For the first time in the 20-year history of the Tennessee Government Management Institute (TGMI), the program was all virtual this year.
TGMI, a program operated by the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Resources, is a course for mid-level managers within state government to sharpen their leadership skills. It’s held each spring for two non-consecutive weeks.
Due to the onset of COVID-19 forcing employees to work from home and many businesses to shut down, the Naifeh Center quickly shifted TGMI to an all-online format this year.
CTAS Produces COVID-19 Safety Recommendations for Jails
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and concerns for inmates and staff at Tennessee jails, the president of the Tennessee Sheriff ’s Association requested from Jim Hart, a jail management consultant from County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), a document of recommendations. Hart collaborated with the Tennessee Corrections Institute to develop Back to Normal: Considerations for Returning Jails to Pre-COVID-19 Operations.
Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson, who serves as president of Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, wanted something for sheriffs to consult as they started to move back to normal jail operations. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak and actions taken by courts,
jails and law enforcement, state jails saw a reduction of almost 9,600 inmates from Feb. 29 through May 6.
Upon completion of the document, it was given to the state sheriff ’s association for distribution across the state, to the Tennessee Corrections Institute to share with jail administrators and was posted to the CTAS website.
Since the release of the document, it’s been shared and used by a number of groups around the country:
- The Pennsylvania Commissioner of Corrections
- Miami-Dade Corrections
- Orange County (Orlando) Corrections
- Arizona Insurance Pool
- American Jail Association
- National Jail Leadership Command Academy
- National Institute for Jail Operations
- National Institute of Corrections
- Colorado Jail Association
CIS Benefits State Manufacturers During COVID-19
The UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS) will receive federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to expand services to manufacturers. CIS will contact more than 1,500 manufacturers across the state to gather information on COVID-19’s impact on operations, workforce, sales and needs.
CIS will help companies identify their technical assistance needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and will use CARES funding to provide these services to a limited number of manufacturers at no cost to them. Potential services include back-to-work safety planning, supply-chain risk mitigation, workforce systems, process improvement and other areas that address specific company needs.
“Manufacturing is more important than ever during these challenging times. We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to help manufacturers adopt proven business solutions and keep their workforce safe,” says CIS Executive Director Paul Jennings.
CIS is receiving CARES Act funding because of its longstanding partnership with the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
