Tennessee Chamber, Center for Industrial Services Forge Training Partnership

Four people posing for a group photo with the Tennessee flag and the U.S. flag.
Administrative specialist Valerie Dugan with the IPS administration office was one of 50 graduates from the Administrative Professionals Academy. She receives her certificate from, left to right, Naifeh Center Executive Director Macel Ely, Naifeh Center Training Specialist Adela Bonta and IPS Vice President Herb Byrd.

Fifty employees from 26 Tennessee departments recently graduated from the Administrative Professionals Academy, a program of the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership.

The academy is a leadership development program created to empower administrative professionals to grow personally and professionally. Initially designed for IPS administrative professionals, the program has grown to include specialists, technicians, office supervisors, individual contributors and anyone interested in leadership development from across the state. The program meets once a month from July to December in Middle Tennessee and from January to June in East Tennessee.

Participants were joined by their supervisors, co-workers, friends and family members at the Tennessee State Library and Archives for the graduation ceremony. Deputy Director Rachel Harmon, with the Administrative Office of the Courts, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. IPS Vice President Herb Byrd and the center’s Executive Director Macel Ely also spoke at the graduation.

LEIC Hosts Autism Response Conference

Three people smiling for a photo against an event backdrop.
Keynote speaker Tanner Smith, center, with Jeff Hundley, left, and Rhiannon Jones of LEIC.

Close to 150 law enforcement personnel from 40 departments across Tennessee attended the Effective Policing: Autism Response Conference hosted in Franklin by the Law Enforcement Innovation Center. The immersive training event provided first responders with the tools, knowledge and confidence to better recognize, communicate with and safely de-escalate encounters involving community members with autism. The keynote speaker was Tanner Smith, a cast member from the hit Netflix series Love on the Spectrum. Smith, who has become a national advocate for autism understanding and inclusion, shared his personal experiences and insights with attendees.

CTAS, MTAS Present to Property, Evidence Professionals

The inaugural conference of the Tennessee Association of Property and Evidence brought together professionals from across the state to discuss best practices in evidence management and property control.

Among the featured presentations was a collaborative session led by County Technical Assistance Service criminal justice consultants Clint Shrum and Derrick Woods, alongside Municipal Technical Advisory Service police management consultants David Moore and Jeff Stiles. Their joint presentation focused on the management and disposal of sensitive property and evidence, with particular emphasis on firearms and vehicles. Approximately 70 attendees participated in the session, representing a range of law enforcement agencies and evidence management professionals.

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