MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
CONTACT: MILISSA REIERSON
December 13, 2004
(615) 741-2257 (O)
 
(615) 308-3705 (C)

SOUTHEAST CAREER CENTER STAFF HONORED IN NASHVILLE
Feds and State Honor Excellence and Improvements

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development has honored several staff and partners across the state for their innovation and initiative in providing career services to veterans. Federal law requires performance awards to encourage the improvement and modernization of employment, training and placement services for veterans and to recognize eligible employees for excellence in the provision of such services or for having made demonstrable improvements in the provision of services to veterans.

Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley presented certificates to staff members of the Southeast Career Center Chattanooga. Those honored were Judy Cate, Valerie Jennings, Lynnette Smith, Sherlane Paris, Thophles Williams and Deborah Hester with the Southeast Tennessee Development District, and Tennessee. Department of Labor & Workforce Development staff Michael Adams, Chris Cole, Cynthia Cox and Paul Thomas.

Neeley commented at the ceremony, “This honor is about the cooperation of Labor & Workforce Development staff and our partners in the Tennessee Career Centers across the state. We anticipate this recognition will spur staff members, individually and collectively as a local office, toward creative solutions to the problems encountered by veterans in their quest for significant employment.”

The staff honored at the ceremony were singled out for the following criteria: priority of service to qualified veterans and other eligible persons; fostering an environment of teamwork and cooperation in the local office; initiative in efforts to assist hard-to-place (homeless, recently separated, disabled, minority, and female veterans) populations; improving the system with performance; reduction in time or cost; and promoting collaboration in support of employment and training opportunities.

A total of 32 people from across the state were honored at the ceremony today. The following is a complete list of honorees.

Tennessee Veterans Staff Honored
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Career Center,
Rutherford County 		Harold Moore
Middle Tennessee Career Center,
Nashville South 		Chuck Eldridge
Clarksville
Clarksville/Montgomery County
Career Center 		Gerald Froelich
Workforce Essentials, Inc. David Keese
Crossville
East TN Human Resource
Agency
 Delois Randolph, Carol Caruthers, Kara Vanhoy, Sue Taylor
Crossville Career Center Pat Kerley, Linda McGraw, Rebecca Beverly, Sharon Keis, Dick Hyder
Cookeville
Upper Cumberland Career Center 		Tom McCann
Chattanooga
Southeast Career Center Chattanooga		 Michael Adams, Chris Cole, Cynthia Cox, Paul Thomas
Southeast Tennessee Development District Judy Cate, Valerie Jennings, Lynnette Smith, Sherlane Paris, Thophles Williams, Deborah Hester
Marion County
Marion County Career County 		Rebecca Jacobs, Richard Butler, Betty Tate, Karen Moss, Lisa Minton, Sue Tipton, Rosanna Stiles
Talbott
Five Rivers Career Center 		Donnie Seals

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ANDREW JOHNSON TOWER, 8TH FLOOR
710 JAMES ROBERTSON PARKWAY
NASHVILLE, TN 37243
615.741.2257