Volume 35, Number 1
April 2023 Newsletter
Note from UTIA Retirees Association President, Warren Gill
Shortly after I agreed to serve as the UTIA Retiree Association President, we got the sad news about the death of George Mays. George was a superstar with UTIA for many years, but losing him was a problematic for our retiree association because most of our computer records were on George’s computer and there was no way to access his computer. Your state and area officers, especially me, were frankly not sure how we would cope, but we are getting there. Thanks to the excellent help and guidance of personnel in UTIA Marketing and Communications, UTIA Advancement and UTIA administration, we are working our way back to where we can operate as we should. Frankly, our goal is to build our partnership with UTIA so that we will never have to struggle through a rebuilding phase again.
I think it is good news that Keith Carver started as the new UTIA senior vice chancellor and senior vice president March 1. Dr. Carver is well-known for serving both as an executive assistant to UT President Joe DiPietro and as chancellor of UT Martin. This is a two-year appointment. The retiree officers have been in contact with Tom Looney to arrange for a meeting with Carver to acquaint him with the UTIA Retirees Association and our role in working with UTIA.
Warren Gill
Ruth Henderson McQueen, Past President, UTIA Retirees Association
Dear Friends,
Wisdom is defined as having experience, knowledge and good judgment. Common sense is the use of sound judgment, especially in practical matters. Those who are involved in agriculture and those who have had experience living close to the land are sometimes credited with having more of both wisdom and common sense than the average person. This is likely a true statement. One is born only with an ability to develop common sense but life provides the experiences to learn how to use it. In agriculture there are fertile fields (pun intended!) available to practice the ability to see the connections between actions and choices and the outcomes that are achieved. However, one humorous comment I have read is that you do not have to live in the country to let yourself go to seed!
As retirees there are opportunities for each of us to continue to learn and grow and be an example to others, especially those who are younger. It is important to stay involved and active and socially connected. Research says that those who are involved with organizations and have a strong social network live longer and are healthier and happier. Research also tells us that we can be a positive influence on others, especially children, as they grow and develop. Each person deserves the opportunity to learn to fail and to make mistakes, to trust their instinct, and to thrive when they make their own decisions. Youth and adults need good examples in life.
The world has certainly been different in recent years, thanks in part not only to the pandemic but also to changing technology and social situations. After not traveling since 2019, this past fall I decided to pick up international travel once again. Also, after the first of this year it seemed a perfect time to visit friends in person after a long hiatus. This can be challenging and require intentional planning as friends often are located at some distance from our homes. Recently I traveled to North Carolina to visit friends and not only had the opportunity for excellent fellowship but also enjoyed a Tarheels basketball game (they won), a trip to the North Carolina History Museum in Raleigh and a trip to DPAC to see Away from Here. We are never too old to have new experiences whether it be foods, technology, skills, or taking a class (Master Gardening for example).
On the night table in my room in North Carolina there was a most interesting book titled Wisdom of the Plain Folk— Songs and Prayers from the Amish and Mennonites. I will close with two of the wise entries that exemplify common sense from this book: “Your roots are the people in your life who sustain and support you, from your friends to your family to other people in your community. When your roots run deep you have many people to call on . . .” Clean or dirty, expensive or cheap, uniforms only cover what is underneath; they’re not who we are. Under our overalls, we’re all the same.
Last fall, the University announced the decision to discontinue email services for staff retirees and alums. Our goal has always been to improve information security and prevent fraud. As the University received feedback related to the announcement, we decided to pause and re-evaluate our options and reopen the discussion with several offices and the University administration.
We are happy to announce an alternative email option for staff retirees and alumni that will include an affiliation-branded email address allowing for their continued affiliation with the University, the ability to receive program information, and providing the necessary security and fraud prevention.
OIT will be communicating directly with retirees and alums who are using our email services regarding this new option and their next steps.
Read the entire article.
The State/Eastern Area UTIA Retirees Association meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 13, 2023. The location will be the UT Extension Eastern Region Office, 1801 Downtown West Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37919. Refreshments will be available at 9:30 in the morning with the meeting starting at 10 o’clock eastern time. We are delighted to announce that the Knox County 4-H group will once again be providing their famous BBQ Chicken for lunch at the meeting! The registration fee, including lunch, will be $20. Checks should be made to the UTIA Retirees Association and sent to Fred Allen, 1612 Mimosa Drive, Louisville, TN 37777. His email is allenf@utk.edu. Please plan to attend and come to enjoy the good fellowship, food and updates from UTIA.
The spring meeting of the Central Area UTIA Retirees Association is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, at the UT-TSU Extension Rutherford County Office. The group will gather beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the official meeting following at 11:00 a.m. A catered lunch and fellowship will conclude the day’s event. Confirm your reservations for lunch by sending your check of $20 per person payable to “UTIA Retirees Association” to Bob Ary, 1005 Roland Ct., Cottontown, TN, 37048 by no later than Friday, April 14. Spouses and friends are invited to attend and enjoy the day.
Carver Joins UTIA
Raised in a rural farming community in West Tennessee, Keith Carver on March 1 joined the UT Institute of Agriculture as its next senior vice chancellor and senior vice president. Carver is leaving his position as the eleventh chancellor of UT Martin, where he has served since 2017.
“I want to be a champion for agriculture, the state’s number one industry, and for UTIA every day,” says this native Tennessean and veteran UT leader.
Carver has seen the impact of agriculture up close and personal starting with his early years growing up in Frog Jump, Tennessee. He lived with his mother in a one-bedroom apartment behind his grandparents’ grocery store where local farmers would often come for a lunch.
“My earliest memories include making sandwiches for local farmers who came in for a break from the fields and then filling their trucks up with gas so they could get back to their work,” Carver shared. “My family didn’t farm, but we made a living supporting those who did.”
Even then, the influence of UTIA was a part of Carver’s life. “The UT Extension network, UT AgResearch’s data-driven work, the educational opportunities with the Herbert College of Agriculture, and the exceptional care of animals that ultimately led to the establishment of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. All were so appreciated and respected in our community,” says Carver. “4-H was a mainstay in my school.”
Carver knew he wanted to pursue an education beyond high school and earned a bachelor’s degree from Memphis State in 1992. However, the rest of his academic career would be with the University of Tennessee. He earned his MS in college personnel and educational leadership in 1995 and his PhD in higher education administration in 2009 from UT Knoxville.
Carver has worked with the UT System for 26 years, serving as executive assistant to UT president Joe DiPietro for six years before taking the post at UT Martin. He has held leadership positions in Knoxville, Martin and Memphis, including interim vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis, assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin, and director of development and alumni affairs for the UT College of Law in Knoxville.
Carver and his wife, Hollianne, are the proud parents of daughter Carson (husband Michael) and two sons, Jack Thomas (J.T.) and Britton. The Carvers are expecting their first grandchild in June.“Family is everything to me, and I’m excited to be closer to my soon-to-arrive grandchild,” says Carver. At the same time, he is also looking forward to this new challenge leading the Institute. Read more.
Celebration Recognizes New School of Natural Resources for UTIA
Former Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Achieves New Designation
Students, faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee’s School of Natural Resources celebrated the new designation on January 24. It officially became the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s first school on January 1. The Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries within the Herbert College of Agriculture changed to the new School of Natural Resources. The UT Board of Trustees and Tennessee Higher Education Commission signed off on the Institute’s first school during their fall meetings. People gathered at the Plant Biotechnology Building on campus to commemorate the designation and recognize what it means for the future of the programs offered within the school. About 363 students, including 316 undergraduates, are enrolled in the program. The field work and hands-on experiences offered by the school programs drew in many of its current students. Read more.
| Membership in the Association is open to all former workers at UT Extension, UT AgResearch, the Herbert College of Agriculture, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, or a combination of these units at UTIA. It doesn’t matter if you were support staff, a teacher, research scientist, Extension educator, a farm worker, custodian, laboratory technician, or an administrator. If you worked at UTIA, we welcome you to join the UTIA Retirees Association A major objective of the UTIA Retirees Association is to unite all former University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture workers and to provide channels for communication and friendship after employees leave the Institute. Our newsletter and web pages are communication links with the Institute and current and retired employees. When employees retire or terminate employment at UTIA, their names are added to our mailing list to receive a complimentary issue of the quarterly newsletter and an invitation to the next area meeting scheduled in the area where they reside. During this period, retirees have the opportunity to decide whether or not they want to continue their contact with former co-workers by joining the UTIA Retirees Association. The cost is $30 for a lifetime membership. |
The UTIA Retirees Association newsletter is published quarterly by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.
UTIA Retirees Association
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