two fellow University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS) agencies, will offer two new training and technical assistance programs in 2021 with help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA Tennessee State Director Jim Tracy and USDA Area Director for Rural Development Marisol Torres were in Knoxville Tuesday to recognize MTAS for receiving the grant.
MTAS received
the Solid Waste Management grant and the Rural Community Development Initiative
grant, offered through the USDA, to develop new training and technical
assistance programs in 2021.
The USDA Solid Waste Management grant will allow MTAS, in conjunction with the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), to develop a program aimed at improving pharmaceutical waste disposal systems in low-income rural Tennessee communities.
When used
properly, controlled substances can improve the quality of life for the
intended patient. However, prescription drugs are falling into the wrong hands
at alarming rates. Tennessee is near the epicenter in opioid mis-use and
addiction. Proper pharmaceutical disposal is part of a system that ensures that
unused prescription medicines do not inadvertently or intentionally fall into
the hands of others. By properly disposing of pharmaceuticals, a community
reduces opportunity for theft and opportunity for accidental harm.
The Rural Community Development Initiative grant will allow MTAS, in conjunction with the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership (NCEL), to develop a rural community leadership program that will provide a training academy and technical assistance program to low-income rural communities in the Appalachian region of Tennessee.
The primary
goal of the program is to improve community facilities and promote economic and
community development. This program will teach the importance of leadership,
innovation, growth and resilience, but more importantly, how they are
interconnected with community facility improvements, economic development and
community development.
If you have any
questions about the programs please contact Chris Shults, MTAS grants and
training specialist, at chris.shults@tennessee.edu or 865-974-8964. [...]Read more...
LEIC Receives Grant to Launch Rural Training CenterSeptember 14, 2020Rural law enforcement officers will see the benefits of a $1.3 million grant awarded to the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) by the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). LEIC plans to use the funds to establish a rural law enforcement training center, which will launch this fall.
“With the support from University of Tennessee and our
talented team, the Law Enforcement Innovation Center has built a solid
reputation across the country,” said LEIC Executive Director Rick Scarbrough. “We
deliver quality, consistent and current world-class training. We are honored to
be recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) and with their confidence in extending this award to
us.”
LEIC’s goals for the center are to meet the training needs
of rural law enforcement agencies from across the country, using instructor-led
and distance-based learning technologies to decrease course delivery costs; and
to develop and implement training practices and modules that can be used to
alleviate the cost and travel burden on law enforcement agencies. A 2018 report
released by the International Association of Chiefs of Police found that rural law
enforcement agencies make up nearly half (48 percent) of all local law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. Small departments lack funds for officer
training and cannot afford to give officers time away from the department for
training purposes. When an officer is away at training, another officer must
cover the shift. The agency then incurs overtime costs or shortage of staff.
Attending training for rural agencies is a real challenge, both financially and
operationally.
Overall, the COPS Office announced almost $8 million in
funding to advance the practice of community policing in law enforcement. Community
Policing Development (CPD) program funds help develop the capacity of law
enforcement to implement community policing by providing guidance on promising
practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies;
building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new,
creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.
“One of the top priorities of the Department of Justice is
to keep communities safe from violent crime,” said COPS Office Director and
former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith. “The two grant programs will promote
promising best practices to advance community policing, which is a proven public
safety approach, and provide much-needed training against active shooters,
which remain a constant threat to the citizens of this great country.” The COPS
Office also announced a grant under the Preparing for Active Shooter Situations
program at the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response (ALERRT) Center at Texas
State University.
Contact:
Susan Robertson, UT Institute for Public Service
(865) 257-4553 or susan.robertson@tennessee.edu [...]Read more...
CTAS Begins New ChapterJuly 13, 2020CTAS Manager of Information Technology & Environmental
Services Jon Walden was named Interim Executive Director effective May 1.
Walden follows Robin Roberts, who retired April 30 after 25 years with CTAS.
Walden began at CTAS in October 1993. Prior to joining CTAS,
he was a programmer analyst at Columbia State Community College. He has a
bachelor’s degree in computer science from Tennessee State University.
Walden is well-known and respected among customers and well-liked
among staff. CTAS staff said he has already shown a willingness to embrace
change and push them to become a better version of themselves, with the
COVID-19 pandemic acting as a catalyst. [...]Read more...
UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center Developing Training Program to Minimize Biased-Based Policing in Law EnforcementJune 25, 2020The University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) today announced plans to develop a training program to minimize biased-based policing in the law enforcement community.
“Earlier
this month, we began discussions with the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to
create a national certification program for law enforcement agencies across
Tennessee and nationwide,” said Rick Scarbrough, LEIC executive director. “This
training will seek to increase diversity in law enforcement and examine
perceptions, stereotypes and cultural assumptions.“
The
program will roll out with campus law enforcement agencies across the
University of Tennessee System this fall. In addition, the training will be
offered to local law enforcement agencies across Tennessee and the nation.
The
UT Institute for Public Service, through LEIC, provides first class training to
local, regional and national-based law enforcement in areas such as homeland
security, forensic science, command and leadership, cybercrime and many others. [...]Read more...
COVID-19’s Effect on Tennessee’s Businesses and CommunitiesApril 13, 2020The UT Institute for Public Service and its agencies hosted an online discussion about the state of the coronavirus in Tennessee and how it affects our businesses and communities.
Our expert guests on this forum were Dr. Jon McCullers, an infectious disease expert, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center and pediatrician-in-chief of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital; and Dr. Matt Murray, director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and associate director of the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research.
You can view a recording of the webinar at https://youtu.be/PvDo4JVPm8c [...]Read more...
A Note From Our Vice PresidentDecember 18, 2019We are quickly approaching the end of another year. Once
again, our employees have traveled the state serving businesses and governments
to make life better for all Tennesseans. Whether it’s training our future
workforce or helping county government finance personnel become more efficient
and effective, our public servants canvas the state finding solutions for our
customers.
In FY 2019 our customers reported economic impact of more
than $1.2 billion! Much of that impact benefits our state’s small businesses,
often the backbones of their communities. In addition to economic impact, we
trained more than 24,400 state and local government employees, law enforcement
personnel, manufacturers and business leaders. We also received close to 50,000
requests for assistance and made 313,570 contacts in fiscal year 2019.
While our mission remains the same, the services we provide,
and how we provide them continue to evolve. We are constantly looking for ways
to be more innovative in our deliveries and our offerings; you can see proof of
this in our expanded services for veteran’s and our growing relationship with
the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
I’m sure you’ve also noticed the difference in the way we’ve
presented our highlights this year. We wanted to be mindful of the environment
as well as reach people where they tend to find their news these days. I hope
you will take the time to visit our website to read the more in-depth version
of our highlights.
On behalf of our employees and the Institute for Public Service, I’d like to thank you for your continued support of our agencies and our collective mission. [...]Read more...
Naifeh Center Expands Availability of CPM ProgramDecember 11, 2019As the Tennessee provider for the national Certified Public Manager (CPM) program, the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership wants the state’s public sector workers to make the most of having access to the program.
The Tennessee CPM program, which graduated its first cohort in early 2019, expanded the program this year to offer sessions in Nashville and Knoxville. In 2020, the CPM program will have cohorts in Nashville, Knoxville and Jackson. The CPM curriculum is for those that would like to be challenged in their careers and be exposed to new ideas. Many participants are seizing the chance to make a difference in their agency and to join a lifelong network of other professionals.
In its effort to make the CPM program available to as many Tennessee public sector employees as possible, the Naifeh Center worked with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to receive approval from the Veterans Administration for the training to be eligible for veterans’ benefits. This means veterans and their eligible dependents can use their benefits to pay for the program.
“I found out about the CPM program from a good friend of mine and I thought that the program would be a great opportunity for me because I have a passion for leadership and management training based upon my prior military career,” said Michael Parson, a current student of the CPM program and veteran. Initially, I was unsure about getting into the program based on affordability, but when I learned that the CPM was approved through the VA, I jumped on the opportunity because I had just enough VA educational benefits to cover me through the program.”
The Naifeh Center also partnered with UT Martin to promote the CPM program. Those who complete the Tennessee CPM are now eligible to receive six undergraduate credit hours from UT Martin.
The CPM program is a year-long program that meets once a month. As the program progresses, participants complete a capstone project by choosing a problem that needs to be fixed in their agency. By understanding all seven competencies in the curriculum and combining program experiences, participants can propose and implement a solution to the problem. More information can be found at www.leadership.tennessee.edu/cpm. [...]Read more...
CTAS CCFO Program Strengthens County Financial OperationsDecember 11, 2019A program designed to improve Tennessee county financial operations and the skills of finance personnel will graduate its first class, 180 members strong, in December.
This is the very first class to graduate the Certified County Finance Officer (CCFO) program, which was started in May 2018 by the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service’s County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS). The CCFO program is administered and taught by CTAS staff with support provided by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury.
The CCFO program consists of 11 monthly classes that includes topics such as county budgeting, internal controls, purchasing, governmental accounting I & II, financial reporting I & II, risk management, pensions and other post-employment benefit plans. The CCFO classes were taught at several locations across the state of Tennessee including Knoxville, Cookeville, Franklin and Jackson. Enrollment for the 2020-2021 CCFO was finalized in November 2019 with the first class offered in January 2020 with Memphis added as a new class location.
“The CCFO program was not fully staffed by CTAS until later in 2019, which required a tremendous team effort to develop and teach the classes,” said CCFO Program Manager John Sutton. “This included hundreds of professional and technical hours of support provided by the CTAS field staff, CTAS legal staff, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and external reviews provided by Dr. Tammy Waymire, associate professor of accounting at Middle Tennessee State University.”
Chris Caldwell, senior director of finance for Knox County is one of the 180 members of the first CCFO cohort.
“I found the Certified County Finance Officers (CCFO) program to be a great benefit to me and my staff who attended all 11 courses,” Caldwell said. “I think it’s important for every one of our finance team members to obtain this type of training since it will help all of us better understand the requirements of operating an excellent financial management system for our county. Our staff now has a better understanding of the numerous accounting, compliance and regulatory requirements, but also an increased awareness of why they are required. Thank you CTAS.”
The CCFO program is designed to improve the skills of finance personnel and provide an in-depth knowledge of the various topics needed to help better manage county finances. The CCFO program encourages class participants to collaborate more with other departments within their counties and is emphasized with several case studies and group exercises to equip the participants to better understand the various financial issues and problems facing counties.
The CTAS CCFO program staff includes Sutton, who has over 35 years of experience in local governmental accounting and auditing, and training consultants Kelley McNeal, who was previously an information systems auditor for 23 years with the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and Rachel Ellington who previously was the budget director for Haywood County and a tax consultant for Deloitte CPAs.
For more information contact: john.sutton@tennessee.edu, kelley.mcneal@tennessee.edu or rachel.ellington@tennessee.edu. [...]Read more...
Army CIDs Sharpen Investigative Skills with help from LEICDecember 11, 2019What started in 2014 with two U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents attending the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center’s (LEIC) National Forensic Academy (NFA) has evolved into up to six agents attending the academy each session and a forensic invitational competition.
“They sent two CID agents in 2003, but didn’t send others until 2014 when myself and another agent came. Since then, we’ve had agents in every class and now we have up to six agents in a class,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 and CID Special Agent Elizabeth Rodriguez.
Rodriquez, who is stationed at Fort Jackson, S.C., is another example of the growing partnership between LEIC and the Army CID. She spent 10 weeks in Oak Ridge during the most recent NFA Session 50 on temporary duty assignment from the U.S. Army where she assisted the NFA’s subject matter experts in their training deliveries.
“I assisted (LEIC Training Specialist) Tim (Schade) and the NFA instructors during my time here,” she said. She was also able to listen in on some of the courses during the 10 weeks to help keep her investigative skills sharp.
Rodriguez’s temporary duty assignment followed the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s inaugural Forensic Invitational held in the spring in Oak Ridge. The competition, held at the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center’s Arboretum featured the top agents of the U.S. Army’s 10th Military Police Battalion CID.
“The idea for this competition came about over dinner one night,” said LEIC Executive Director Rick Scarbrough. “They are familiar with all of our facilities and expertise to help them make this a successful event. We were excited to host them and to showcase our program to even more people.”
The participants went through training on the first day in everything from post-blast investigation to shooting scene reconstruction to bloodstain pattern analysis. Competition started on the second day with an opening ceremony before the teams split up to investigate seven different crime scenes. The scenes tested the technicians’ aptitude in various areas of forensic investigation including digital photography and bloodstain pattern analysis. A grader was stationed at each scene to keep track of time, answer questions from the investigators and grade the teams on their work.
Rodriguez said she’s grateful for the time she was able to spend in Oak Ridge.
“The more I keep my skill set sharp, I can take that back to my battalion,” she said. “This has been a great refresher for me and I’ve learned new techniques.” She also said her experience with the NFA will generate interest among other CIDS who want to attend the academy in the future. [...]Read more...
TLC Has Role in Emerging Career FieldDecember 11, 2019We’ve all been there. You leave your physician’s office only to feel as if they were speaking a foreign language when discussing your diagnosis. Imagine that same scenario if English is not your native language.
A relatively new career field is emerging to help Tennesseans who need interpretation services while in a medical setting. The Tennessee Language Center (TLC) is in the third year of providing medical interpretation training. The intensive training is a combination of classroom instruction and clinical hours at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The TLC training is one of only a few in the country that includes the clinical hour requirement.
The training concludes with an oral exam. Following the training and exam, the students must become certified through the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters or the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters before obtaining employment in the field.
“Our training has gained traction as it’s gone on,” said Sarah Cawvey, interpretation project manager for TLC. “The first year we had 15 students, the second year we had 17 students and this year we have 29 students. The national certification is only about 10 years old.”
When the students start the medical interpretation program at TLC, they select their two best languages. Of the current class, the majority speak Spanish while three speak Arabic, one Russian and one Swahili.
The TLC medical interpreter program started three years ago as a partnership with VUMC.
“We were facing a dilemma of hiring from skilled interpreters, and I was tasked with coming up with a solution,” said Hope Collins, manager of interpreter services at VUMC. “I felt we needed a community partner for this because we weren’t equipped for the classes so I reached out to TLC and other groups. I used to work for TLC and felt they would be a great partner.”
VUMC employs 23 medical interpreters – most of whom speak Spanish and five who speak Arabic. They contract with vendors when they need other languages. Most hospitals in Tennessee offer interpretation services whether using contractors or full-time staff members. [...]Read more...
MTAS, Local Government Managers Team Up for UT Chattanooga MPA ClassesDecember 11, 2019Municipal Technical Advisory Service government finance consultants and two local city managers are sharing their real-world experience with students enrolled in the UT Chattanooga master’s of public administration program.
The finance and accounting course, which is new to the master’s program, is an abbreviated version of MTAS’ Certified Municipal Finance Officer (CMFO curriculum, and students are eligible to sit for the 11 CMFO exams after completing the course. MTAS consultants Honna Rogers, Al Major, Brad Harris, Ralph Cross and John Grubbs, as well as Collegedale City Manager Ted Rogers and Signal Mountain City Manager Boyd Veal taught classes to the diverse group of students.
Dr. Chris Acuff, assistant professor with the UT Chattanooga department of political science and public service said the UT Chattanooga master’s program update included the additional of the new finance and accounting class. He said the class was modeled after the course developed by MTAS consultants and Dr. David Folz with the UT Knoxville master’s of public policy and administration program.
“As many who have worked in public service know, the budgeting process and dealing with financial matters can often seem daunting for new public managers. This course now gives student the opportunity to learn about the most important topics related to financial management, including the personal experiences and real-life situations each of the MTAS consultants have faced over the years,” Acuff said. “After completing this course, the hope is that new MPA graduates will feel more comfortable and be better equipped to handle the challenges associated with financial management in both government and nonprofit agencies.
“Additionally, having city managers Ted Rogers and Boyd Veal come in to speak with students was a great experience. They were able to engage the class with lively discussion and frank conversations about the challenges public administrators face, as well as offer advice on a host of topics that can help them in their careers.” [...]Read more...
CIS Assists in Building A Competitive WorkforceDecember 11, 2019As UT Center for Industrial Services Solutions Consultant Bill Hicks travels the 16-counties of his East Tennessee region, he constantly hears from businesses and industries about the struggle to find good employees.
“With record low unemployment and a strong economy, many companies I visit would like to grow but are constrained by the available workforce,” Hicks said. “As I leave these meetings I continually found myself thinking ‘What is a good employee?’ and ‘How can we make good employees?’”
This led Hicks to think back to a tour he was given by his friend and colleague Chris Edmonds of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Morristown campus.
“What I saw there was a great bunch of students learning practical, hands-on skills from amazing instructors with years of experience in their respective fields,” Hicks said. “These students really seemed to be well on their way to being those ‘good employees’ that I know my companies are looking for.” Hicks and Edmonds discussed what CIS might be able to do help these students be more attractive in the marketplace. However, without funding, any ideas they had were not possible.
Hicks discussed the ideas with CIS Economic Development Program Manager Beth Phillips, who mentioned a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The grant was to be used to develop, attract and retain the talented and skilled workforce that manufacturers need to compete in the region’s fast-growing automotive sector.
“Strategically partnering with the TCATs to build a globally competitive workforce and workplace was a perfect way to leverage our collective resources,” Phillips said.
With the funding, CIS produced the foundations of manufacturing curriculum. This curriculum was based on the needs CIS continually heard from its industry partners and is made up of five courses: lean manufacturing overview, essential skills of communicating, quality in the workplace and ISO 9001, critical thinking and problem solving and OSHA 10-hour general industry.
Throughout the spring and summer of this year, CIS instructors completed 152 hours of instruction for these students at the main campus in Morristown and at the satellite centers in Surgoinsville and Greeneville.
“They are getting the technical skills through TCAT and the relevant practical skills through the CIS instruction,” Hicks said. “It’s been a beneficial partnership for all involved.” [...]Read more...
IPS Development UpdateDecember 4, 2019Development and IPS – Gifts and Direction
The staff and families of the Institute for Public Service have maintained and expanded the culture of giving, with a successful staff campaign and a successful Campus Chest campaign.
2019 Family Campaign
The Family Campaign is the in-house fundraiser to support endowments, services and staff of the university. The following provides us with a good summary of our campaign performance:
IPS staff gave to a total of 32 different funds and accounts. The gifts and endowments attracting the greatest number of donations included the following:
# Donations Allocation Name
44 IPS Employee Assistance Gift Fund
17 Muscatello, Rodgers Intern Endowment
17 Naifeh Center Effective Leader Gift Fund
16 IPS-Gift Fund
15 Mary & Jack Jinks Endowed School
14 CTAS Special Support Fund
13 TLC Gift Fund
10 MTAS Gift Fund
2019 Campus Chest Campaign
The Campus Chest supports community charities to the benefit of our families, neighbors and communities. This year we improved on participation and improved the support of IPS staff to community needs.
Throughout the campaign, the IPS staff and volunteers continued to be generous and engaged, and our participation rate reached an all-time high of 93 percent with 149 donors. By the end of the campaign, IPS had exceeded the financial goal at 108 percent or $34,625 in contributions.
On behalf of all of us that work with both the Family Campaign and with the Campus Chest, thank you to the donors and the work of the volunteers and agencies again this year.
A breakdown of donations in the family and Campus Chest campaigns [...]Read more...
Is Your Business Secure?November 20, 2017By Ahmad Austin
Vice President, BTL Technologies
Did you know that a cybercriminal does not need to hack into your network or break into your office to obtain your business’ information? The individual just needs to use psychology and a human’s nature to trust people against them or social engineering. Social engineering is the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
‘Search engine poisoning’ is a common form of social engineering. This will likely involve a specially crafted website that contains malware. As soon as an incident of international interest occurs, the attackers use search engine optimization techniques to make this website appear high on search engine returns. So, if there’s an earthquake or plane crash – use caution when searching in Google, Bing or Yahoo; there may be false links to a bad website. Having said this, search engines are typically very good at recognizing this attack and removing the links.
One of the easiest and most common forms of social engineering is simply leaving a USB flash drive laying around and waiting for a person to pick it up and put it in their computer. Let’s play this scenario out, putting me in the role of the cybercriminal. Every Thursday, you meet with your field consultants at a local coffee shop at 6 p.m. Before your meeting, I place a flash drive on the table that you meet at each week labeled reports. Your field consultant picks up the flash drive and puts it in her laptop, launching a virus. The virus gives me access to her laptop, which she happens to record information from her work, giving me access to client’s credit card numbers that sell for $500 a piece on the black market. If you have doubts about this scenario being realistic, place five USB flash drives in your company’s receptionist area and see how long they remain there.
The key to minimizing the risk of being a victim of social engineering is to enhance your security awareness. The Tennessee Procurement Technical Assistance Center, a program of The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, in conjunction with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the UT County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS), Mowery Insurance, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College, BTL Technologies, UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center, Nashville Business Incubation Center, and Cockrell, Webb, & Associates are hosting a Cyber Security Awareness Training on Thursday, December 7th at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce (1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike Oak Ridge, TN 37830) from (11:30 AM to 2 PM). Lunch will be provided. This free training will teach government contractors and businesses:
How to minimize the risk of a company’s inside threats
About controlling unclassified information and determining what information to pass on to Subcontractors
To have a better understanding of cybersecurity oversight responsibilities in becoming compliant with NIST 800-171 and DFARS 252.207.7012 – required by December 31, 2017
To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/university-of-tennessee-ptac-cyber-security-east-tn-tickets-38584137193
For more information, please contact Veronica Clark at veronica.clark@tennessee.edu or 615-253-6381.
About BTL Technologies:
BTL Technologies is a world-class, visionary company which specializes in providing medical, information technology (IT), and management services. BTL believes in partnering with clients to exploit technology and expand horizons of service excellence in order to advance its clients’ missions. BTL is an 8(a), SDB, service disabled veteran-owned small business specializing in providing its services to federal as well as commercial clients. BTL is dedicated to ensuring that all contracts are completed smoothly and successfully through superior management and attention to detail.
[...]Read more...
