Page 7 - Jan-Feb 2020

Hall opening, manning the informative booths
and displays. Mayor Andy Berke was on hand
to welcome attendees during the Host Branch
Reception, followed by the Rodeo Awards.
Rodeo winners are featured on page 10-11. Top
three winners in all of the categories went home
with small cash prizes, cowboy-style hard hats,
belt buckles and bragging rights for the next
year. Chattanooga took home the trophy for the
Team Competition.

Later Wednesday night, spray cans and
signature brews were on tap when the Young
Professionals gathered at the Naked River
Brewing Company down the street from the
Conference Center. Laughter (and paint fumes)
were in the brewery air during the “make your
own City of Chattanooga manhole cover t-shirt”
screen-printing activity. Networking between
Young and some Not-So-Young Professionals
occurred at picnic tables over snacks of pork
rinds, brisket, slaw and more. Colline Miller
with the city of Chattanooga was the force
behind this outing and she did a great job.

Thursday Technical Sessions, Awards and the
Tennessee Aquarium

On Thursday, twelve technical sessions
were available for conference participants on
a wide variety of topics. TCAPWA session
topics included a talk on Chattanooga’s East
Lake Park renovation project, best practices on
doing “more with less,” improving workflow
with drones, and diversity and inclusion.
SWANA topics included a talk on Trash Scouts,
understanding China’s National Sword and Blue
Ski, and contamination dangers to recycling
programs.

The Thursday Awards Luncheon opened
with introductions by Phillip Jones, TCAPWA
President, who recognized this year’s
scholarship winners: his son, Phillip Jones
Jr., a student at Middle Tennessee State and
Buddy Swan, a student at the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville. A number of speakers
took this opportunity to address the crowd:
Keith Pugh, Region III Director; Mark Miller,
TCAPWA Executive Director; Bo Mills,
APWA Past President and Public Works
Director, Germantown; and finally Dave Lowry,
Immediate Past President of APWA. Jones and
Justin Holland, TCAPWA President-Elect, then
presented the TCAPWA Awards (see story on
page 16).

A special award, the Lifetime Achievement
for Chapter Excellence Award “for outstanding
contributions and service to your membership,
profession and community”, was presented

View online at tnpublicworks.com 7