Volume 29, Number 1
March 2017 Newsletter
Message from the President
While the threat of winter will soon be making its exit (hopefully), the early signs of spring are appearing all around as the new season prepares to make its grand entrance. As I sit on my patio and write this message, I see and hear the many sights and sounds that give special notice that spring is just around the corner.
Although the calendar reminds me that it is still February, birds are singing with much anticipation, frogs are croaking from a nearby pond, daffodils adorn the field next door, tulips are blooming in their pastel colors, buds and blossoms are emerging from a variety of shrubs and trees, and the dandelions are getting an early start in my back lawn. Continue reading the message…
Eastern Area Spring Meeting
By: Ken Goddard, Eastern Vice President
There is something special planned for everyone attending our UTIA Retirees Association annual meeting. Professor Mike Buschermohle, our featured speaker from the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, will take us on an abbreviated journey reminding the group of the many changes we have experienced during our childhood and our career with UTIA. Read about the Eastern Area Spring Meeting…
Let’s dine and visit together on Thursday, April 13, 2017, at the Eastern Region Office, 1801 Downtown West Boulevard in Knoxville. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. Lunch can be reserved by mailing your check, $14.00, to our Eastern Region Treasurer, Gene Burgess, P.O. Box 1513, Seymour, TN 37865 by Thursday, April 6. See you April 13.
The Central Area Spring Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19, noon Central Time, at the Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Ag Center, Nashville. The area retirees will be meeting in conjunction with the Middle Tennessee Ag Club. Greg Phillipy is the current president of the Ag Club. He is also director of the Ag Museum at Ellington. UTIA Chancellor Tim Cross has been invited as the luncheon speaker. All area retirees are invited to participate. This should be a good opportunity for you to interact with a great crowd of UT Ag friends. The program should end around 1:00 p.m. Those planning to attend should notify Warren Gill by April 15. Lunch Price is $10. You may pay for lunch when you arrive.
Cumberland District Meeting will be held Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CST. Please note there is a change in location. It will be held at American Bank and Trust Conference Room, 1450 Neal Street, Cookeville. Tennessee Barbecue will cater a buffet meal. The cost for this scrumptious meal is $11. Our meeting will include a memorial for A. C. Clark. We will present to his family a picture of A. C. and a plaque in his honor and memory. They will be placed in the dining hall at the Clyde York 4-H Center in Crossville. This will, in a small way, recognize his contribution to the 4-H Center. You may contribute to the plaque by mailing your donation before the meeting to Linda Tinch at 1238 Pond View Circle, Cookeville, TN 38506. You may also contribute the day of the meeting. Linda Tinch will call retirees concerning attendance closer to the date of the meeting. We will need a number by April 28.
Western Area meeting details not available at this time.
Nominating Committees
By: Brenda Voiles
State Nominating Committee Chair
At a board meeting held in January, President John Jared appointed Brenda Voiles as chair of the 2017-2018 State Nominating Committee and asked each area vice president to appoint a nominating committee in their area. Below are the area committees and their nominees for 2017-2018 officers:
Central Committee – Alice Darnell, Cherry Lane Darken, Dewayne Perry, and Warren Gill; Vice President (2017-2018) – Pat Whitaker Secretary-Treasurer (2017-2018) – Warren Gill. Cumberland Committee – Carolyn Fox, Jackie Donaldson, Gene Medley, and Linda Tinch; Vice President (2017-2018) – Steve Officer; Secretary-Treasurer (2017-2018) – Linda Tinch.
Eastern Committee – Ray Humberd, Buddy Sanders, Ken Goddard, and Gene Burgess; Vice President (2017-2018) – Steve Sutton; Secretary-Treasurer (2017-2018) – George Grandle.
Western Committee – TBD
State Officers – John Jared has agreed to be nominated to serve a second term as president, and Martha Jo Tolley has agreed to be nominated to serve a second term as state secretary-treasurer.
Officers will be approved at the spring meetings, and they will begin their terms July 1, 2017. Nominated area officers need only be approved by the area they will represent.
Constitution and Bylaws Revisions
By: Martha Tolley, State Secretary-Treasurer
The association’s Constitution and Bylaws were recently updated for easier reading and to more accurately define the current association. Revisions will be presented for approval at the annual state meeting on April 13 (Constitution-Article VIII). Revisions include the name change of the organization, changes in names of two UTIA Units, the association’s reorganization from districts to areas, adding information to the bylaws from previously approved job descriptions for area vice presidents and area secretary-treasurers, and other changes in wording as appropriate. Wording to be deleted has been lined through and new wording added in italics. Use this link to read the Constitution and Bylaws Revisions. The revisions have been posted on the association’s website.
Tim Cross Takes the Reins at UTIA
In January a well-known leader across Tennessee began work as chancellor of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
Tim Cross is only the third individual to hold the position of chancellor, yet his experience with the statewide organization spans twenty-three years. This includes his most recent appointments as interim chancellor and dean of UT Extension, all the way back to his first position with UT as an Extension specialist in agricultural economics.
“I’m honored and humbled, with capital H’s most definitely in both cases, to serve as chancellor,” Cross says.
SunTrust Foundation and UTIA Partner for Financial Literacy
Paying bills, creating a budget and reading a paycheck are fundamental skills children need as they become working adults. However, these skills are not commonly provided through the standard education curriculum. That’s why UTIA has entered into a partnership with the SunTrust Foundation to increase financial literacy across the state.
The SunTrust Foundation has approved a $75,000 grant to grow UT Extension’s On My Own financial literacy program in Tennessee. UT Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences Department has been dedicated to supplementing financial literacy in Tennessee’s schools for more than a decade. Its simulation-based program currently reaches more than 30,000 middle school and high school-age children. The Foundation also will provide volunteers to help staff classroom simulations. More…
Former UTIA workers or retirees who have recently joined UTIA Retirees Association as lifetime members are:
Larry R. Arrington, retired in November 2016 as Chancellor, UTIA, 3532 Newport Park Way, Louisville, TN 37777, 865-233-7278, lrarrington@charter.net.
Paul Denton, retired in 2013 as Professor and Tobacco Specialist, Plant Sciences Department, 1356 Squire Fox Road, Dandridge, Tennessee 37725, 865-599-0413, pdenton@utk.edu
M. Cornelius Dixon, retired in 2010 as Research Associate, Ames Plantation, 700 Lazenby Dr., Somerville, TN 38068, 901-486-1440, mcdixon48@gmail.com.
Paul Hart, retired November 1, 2016 as Extension Agent-County Director, Robertson County, 600 Joyce Lane, Springfield, TN 37172, 615-347-3011, pehart@utk.edu.
ADDITIONAL ADDRESS CHANGES
Robert (Bob) Marshall McKinley, 1509 Forest Garden Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
Barbara V. Martin, 785 E Northfield Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Faye Hochnedel, 505 Kyker Circle, Seymour, TN 37865
Bob H. Pentecost, 4125 Woodlawn Pike, Apt E-14, Knoxville, TN 37920
James Ellis, 404 Poplar Corner Road, Trenton, TN 38382
Paul A Kelley, 4285 Oakland Ave, Fort Knox, KY 40121
EMAIL CHANGES:
Joyce Hastings, tjh8001@hotmail.com
Faye Harkleroad, larryharkleroad007@yahoo.com
Don Stumbo, donaldstumbo@charter.net
Information About Retirees
Retiree Benefits
By: Ken J Goddard, Eastern Area Vice President
UT Retirees Council Representatives will be available at the Eastern Area Meeting to discuss benefits available to UTIA Retirees. Phyllis A. Moore, director of alumni programs for UT, or Betsey Creekmore, president of the UT Retirees Council will plan to attend our UTIA Retirees meeting on April 13 to say “hello” from the UT Alumni Association.
They have prepared copies of retiree and UT Retiree Council benefit summaries. These will be available for every member in attendance and will be displayed on a display table for your convenience. The benefits available for UTIA Retirees Association members as well as all UT retirees include email continuation, fee waivers, fine arts/theater discount tickets, athletic ticket discounts, UT Credit Union and Bookstore discounts, free audit courses, library privileges, Tennessee State Park discounts, and more.
Notes from the Email Box
Mary Kate Ridgeway wrote on December 13, 2016 George: Just got my retiree newsletter. What a great thing to keep up. You are to be commended.
New Quilt Patterns Added to the Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail
By: John Allen, retired UT Extension Agent, Davidson County, and Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail Grant Coordinator
The Tennessee Arts Commission Grant has supported ten new quilt patterns that have been added to the Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail. This grant program covers the fourteen counties of the Upper Cumberland. It accepted applications until February 1. The grant covered half the cost of having the pattern created plus 10 percent administrative costs. New grantees pay one half the cost of the pattern plus ten percent for administrative costs. This is a wonderful way to share your family’s heritage, promote the art of quilting, and help us strengthen tourism in Tennessee.
Retired Extension Agent Donates Transform My Community Grand Prize Money to the Gibson County Carl Perkins Center
Adapted from an article by Carroll Smith or 901-326-4443
“A hundred years from now, nobody will remember who I was, what I did or how much money I had. But the world may be a little different and a little better because I was important in the life of a child.” These are the words of Doris “Cousin Tuny” Freeman, a popular Tennessee radio broadcaster and children’s show host. Freeman is remembered by most as a passionate advocate for abused children and children with disabilities. She is also one of the founders of the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse.
Carl Perkins was a Tennessee entertainer, songwriter, international rockabilly star, civic-minded gentleman, and father. In 1979, when the Exchange Club in Jackson, Tennessee, began its journey to create a center for the prevention of child abuse, Perkins hosted a concert featuring the Statler Brothers that provided seed money to make the Center a reality. The first Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center opened in 1981 and has now grown to twenty-three locations across Tennessee. Read more on the Cotton Farming website.
The UT Human Resources Office reports the following persons retired or departed recently from UTIA.
Retirements
- Mary Nelle Cate, Administrative Support Assistant II, Family and Consumer Sciences, 9 years of service, 9149 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922
- Micki Heatherly, Administrative Specialist III, AgResearch, 17 years of service, 4308 Ollie Davis Dr., Knoxville, TN 37914
- Deborah Kosiba, Medical Technologist II, Vet Med, 17 years of service, 2015 West Gilbert Lane, Knoxville, TN 37920
- Carolyn Maples, Administrative Support Assistant II, Family and Consumer Sciences, 5 years of service, 7525 Winkle Lane, Knoxville, TN 37920
- Andrew Seals, Manager, Austin 4-H Center, 35 years of service, 2794 Whirlwind Rd., Greeneville, TN 37743
- Deborah Hutton Seward, Extension Agent III, Gibson County, 38 years of service, 20 Seward-Garland Road, Trenton, TN 38382
- Sarel R Van Amstel, Professor, Vet Med, 4927 Mountain Crest Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918
Departures
- Trevor Sean Beard, Extension Agent I, Montgomery County, 7 years of service, 1949 Hwy 46N, Cumberland City, TN 37050
- Riley Fehr Bernard, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ag Research, 5 years of service, 4 Standish Court, Greenfield, MA 01301
- Derek Adam Evans, IT Analyst III, Information Technology, 9 years of service, 6732 Water Lily Way, Knoxville, TN 37918
- Sara Elizabeth Everett, Clinical Assistant II, Vet Med, Small Animal Clinical Science, 9 years of service, 2424 Caspian Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932
- Kallie Shinea Hopper, Extension Agent I, Claiborne County, 8 years of service, 529 Ridge Road, Maynardville, TN 37807
- Celia Kay Hurley, Clinical Specialist II, Vet Med, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, 5 years of service, 5725 Hugh Ryan Road, Dalzell, SC 29040
- Stacy Suzanne Manley, Extension Program Assistant II, Lauderdale County, 6 years of service, 140 Willow Creek Drive, Ripley, TN 38063
- Maria Del Carmen Martinez, Extension Program Assistant II, Shelby County, 8 years of service, 4211 Beach Shore Cove, Memphis, TN 38125
- James Raymond Mynes, Research Associate I, Ag Research, CRC, 13 years of service, 566 County Rd. 290, Ten Mile, TN 37880
- Virginia Louise Ragsdale, Administrative Support Assistant II, Maury County, 5 years of service, 802 Fleming Street, Columbia, TN 38401
- Karen Marie Savino, Extension Program Assistant II, Anderson County, 8 years of service, 257 Lone Ridge Lane, Clinton, TN 37716
- Emily Idelle Shanks, Administrative Specialist I, Family and Consumer Sciences, 10 years of service, 5427 Oak Harbor Lane, Knoxville, TN 37921
- Sara Michelle Spears, Extension Agent I, Trousdale County, 8 years of service, 300 June Drive, Lebanon, TN 37087
- Jeremy Haddon West, Extension Agent III and County Director, Scott County, 14 years of service, 3340 Hurricane Road, Huntsville, TN 377560
Name links to obituary.
William ‘Bill’ Miller, age 93 of Knoxville, passed away Friday, January 6. Bill retired in 1989 as an Extension Dairy Specialist. The entombment service was held Tuesday, January 10, 3 p.m., at Highland Memorial Cemetery Mausoleum, Knoxville. The family received friends at the home of Jo Anne Pasqua, 307 W. Hunt Road, Alcoa, TN on Tuesday, January 10, 6-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Celebration Camp Scholarship Fund, Camp Lookout, 3130 Highway 157, Rising Fawn, GA 30738 honoring Bill’s grandson Jimmy Miller.
We are saddened to report the passing of A. C. Clark, age 94 of Cookeville, former district supervisor of the former Extension District IV. Clark died Thursday evening January 19, 2017 at his home. He began his Extension career in 1949 in Pickett County. From 1955 to 1961, he served as 4-H Leader and county agent in Putnam County. He became the agricultural program supervisor for District IV in 1961 and was appointed District IV supervisor in 1962. Clark retired from Extension in 1985 and later served as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Agriculture from 1987 until 1989. Funeral services were held Wednesday, January 25, at 11 a.m. at Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ. Interment with Military Honors followed in Donaldson Cemetery in Clay County.
Kathryn Young Whitten, former secretary at the UT Extension McNairy County Office, passed away December 4, 2016, at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, at age 86. Rita Casey, retired Extension agent in McNairy County said, “Katherine was the secretary in McNairy County when I went to work in 1972. I do not remember the exact year that she retired. She was the best secretary McNairy County had while I worked. She was dedicated, supportive, and very loyal to the staff and University.”
T. Ray Spann, former Extension dairy specialist who retired in 1994 as Professor Emeritus in the UT Institute of Agriculture, passed away January 27, 2017. Funeral services were held Monday, January 30, 2017 at George A. Smith and Sons, North Chapel, Jackson, TN. Memorial contributions in Ray’s memory may be directed to the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, 205 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville TN 37996-4510, TN4HFoundation@utk.edu.
Stella J. Wheeler, secretary in the UT Extension Anderson County Office for 20 years, passed away February 23, 2017, at Methodist Medical Center. The family received friends on Sunday, February 26, at 5 p.m., with funeral service at 7 p.m. in the chapel of Holly Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton, Tennessee. Burial was Monday, February 27, at 11 a.m. at Grandview Memorial Cemetery in Clinton.
Charles D. Holland, who retired in 1995 as Extension agent, Sullivan County, passed away Friday, February 24, at his home in the Sunnyside Community, Greene County. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 1, in the Doughty-Stevens Chapel, 1125 Tusculum Blvd., Greeneville. A military graveside service followed at Mountain Home National Cemetery with the Greene County Honor Guard and the US Air Force Military honors team conveying military honors. The family received friends Tuesday, February 28, at Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home. Cards may be sent to Mrs. Helen Holland, 2127 Pisgah Rd., Greeneville, TN 37743.
Jerry Gresham, professor emeritus of animal science and retired interim college dean for the University of Tennessee at Martin, died Thursday, March 2, in Memphis following a battle with cancer. Gresham was a strong supporter of agriculture and served as a valued partner with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Information about his career and accomplishments is available on the Campus News Archives.
We express sincere comfort and/or speedy healing to the following UTIA employees or retirees:
Janet Cluck, UT Extension director in Dickson County, on the passing of her husband, Doug. Please keep Janet and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Funeral service and celebration of life were held Saturday, January 7, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 2501 Highway 70 East, Dickson. Burial followed in Union Cemetery, Dickson.
Nicole Marrero, 4-H agent in Overton County, on the passing of her mother, Carol Ann Marrero. She passed away January 3 after an eight-year journey with breast cancer. Visitation was held at Holy Family Catholic Church, Brentwood, on January 7, followed by mass, a luncheon, and balloon release. Burial was at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home.
Linda Wolaver in Moore County lost her mother December 26. Services and visitation were held at Higgins Funeral Home in Fayetteville at 213 E. Market Street on December 28. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to fight cystic fibrosis, which claimed the life of Linda’s only son.
Ed Burns, Extension agent in Franklin County, who lost his father, Tom Burns. Visitation was at Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home, Tullahoma, on December 10, followed by a funeral mass at at St. Paul’s Church at 304 W. Grizzard Street, Tullahoma. Interment followed Mass at Lynchburg Cemetery.
Linda Hyder, FCS agent Sevier County, whose mother, Dot Sink, passed away on January 14 in High Point, North Carolina. Services were held January 17 at Emerywood Baptist Church, High Point. If you would like send Linda a card, her home address is 521 Asa Street, Sevierville, TN 37876.
Lavonda Phelps, who retired from the Extension Dean’s Office in 2005 with 32.5 years of service, on the death of her husband, Donald Lynn Phelps, Sr., who passed away February 1. The funeral service was held February 5. Cards may be sent to Lavonda at 710 Periwinkle Lane, Maryville, TN 37804.
Tina Williams, the wife of Bob Williams (retired; specializing in the CST variety trials for Tennessee and 4-H agent in Weakley County) passed away March 1. Please keep Bob and his family in your prayers.
Mark Your Calendar – 2017 UTIA Retiree Events
Event name links to more information.
University of Tennessee AgResearch has released the 2017 Field Day Schedule, which includes 11 field days and four special events.
The Great Experiment: A Decade of Biofuels Science Conference will be held on March 13-14, 2017, at Brehm Animal Science Building on the UTIA campus.
AgrAbility National Training Workshop will take place on March 20-23 at Holiday Inn, World’s Fair Park, Knoxville.
Extension Galaxy Joint Association Conference will be held on May 10-12, 2017, at Marriott Downtown in Chattanooga.
CASNR Awards Reception will be held April 4, 2017, at 2 p.m. in Hollingsworth Auditorium.
CVM Open House Saturday, April 8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
UT AgResearch Leaders Honored for Service
Two members of the University of Tennessee AgResearch leadership team were recently honored at the annual Research Center Administrators Society (RCAS) meeting in Mobile, Alabama. Barry Sims, associate director, UT AgResearch, was recognized for completing his term as president of RCAS. He will serve as past-president for the next year. As past-president, Sims will be available to assist the incoming president in coordinating RCAS activities and in efforts to strengthen the societies’ mission.
Walt Hitch, center director, Plateau AgResearch and Education Center, received the Distinguished Service Award. Read more about this on the UT Institute of Agriculture News and Announcements site.
UTIA Agricultural and Resource Faculty Contribute to Governor’s Economic Report
Several UTIA faculty members played an important role in the recent state economic report to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. The Economic Report to the Governor of Tennessee is an in-depth measure of how the stat’s economy performed over the last year and how those economic indicators compared to recent historical trends. Burton English, Andrew Griffith, David Hughes, Kimberly Jensen, Robert Menard, Aaron Smith, and Edward Yu, all with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, contributed to the report. Their findings showcase the vast scope of the agricultural industry and the major role it plays to enhance not only the economy, but the quality of life for all Tennesseans. Read more about his on the UT Institute of Agriculture News and Announcements site.
ANR Regional Program Leader for Western Region
Tracey Sullivan has joined UT Extension as ANR Regional Program Leader for the Western Region. She was a Williamson County 4-H member, and an adult ag agent in Haywood County where she conducted applied research and demonstrations for an array of row crop areas and treatments such as variety testing, irrigation technology, and cotton defoliation. She then went to work developing an agricultural program at Dyersburg State. Before returning to UT she worked as an agronomist for Tipton Farmers Co-op.
Membership in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Retirees Association is for anyone who has worked five or more years for The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The organization’s membership includes former employees from the Herbert College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension.
It doesn’t matter if you were one of the 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.
A major objective of 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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