Thursday, June 19 opened the festivities for TSEA’s 40th Anniversary Representative Assembly at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Murfreesboro, TN. Delegates were welcomed on Thursday with a meet and greet for all attendees which allowed time to visit with other members from all across the state.
Thursday & Friday’s Workshops, Meetings, and Awards Ceremony
The Representative Assembly schedule was filled with:
- meetings of the TSEA Board of Directors, the TSEA Awards & RA Planning Committee, and committee meetings for the Contract/Study, Higher Education, Long Range Planning, Membership and Retiree committees;
- the TEAM Administrative Committee for discussion of legislative endorsements;
- election of the Middle TN Representative to the Sick Leave Bank Board of Trustees; Cynthia Minnick (Davidson County chapter) was elected to serve a 3-year term as the Middle TN Representative;
- a budget workshop for member questions relative to TSEA’s 2014-2015 proposed budget;
- open issue departmental forums for TDOC, The Mediation Process and the departments of DIDD and Mental Health;
- workshops on “The Healthy Workplace” legislation and “Retiree Medicare Changes and Safety”;
- the TEAM convention with special recognition given to Senator Douglas Henry; and
- a special Awards Presentation and Dinner to recognize outstanding TSEA members as follows:
2013/2014 TSEA Board of Directors
TSEA Chapter Presidents
Rising Star Award Recipients
Amelia Mattix – Memphis Higher Ed Chapter
Pearline Jordan – Fayette Chapter
Ouida Otis – Shelby County Chapter
Roderick Sharp – Reelfoot Chapter
Charles Burns – Southwest Chapter
Larry Gilmore – WHBC Chapter
Rita Godwin – Pioneer Chapter
Teresa Harrison – Forked Deer Chapter
Cody Goodman – Davidson County
Outstanding Member Award Recipients
Barry Tuck – WHBC Chapter
Adalynn Hayes-Holmes – Fayette Chapter
Stephanie Conrad – Hatchie River Chapter
Michael Souther – Davidson County Chapter
Eloise Terry – Forked Deer Chapter
Brenda Cox – Shelby County Chapter
Sharita Jones – Pioneer Chapter
Susan Kyte – Appalachian Chapter
Carolyn Head – Memphis Higher Ed Chapter
Phyllis Poland – Southwest Chapter
TSEA Hall of Fame
Alice Caruthers – Davidson County Chapter
Debbie Fussell – Hatchie River Chapter
Don Phillips – Hiwassee Chapter
Betty Jane Smith – Southwest Chapter
Patricia Hardwood – Pioneer Chapter
Karen Douglas-Lewis – Shelby County Chapter
Chapter Newsletter Award – Davidson County Chapter
Chapter Membership Awards
Division 1 – Roane County Chapter with 4.84% Growth
Division 2 – Warioto Chapter with 2.16% Growth
Division 3 – Hatchie River Chapter with 6.84% Growth
Gems of Excellence – Ruby Level
Appalachian Chapter
Davidson County Chapter
Fayette County Chapter
Memphis Higher Ed Chapter
Shelby County Chapter
Cora Redmond Award Recipients
Stacy Oakes – Fall Creek Falls Chapter member – employee of the TN Dept. of Correction – Recruited 168 members
Rick Thompson – Tim’s Ford Chapter member – employee of the TN Dept. of Correction – Recruited 36 members
Humanitarian Award Recipient
Martha Wettemann – Davidson County Chapter member – TSEA Board of Directors – employee of the TN Department of Labor
Saturday’s Business Session
The Saturday Business session opened with the presentation of the flags by TN Department of Correction’s Strike Force One. Delegates adopted the TSEA Budget for 2014-2015 and voting on proposed Constitution, Bylaws and Resolutions submitted by the membership as follows:
#1 Bylaws Proposal – PASSED BY VOICE VOTE
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE 40th REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TENNESSEE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, that Bylaws Article II – Membership, Section 2 (b). Dues will be amended as follows:
Association dues for retiree members shall increase from $3 to $5 (effective July 1, 2014).
Sponsor: TSEA Board of Directors – June 13/14, 2013
#2 Bylaws Proposal – PASSED BY VOICE VOTE
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE 40th REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TENNESSEE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, that Bylaws Article X – Elections and Vacancies, Section 1(d) be amended as follows:
District 11 Chapters: Remove Lakeway Chapter and add the Greene County chapter
District 12 Chapters: Remove Greene County chapter and add the Lakeway Chapter
With approval of this Bylaws change, TSEA Board District 11 and Board District 12 chapters would be as follows:
DISTRICT 11 CHAPTERS
Appalachian (Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Washington)
East Tennessee State Univ.
Northeast (Sullivan)
Greene (Greene)
DISTRICT 12 CHAPTERS
Foothills (Blount, Loudon, Monroe)
French Broad (Cocke, Jefferson)
Smoky Mountain (Sevier)
Lakeway (Grainger, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins)
Sponsor: TSEA Board of Directors – Nov. 1, 2013 Board Meeting
#3 Constitutional/Bylaws Proposal – PASSED: 190 – FOR, 79 – AGAINST
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE 40th REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TENNESSEE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, that the TSEA Constitution, ARTICLE V ‑ EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and the TSEA BYLAWS, ARTICLE IV ‑ BOARD OF DIRECTORS – SECTION 3. Past President, shall be amended as follows:
This action is to eliminate the immediate past president seat from the TSEA State Board and Executive Committee. Reason is for budgetary savings. The undersigned members petition and agree for this action.
Sponsor: Flora Williams, Maury/Marshall Chapter, by petition with 26 valid member signatures
#4 Resolution Proposal – WITHDRAWN BY SPONSOR
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE 40th REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TENNESSEE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION through administrative action, that one (1) of the TEAM Administrative Committee, either the Chairperson, or Vice-Chairperson or their designee be placed on the annual TSEA Legislative Committee.
This will ensure that the TEAM Administrative Committee has a voice as a voting member. This will ensure cohesiveness and sharing of ideas with the TSEA Legislative Committee, since both parties are working for the same goal of better political action for state employees and retirees of TSEA.
Sponsor: Tom Haynes, Shelby County Chapter member, Endorsed by Shelby County Chapter – March 25, 2014
#5 Resoution Proposal – PASSED As Amended
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE 40th REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TENNESSEE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION that TSEA will seek amendments to the TEAM Act to provide additional scoring beyond just the minimum qualifications to be used in state employee promotions.
Let is also be resolved that state employees will have access to all the material in their file, and may request the registers, applications, transcripts, scores, performance reviews and evaluations of individuals who were competing for a position with a state employee.
Amendment: Harold Midas moved to delete “ Let is also be resolved that state employees will have access to all the material in their file, and may request the registers, applications, transcripts, scores, performance reviews and evaluations of individuals who were competing for a position with a state employee.” Seconded by Tom Haynes. The amendment passed by voice vote.
Sponsor: Carolyn Jamison, Davidson County Chapter, Endorsed by Davidson County Chapter – March 6, 2014
The Representative Assembly ended with adoption of the Resolutions Handbook and induction of the 2014/2015 TSEA Board of Directors as follows:
President
Bryan Merritt
East Vice President
Jim Ruth
Middle Vice President
Donnie Cole
West Vice President
Almous Austin
Secretary
Jackie Coleman
Treasurer
Tom Osborne (newly elected Board member)
District 1 Director
Bettye Kirkpatrick
District 2 Director
Teresa Grice (newly elected Board member)
District 3 Director
Betty Davis
District 4 Director
Sherry Koontz-Howell
District 5 Director
Martha Wettemann
District 6 Director
Constance Smith-Burwell
District 7 Director
Gary Anderson
District 8 Director
Justan Spurling
District 9 Director
Steve Thomas
District 10 Director
Betty Hardin
District 11 Director
VACANT
District 12 Director
Chan Bergquist-Humbert (newly elected Board member)
