CTAS - Celebrating 50 Years

Ever wondered how the power of language can transform community service? Join us as we uncover the story of how Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, together with Maya Campbell from the Tennessee Language Center and Jessica Goode from Second Harvest, is bridging language barriers to better support Nashville's Spanish-speaking community. This episode promises a heartening look at cultural responsiveness in action, showcasing the impact that learning Spanish has had on the organization's staff, volunteers, and the lives of those they serve. 

Ever wondered how the intricate world of Human Resources operates in Tennessee cities? Can you distinguish between the HR practices in the public and private sectors? Join us, along with our brilliant HR consultants, Betsy Cunningham, John Grubbs, and Peter Voss, as we unravel the complexities. We'll tackle everything from goals and recruiting processes to regulatory oversight in both sectors. 

Are you ready to navigate the complex waters of opioid settlements with us? We look into Tennessee's opioid crisis and the SMART initiative's role in guiding counties and cities on the use of funds from the lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies.  SMART Executive Director Jennifer Tourville and CTAS County Government Consultant Heather Duncan discuss their meetings with counties across Southeast Tennessee. 

Six former executive directors and Jon Walden, the agency's current executive director sit down to talk about 50 years of history at the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS). 

Richard Ponce de Leon with the Tennessee Langauge Center and Heidi Mariscal with Nashvilles Emergency Management Office discuss the Cultural Ambassadors for Disasters program. The program places ambassadors in immigrant areas in the event of a disaster to help residents of the area understand what is happening. 

The Naifeh Professional Excellence Series, a program of the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership provides quarterly leadership development courses in Knoxville, Nashville, and Jackson.  One day of training includes two courses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. 

Courses are provided from a library of 30 classes in a variety of Lominger Leadership competencies in three Naifeh Center domains:  self, relational, and organizational.  The library includes courses for individual contributors and frontline supervisors, to middle managers and executives. 

CIS Solutions Consultant Kevin Cooper and Dwaine Raper, CIS director of manufacturing extension discuss CONNEX Tennessee. CONNEX is a powerful online capabilities and connectivity platform that enables manufacturers to find additional suppliers or to become a supplier to others. This state-of-the-art platform is provided through the UT Center for Industrial Services’ Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership in collaboration with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a no-cost resource for Tennessee manufacturers. 

Learn more about the history and mission of the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council (TREEDC). The guests are Warren Nevad, a management consultant and TREEDC co-founder, and Dwain Land, president of the council and former mayor of Dunlap, Tenn. 

MTAS Municipal Management and Finance Program Manager Angie Carrier and Farragut Town Administrator discuss the new Tennessee  Retail Alliance.  Tennessee cities are the economic engine of our state. For many communities, sales tax is the predominant revenue stream to provide services to the citizens of Tennessee. The Municipal Technical Advisory Service or MTAS created the Tennessee Retail Alliance in 2019 to provide a vehicle to assist communities in promoting economic development through retail recruitment, to increase jobs and increase their sales tax revenue. 

At the end of 2022, the Law Enforcement Innovation Center launched a Master of Public Information Officer certification. The certification is geared toward first responder PIOS throughout Tennessee.

LEIC Training Specialist Jeff Hundley and Sgt. Evie West, PIO for the Cleveland (TN) Police Department join this episode to talk about the program and its curriculum.