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 Strategic Plan
is under way!
Implementation efforts are continuing across the department as our Strategic Planning Team members work with their individual divisions to instill Commissioner Neeley’s vision for the next four years into our daily activities. Our seven overall department strategic goals are as follows:
Exceed the needs of our customers.
Exceed the needs of our employees.
Provide timely economic stability through the payment of UI benefits.
Promote economic development and improve Tennessee’s workforce through education and training.
Resolve worker’s compensation claims timely and consistently.
Improve workplace safety through education, training, and regulation.
Operate efficiently and effectively. |
Each division has formed goals, action plans, and measurements in support of these seven goals. At the director level, goals and measurements that support the division level plans are being completed. These measurements include the information each director needs to manage his or her area of responsibility and are reported monthly to the Strategic Planning Team member responsible for that area. Those measurements that have been designated by Commissioner Neeley as key to our overall success are then reported to the Division Administrator, Deputy Commissioner Henningsen and Commissioner Neeley. Adjustments in action plans are then made at each level as needed to change results or shift focus.
Information on the plan for your area will be available through your division’s Strategic Planning Team member. Those members by division are Adult Education: Marva Doremus; Employment Security: Ryan Allen, Marie Moss, Melinda Williams; Employment and WFD: Susie Bourque; IT: Deanna Deberry; TOSHA: Steve Hawkins; Communications: Jeff Hentschel; EEO/AA: Evelyn Gaines; Fiscal: Cathy Rowe; Marketing: John Crawford; Personnel: Lacey Spivey; Regulation and Compliance: Martin Toth; Worker’s Compensation: Penny Patterson-Shrum.
We are working on methods to share plan updates with you so that you can see the results of your team’s efforts. Your understanding of how your team contributes to the success of this department is indispensable and is a major focus of this effort! We ALL make a difference in what we do, and when we see positive results on a regular basis, success becomes a habit!
Remember our core department statements? This is who we are!
Vision
To be the nation’s leading provider of comprehensive workforce development and workplace safety and health services. |
Mission Statement
To work as a team to promote workforce development and
improve workplace safety and health throughout Tennessee. |
Values
We are a professional customer-focused team committed to serving the citizens of Tennessee. We strive to deliver effective and efficient programs while treating our customers and employees fairly, consistently and with respect. |
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TOSHA Lab moving to new facility
When we hear on the TV news of employees being evacuated from a workplace for possible overexposure to a chemical, we’re usually told that state officials or TOSHA personnel are investigating. |
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Did you know that the samples to determine exposure levels are collected by the industrial hygienists of our department’s TOSHA Division? And that tests are performed on those samples at the TOSHA laboratory by the division’s chemists, Jill Butler and Dorie Curry? Jill has been in the TOSHA lab for more than 20 years. Dorie has been with the department for about two years, but has 24 years experience in analytical chemistry. |
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The TOSHA Lab was located on the Avon Williams Campus of Tennessee State University in downtown Nashville for many years. Now the lab is moving to a brand new, state-of-the-art facility next at the also new Tennessee Career Center at Murfreesboro.
“Our chemists worked with the architects to design the new lab to their specifications,” said Sandy Bennett, TOSHA lab supervisor. “They were involved in layout and choice of cabinets, fixtures, work surfaces, shelves, and fume hoods. Unlike previous TOSHA labs, the new lab is purpose-built for use by TOSHA. With the efficiently designed space and new equipment, we can do more in the way of testing and analysis.”
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TOSHA’s industrial hygienists collect air samples in the workplace on collection media, such as filters or charcoal tubes. These samples represent the air employees are breathing while on the job. The samples are analyzed by the TOSHA chemists to determine if the employees are overexposed to a chemical while working. The chemists analyze for vapors given off by solvents such as toluene and xylene, for particulates (dust, mists, and fumes), and for gases such as formaldehyde. They also look for fibers such as asbestos. Bennett said there are a couple hundred chemicals for which they can analyze. |
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The TOSHA lab receives samples for analysis from all over the state with a turnaround time averaging three days. The new lab ensures that workers’ safety will be enhanced and the efficiency of the analysis process will be increased with the most up-to-date equipment and space.
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Darrel Holloway
LVER (Local Veterans Employment Representative)
Tennessee Career Center – University Avenue, Knoxville
13 years with the department
What do you like best about your job?
Helping folks that sincerely want our help and finding ways to aggravate (and humor) my co-workers
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Name a person who is an inspiration to you.
I had the honor a number of years ago of accompanying Gen. William Westmoreland on a speaking tour in northeast Texas. One of his strongest expressions was “you hear people express their belief in their rights – to vote, to disagree, to protest, etc, but seldom do you hear them express their responsibility to their actions.”
What do you listen to on the way to work?
As little as possible
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What do you eat for lunch every day?
Coffee
What's usually your “water-cooler chat”?
I don't know how to answer this question: I've expressed my thoughts on virtually everything imaginable to the water cooler and never had an intelligent response!
Name something you cannot go one day without.
Coffee and humor
What's your favorite vacation spot?
My couch or the lake!
What would we be surprised to know about you?
I’m just a fun loving type of guy!!
What are your personal interests/activities outside of work?
Fishing and spending time on the lake
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Huntingdon Career Center to have new home
Commissioner Neeley was joined by local officials in Carroll County recently to announce plans for the new Carroll County Career Center in Huntingdon. The facility, to be located across from Huntingdon High School, will replace the present Career Center of 2,700 square feet, built in 1964.
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Pictured with Commissioner Neeley at the announcement of the new Career Center in Carroll County are (from left) Carroll County Mayor Kenny McBride, Carroll County Schools Superintendent Charlotte Tucker, Career Center Manager Phyllis Franks, and Brad Hurley, president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. |
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The commissioner said the new facility will contain 22,000 square feet and is expected to cost about $2.5 million. “It’ll be a multi-faceted facility with a lot of different functions,” he said. Employees from the present Career Center on East Main will relocated to the new building. Construction will begin after the first of 2007.
Congratulations to Commissioner Neeley for being named Carroll Countian of the Year by the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.
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“Jim has always been a champion of Carroll County and has always answered the call when Carroll County needed assistance,” said Brad Hurley, president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. “He was very instrumental in the state Department of Human Services call center’s locating in McKenzie and is the driving force in the new Career Center soon to be built in Huntingdon.”
Neeley was honored at the chamber’s 24th Annual Membership Banquet on September 25, 2006, at the Carroll County Civic Center. Around 250 people attended the event.
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The Tennessee Boiler Inspectors Fall Conference
The Tennessee Boiler Inspectors Fall Conference in Chattanooga was a great success with more than 150 attending from throughout the Tennessee boiler and pressure vessel industry
“Over the course of the week, those attending the conference where treated to technical training in numerous areas of boiler and pressure vessel safety,” said Martin Toth, chief boiler inspector.
The boiler conference is held every September in conjunction with the Board of Boiler Rules meeting.
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Deborah Rhone, who received the Douglas Pippin Memorial Acheivement Award, is
pictured with Martin Toth, Gary Cookston,
and Arthur Franklin. |
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Cool heads prevail during bomb threat in
Clarksville Career Center |
On September 11, 2006, there was a bomb threat in the Clarksville Career Center. Penny Patterson-Shrum reports that the Workers’ Comp Division’s Andrea Taylor, workers’ comp specialist, did a fantastic job of keeping people informed, and Jeannie Henderson, also a workers’ comp specialist, kept a Benefit Review Conference (BRC) going even in the parking lot!
The following is from Cynthia Powell, administrative staff person with the Benefit Review office in Clarksville:
“When we were told to evacuate the building, Jeannie was holding a BRC. She very calmly and in an orderly fashion made sure all parties in the BRC were safely out of the building and then double-checked the rooms before leaving. Once outside away from the
building, Jeannie stayed with them and continued negotiations with the parties with pen and paper in hand. She kept a calm demeanor in an emergency situation. By
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continuing negotiations she kept the parties from possibly ‘panicking’ over the seriousness of the situation and kept them on track of fruitful negotiations.
(I was already jumpy due to the date. I remember five years ago very well. When they evacuated the building, I went to my car, drove it to the far end of the parking lot, and sat there until we got the all clear to return because I am a very BIG chicken.)
After almost an hour outside we returned to the offices. Jeannie continued the BRC and the parties reached an agreement settling the matter. Jeannie is dedicated to her job as I am sure her numbers reflect, but she is also extremely levelheaded in emergency situations and caring toward the people she was responsible for yesterday afternoon.
I am very fortunate for the opportunity to work in this Clarksville Office with Andrea and Jeannie.” |
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Adult Education
Following a request from a senator interested in sponsoring adult education legislation with emphasis on ESOL, the National Council of Adult Education State Directors identified states with outstanding ESOL practices. The following article about Williamson County’s Adult Education ESOL Program was featured in the publication “ESOL Best Practices-Exemplary programs that provide English to speakers of other languages”:
Williamson County’s Exemplary ESOL Program in Tennessee
Williamson County Adult Education Program has one of the best ESOL programs in Tennessee. Over the past few years the program has had approximately 30 different languages represented in its classes. About 75% of their ESOL population is Hispanic. Some of the other significant populations are Sudanese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian, and Ukrainian. The students are primarily employed in construction, landscaping, and food and hospitality industries. Other students are wives of Nissan executives, university students, and physicians participating in medical exchange programs at hospitals in Nashville.
The Williamson County AE program has become well-known in the surrounding areas as well because of their excellence. Referrals are received from other organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, Family Resource Center, Even Start and the Williamson County Literacy Council. Area businesses have referred many students, and have had on-site classes taught by Williamson County Adult Education teachers.
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Employment Security
This year we have successfully opened Remote Claims Centers in Chattanooga, Johnson City, and Crossville with plans to complete the entire state by summer of 2007. I would like to thank everyone involved for your help and support with the expansion of the UI Claims Center project. It has taken a lot of hard work by a lot of people to get us to this point. There are far too many individuals to list here, but it has truly been a team effort. Great job!
Career Centers across the state hosted an Open House in recognition of the Employer Older Worker week on Friday, September 29. More and more workers are staying in the work force beyond the traditional age of retirement. These experienced, mature workers are a tremendous resource for employers and a great recruiting tool for new business.
Congratulations to the staff in the Clarksville Career Center for achieving their goal of 75 "Career Readiness Certificates" issued in the month of September. More than 90% of those issued were the result of efforts by TDLWD staff. Keep up the good work!
The ES Division has received $121,425 in supplemental funds for USDOL priority initiatives and program improvements.
Tennessee was awarded $38,250 to complete the Interstate Benefits (IB), Combined Wage Claim (CWC), and Liable Agent Data Transfer (LADT) applications and interfaces. Completion of the application will allow the agency to streamline and enhance the processing and reporting of liable agent data on interstate claims.
Tennessee was also awarded $83,175 to implement the direct deposit of UI benefits. Direct Deposit provides an efficient, timely, and secure method of paying UI benefits. Depositing benefits directly into the claimant’s bank account will reduce agency costs and reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud from stolen checks.
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TOSHA
TOSHA is very pleased to be moving its industrial hygiene laboratory to our new home at the new Tennessee Career Center at Murfreesboro. TOSHA has exposure limits for more than 400 workplace chemicals, and our two chemists, Jill Butler and Doris Curry, analyze air contaminant samples taken by our industrial hygienists from across the state. Tennessee operates one of the few certified industrial hygiene laboratories in the nation.
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission hears cases on TOSHA inspections when employers contest our findings. Five years ago there was a backlog of more than 200 cases. Due to the exceptional effort of our Review Commission members and the legal staff from TOSHA, that number will be down to 10 or fewer after the September meeting. Dan Bailey is the present TOSHA attorney, and his legal assistant is Larry Pierce. The compliance staff from TOSHA has also contributed greatly to this effort.
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Employment & Workforce Development
The 2007 local planning process for the Workforce Development System and the Tennessee Career Centers began in September. Each local area conducted a pre-planning conference that focused on defining the current organization including the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as recognized by all of the key partners in the Career Centers.
Our department provides grant funding through the Workforce Investment Act to support the Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JTG) program statewide. This year the Department of Education honored Tennessee’s JTG Program by presenting them the award for “Best in the Nation.”
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Workplace Regulations & Compliance
The Boiler Conference was held in Chattanooga the week of September 18-22. Special thanks to Martin Toth, chief boiler inspector, and Gary Cookston, assistant administrator and director of Boilers & Elevators, for making this another successful conference.
Congratulations to the following award recipients:
The 2006 Tennessee Boiler Safety Award went to Donald E. Tanner. This award goes to one for their years of dedication in promoting boiler and pressure vessel safety in Tennessee. Mr. Tanner was a former boiler inspector for the state of Tennessee as well as chief boiler inspector. Mr. Tanner is currently the executive director of the National Board of Boiler & Pressure Vessels Inspectors.
The 2006 Douglas Pippin Memorial Achievement Award went to Deborah K. Rhone. This award goes to one in recognition of outstanding commitment and dedication to the interests and achievements of the goals of the Tennessee Boiler Inspection Division. Mrs. Rhone is currently a supervisor of the administrative support staff for the boiler division.
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Workers' Compensation
The Tennessee Drug-Free Workplace Program (DFWP) continues to grow at an impressive rate. The DFWP is a program of the Workers’ Compensation Division created by the state legislature to promote drug-free workplaces, thereby allowing employers and employees alike the opportunity to maximize their levels of productivity, to enhance their competitive positions in the marketplace, and to reach their desired levels of success without the costs, delays, and tragedies associated with work-related accidents resulting from drug or alcohol abuses by employees.
The program ended fiscal year 2004-05 with 4,030 employers participating. By the end of fiscal year 2005-06 the number had grown to 5,891, an increase of 1,861 employers. More than 515,000 Tennesseans are now working in drug-free workplaces created by this program. Also, during this fiscal year more than 8,600 people, mostly employers, have been exposed to the advantages and benefits of program participation through formal DFWP presentations. This level of interests bodes well for the continued growth of the program for the next fiscal year. |
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To: Tom Ashley, UI Technical Unit
From: A claimant [via e-mail]
“Tom, I cannot thank you enough for calling me back today. Your attention to my e-mail displays an excellent sense of customer service.
Thanks!”
To: Claude Wicker, Chattanooga Employer Accounts
From: John B. Gaither, Gibson Gaither Wealth Management Advisors, LLC
“I am sorry to say that I have found it a very rare occurrence when a government employee has been helpful with a problem, but I am writing this letter to commend one of your employees.
As a result of some staff changes and responsibility shifts inherent with that within our company, I failed to file our second quarter unemployment report.
Last week I received a call from Roger Lawrence reminding me of this oversight. He was very understanding of my problem and even went so far as to fax me the proper forms. I returned the completed forms promptly, but not understanding what I was doing I completed the forms in error. Mr. Lawrence called me and explained the error I had made and corrected the forms.
Rather than being confrontational, as I have experienced with most government employees, Mr. Lawrence was understanding and very helpful. He is a credit to your department.
Thank you.”
To: Mark Chandler, Field Operations
From: Sue Golman, Kellwood Retail Warehouse Stores
“I would like to express my appreciation to you and the staff at the Dickson County Career Center for the assistance given me in staffing a retail store in Dickson.
The professionalism shown by Betty Gillum and Nancy Smith was outstanding. You are very fortunate to have employees like them. They have made my job easier, and I feel we will be very successful due to the efforts they have extended in referring qualified applicants.
Thanks again.”
To: Terry Hiers, Middle Tennessee Career Center
From: Jayne Stooksbury, LRE for LIFE Project
“Thank you very much for helping make the LRE for LIFE Project’s Transition Planning Workshop such a success. The feedback from all the participants has been extremely positive, especially for the adult agency panel on Friday afternoon, August 25, 2006.
The contributions of Dustin Swayne and Walter Keith were invaluable. We appreciate the time and effort they took to assist teachers, administrators, and parents in learning more about the support options “out there” for their students/sons and daughters when they exit high school and enter the world of work and or higher education.”
On survey card at Memphis Mendenhall re: Pam Townsend, interviewer
“I was very impressed by the concern, professionalism, and words of encouragement offered by Pam Townsend, which I really needed at the time. I just want to take the time to say she is truly an asset to your organization. My experience was a more pleasant one because she made it clear she truly cared about me and my situation. She should be commended for her going above the call of duty.”
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October 10
Tribute to Tennessee’s state workers who have survived
breast cancer, Millennium
Maxwell House Hotel in
Nashville, in observance
of Breast Cancer Awareness
Month
October 19
State unemployment rate for September released
October 26
County unemployment rates for September released
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October 27
Grand opening of Tennessee
Career Center at Murfreesboro
November 11
Veterans’ Day
Observed Friday, November 10
November 16
State unemployment rate for
October released
November 22
County unemployment rates for October released |
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The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development is an equal
opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services will be provided upon
request to persons with disabilities.
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