After the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn saw what two of his crime-scene investigators learned from attending the UT National Forensic Academy (NFA), he wanted all TBI investigators to participate in the academy. However, the NFA, a program of the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center, only offers two sessions a year and accepts 25 investigators in each session. Gwyn knew that, at that rate, it would take years for all of his investigators to complete the program. In 2012, TBI received grant funding for five weeks of forensic investigation training at the NFA, and agents received the remaining five weeks in early 2013. Through funding from the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs, TBI sent 15 agents for a second session that ran from December 2013 through February 2014. In two years, 35 TBI agents have completed the NFA.
Made in Tennessee
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Allison Boats are among the more than 100 manufacturers featured on the Made in Tennessee website started by the UT Center for Industrial Services to highlight and promote the state’s companies and their products. “We are a participant of Made in Tennessee because the program supports business growth in the manufacturing sector, strengthening Tennessee’s economy and our community,” says Green Mountain Coffee Roasters sustainability liaison Stephanie Myers. Allison Boats is participating to show support for manufacturing in Tennessee and the U.S. “We wanted people to know that we are still around. This is our 59th year in Tennessee, and it’s a great place for us to be with all of the lakes, and we plan to stay,” says Nancy Allison, human resource officer with Allison Boats in Louisville. To see more companies, visit madeintn.org.
Leading Government Leaders
Since its inception in 1991, nearly 600 local government officials have received training through the Local Government Leadership Program (LGLP). LGLP is a program of the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership, an agency under the UT Institute for Public Service. LGLP helps officials enhance their leadership knowledge and skills. Bedford County Trustee Tonya Davis participated in the 2013 LGLP and highly recommends it. “I was like a sponge trying to absorb every word and felt that each class took me to another level,” Davis says. “With each speaker, I was eagerly anticipating what was to come.” Applicants are nominated by their peers, LGLP alumni and the staff of the Institute for Public Service.
