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MARCH 2006 Vol. 2 Issue 3

In this Issue...

Golf Scramble ‘06 Committee: "Save the Date"

Art Smith, SPHR, CCP Communications Chair

Go straight to your calendar and mark Thursday, September 7^th as Golf Scramble '06 and After Work Cocktail and Cookout. This year's event will be held at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin. Lunch and team registration begin at noon and the After Work Cocktail and Cookout will start at 6 pm.

The MT-SHRM Golf Scramble and After-Work Cocktail and Cookout is not only our chapter's major fund-raising event of the year, it's the event of the year!

Last year, more than 140 MT-SHRM members came together for an afternoon and evening of fun, food and entertainment. Best of all, we raised over $14,000 for education scholarships for our members.

Co-Vice Chairs of the 2006 committee are Doug Edwards, SPHR, of Regions Financial who lead the Sponsorship Committee for 2005, and Leslie Garrett-Stephens of DBM. Returning Committee Leads are Steve Wilder, PHR, of Ardent Health Services leading the Program Committee, Nikole Abate, PHR, with Tennessee Education Lottery leading the Volunteer Committee and Teri Jackson, PHR, of NFIB who will lead the Registration Committee. New committee lead Stephen King, PHR, of Manchester Tank will lead the Sponsorship Committee.

"We still have one committee lead open and are looking for someone who can head the Prize Committee," says Doug Edwards, Co-Vice Chair. "This person will be in responsible for selecting and securing contest prizes such as Hole in One, Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Putting Challenge, and door prizes for the After Work event, such as TV's, round-trip tickets and tons of other great stuff. I really think this committee is probably the most fun," he adds.

If you're interested in committee involvement or being a volunteer on the day of the event, please contact Leslie Garrett-Stephens at 615-238-9125. For sponsorship information, please contact Doug Edwards at 615-309-3583.

Due to last year's incredible success, we anticipate Golf Scramble ‘06 will sell out quickly. So, be certain to save the date, get your team together, get your game on and we'll see you on the links. Watch for more details in upcoming issues of Connections Newsletter.

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MT-SHRM and Nashville CABLE Join Forces

Alice Pearson Chapman CABLE Civic Outreach Chair

MT-SHRM's Community Involvement Committee is partnering with Nasville CABLE and Habitat for Humanity to put the finishing touches on a new home being built in the Providence Park subdivision (off Harding and I-24). Volunteers are needed on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday March 26. Duties include general clean-up and yard work. We will not be doing any construction.

We need a total of 8-10 volunteers on both days, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Shift options are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Please note that we already have a five people signed up for the Saturday afternoon shift. It would be helpful if you would please list your first and second choice for the shifts as we will be taking requests on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you're interested in volunteering or have questions, please contact Alice Pearson Chapman at 615-259-4000 and indicated which day and shift you would be available.

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Bill Sims - In a word... Dedicated

Tracye Mayolo SPHR

There are many words that come to mind when I think of Bill Sims - intelligent, articulate, patient, open-minded, knowledgeable, professional. But, the word that most describes Bill to me is dedicated.

Dedicated to MT-SHRM. Through the years, Bill has helped many of us in ways we may not have realized. I remember when Bill built our first MT-SHRM Web site - I would post questions on the chat room and get helpful responses back from Bill. My first conversation with Bill was when he offered his advice to help me set up a new program at my company.

Bill served our chapter in numerous respects. Most notably, Bill was our chapter's president during the catastrophic national events of Fall, 2001. Our state conference was in Nashville that year and Bill was chairperson. The conference was to be cancelled, but Bill simply moved the date and the show went on. Our chapter earned SHRM's highest chapter distinction that year, the Pinnacle Award.

Dedicated to the profession. Bill has 16 years of professional experience in human resources ranging from large financial organizations to healthcare to manufacturing. He recently retired from Amsurg Corporation after many successful years as Vice President of Human Resources.

Bill served on the TN SHRM State Council as the VP of Communications for six years. He was presented with the Outstanding Member Award by MT-SHRM in 1999 for his service to the chapter and the profession and he was honored last year at the State HR Conference with the Chapter Achievement Award for 2005.

Dedicated to his family. These days, Bill chooses to focus on spending time with his wife, Tara, and his two children, Will, 11, and Alli, 9.

Dedicated to a cure. In December of 2004 at age 40, Bill was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Since that time, the fatal disease has affected every aspect of Bill's life.

"The frustrating thing about this disease is that you quickly lose the ability to speak, and since there are no ALS survivors, getting the word out to raise money for research is difficult," Bill told me. "And, although this disease will take away my ability to hold my two kids, walk, talk, swallow, and eventually breathe, it will never take my spirit. I believe this is part of God's purpose for my life and while I am able, I want to be a voice for those ALS patients who can no longer speak," he added.

About 5,000 Americans between the ages of 40 to 70 are diagnosed with ALS each year and live only 2 to 5 years after the diagnosis. The cause is unknown and there are no effective treatments.

Last year, at the annual D'feet ALS Walk, Bill's family, friends and co-workers formed two teams with 140 walkers, raising almost $50,000 for the ALS Association of Tennessee. "I hope every HR professional that reads this story will encourage their company to participate in this critical fund raising event next October," says Bill.

Bill's family also organized The Sims Family ALS Research Fund with the help of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, after Bill was diagnosed with the disease. The mission of this tax exempt charitable fund is to raise money and awareness for research and treatment leading to a cure for ALS and other devastating illnesses.

Bill was always active in sports including tennis, snow skiing, swimming, running and cycling. He began to notice symptoms of the disease in late September, 2004. "Soon after I began to suspect I might have ALS. I was terrified because I watched my grandmother as she battled the disease until her death in 1977. The sad thing is that we don't know much more now than we did in 1977, and that is why money is needed for ALS research," Bill explains.

A few weeks ago I heard from Bill as I was working on this story, and with Bill's permission, I would like to share his words with all of you...

Dear Tracye,

It is great to hear from you. Your words in the attached article are too kind. I got emotional when I read the article because MT-SHRM has been so good to me. I have gotten back so much more than I could have ever given!

As you now know, I am officially on disability. I thought it would be a more difficult transition for me, but so far it has been great and I have not had a moment of boredom. I have been able to spend so much more time with Tara and the kids. I do miss my friends at Amsurg and MT-SHRM, but so far, I've been able to keep my mind challenged by working on old projects, researching cutting edge adaptive equipment I am already beginning to need, and developing a blog to keep family and friends up to date with my ever-changing condition.

At this point, I have essentially lost the ability to use my hands, so I can no longer feed or dress myself. My voice is also fading fast. I am so fortunate to have my strong faith in God, and a loving and supportive family. They have all been so helpful.

All my best,

Bill

For up to date information on Bill's condition, visit Bill's Web site at www.msnspaces.com/billsims. He can be reached at wasims@comcast.net.

Country Music Marathon Seeks MT-SHRM Volunteers

Tiffany Smith Vice Chair Facilities

The Nashville Sports Council is looking for volunteers to help with this year's Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon to be held on April 29, 2006. Each volunteer will receive a Race Crew t-shirt, goodie bag and a free ticket to the post-race concert to be held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

In addition, each volunteer's name will be entered into the Race Crew Appreciation Drawing with a chance to win two round-trip tickets to any Southwest Airlines destination and a two-night stay at a selected partner hotel.

To volunteer, contact Tiffany Smith or go to Country Music Marathon's Volunteer page for more information.

Stones River Chapter Features Catalytic Coaching Workshop

Kara Howard, Stones River SHRM Chapter

Join Gary Markle on March 29th as the Stones River SHRM Chapter presents a half-day workshop on Catalytic Coaching. Gary is internationally known for his book, "Catalytic Coaching" and it typically costs over $250 to listen to one of his webinars. But, we will have him live and in person for $85 for MT-SHRM and Stones River Chapter members, including lunch.

The workshop will be held at the Stones River Country Club from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. but space is limited so make your reservations no later than Friday, March 24th.

I think every HR person should hear his message about performance reviews -- it's one of the most profound viewpoints I've heard in my career.

To register, contact Melissa Ketron or to download a registration form, click here.

Members in the News...

Nancy Baker, HR Manager, ClientLogic, was the recipient of the Star Award at her company's annual Leadership Kick-off Meeting in Austin, TX in February. According to Ginni Goldsberry, CCP, Chief Human Resources Officer, Star Awards are based on "valuable contributions" to the company. Dave Garner, CEO, announced that Nancy was selected for always demonstrating a "can-do" attitude, her teamwork and commitment to support, and for delivering great customer service as noted by management throughout the company.

Congratulations to two more HR professionals who have attained their professional human resources certifications. Peggy Denton, HR Manager/EEO Officer with Ray Bell Construction received her SPHR and Burley Nelson who received PHR.

Please send notices about MT-SHRM members to Art Smith.

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