Page 20 - Mar-Apr19 Vol36 No7

STATEWIDE By John Calvert
TPWI Completes 15th Year in 2018

TCAPWA’s Tennessee Public Works Institute completed its 15th Year Supervision School – June
in 2018. It also began its 16th year of classes with the December 2018 Maintenance Technologies School – October
Public Works Administration class, as the first TPWI class was held in Administration School – December
November of 2003. Each of the four-day TPWI classes are held at the Doubletree in
Murfreesboro.
In 2018 TPWI held three four-day schools. The 2018 Public Works
Supervision School was held in June and had 22 attendees from 10 different
agencies with John Calvert, Loretta Hopper and Bo Mills instructing all
subjects. Next the 2018 Public Works Maintenance Technologies School
was held in October, and it had 21 attendees from 10 agencies with John
Calvert, Ronnie Hammonds, Loretta Hopper, Bo Mills and Alan Sparkman
as instructors. To end the year the 2018 Public Works Administration
School was held in December with 19 attendees from 11 agencies. In
that class the instructors were John Calvert, Ronnie Hammonds, Loretta
Hopper, John Chlarson and George Dalton.

Since it began in November 2003, TPWI has conducted 46 four-day
schools which have been attended by 1006 employees from 67 agencies
across Tennessee. This seems unreal to me as the past 15 years seem to
have passed so fast. It still feels like we just started TPWI last year! I never
imagined on day one that I would still be coordinating the institute after 15
years. It has definitely been one of the most rewarding activities of my now
nearly 45 years in the Public Works profession.

I have to give credit to the 28 volunteer instructors who have given
their time and efforts to make TPWI what it is today. We’ve had a lot of
very good volunteers over the years, but I have to mention the ones who
have played a big part in recent years. Ronnie Hammonds from the City
of Kingsport and Loretta Hopper from the Town of Signal Mountain have
served as TPWI’s Deputy Directors for the past two years and have had
a constant presence in most all of the schools during the past five years.
Bo Mills from the City of Germantown (and Past APWA President) has
been on board since day one of TPWI and has always made the one-day
trip from home to Murfreesboro and back for every class he has taught.
That is DEDICATION to Public Works and TPWI! George Dalton,
Chester Darden and Judy Housely from Public Entity Partners (formerly
known as TML Risk Management Pool) have also been on board each of
the past 15 years. Alan Sparkman, Executive Director of the Tennessee
Concrete Association is another dedicated individual who has brought
his expertise in concrete construction every year. Other instructors who
have played a major part in TPWI’s success over the years include John
Chlarson (UT-MTAS), Mark Miller (TCAPWA Administrator/City of
Pigeon Forge), Calvin Clifton, Kenny Wiggins (City of Alcoa), John Fox
(Town of Collierville), and Ken Donaldson (City of Columbia). I must also
give credit to my employer Pavement Technology, Inc. and owner Colin
Durante for allowing me to spend six weeks each year for the past 15 years
coordinating and directing TPWI. Not many employers would give an
employee six weeks off each year to do a similar role.

Again, the willingness of these instructors to give their time and efforts
and their respective employing agencies for allowing them to be present at
TPWI have been the keys to making TPWI a success. I cannot thank all of
them enough.

Now, on to 2019 and the 16th year of the Tennessee Public Works
Institute and its mission to help every agency in Tennessee have more
knowledgeable and efficient Public Works employees and operations!

The 2019 Survey of Classes for TPWI is emailed to TCAPWA members
in February to determine which three of the six schools are of the most
interest and will be conducted in 2019.
20 TPW March/April 2019