NATLE FYI

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Any extra rooms in our block for the GAC will be released on Monday, so it’s crunch time if anyone knows of stragglers who need to reserve a room.  I have three rooms left in my back pocket, too, but those will be relinquished well before the conference.

Our Salary Survey (for EDs) will close next Thursday and Tiffany (chair) will convene the Committee early next week to divvy up the list of 24 non-respondents to encourage them to participate.  The response rate (64%) is better than for previous salary surveys (~50%), but for a confidential survey, we should have 100%!

The Executive Committee will be reaching out in the next few weeks to ask you to join a Strategic Planning Team.  If you didn't get a chance to respond to the invitation, let me know that you'd like to participate.  The descriptions of the Teams (in the questionnaire) may have been too vague, so the EC members plan to hold conversations with members about where we’ve been and where we’re going in this process, especially with those members who weren’t been involved in the earlier focus groups or interviews.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I love this time of year.  I’d say only 10% of the leaves are down, but with good weather ahead both days this weekend, I’ll rip out the veggie garden and mow the lawn for the last time this season.  I’ll drain the fuel and swap its spot in the garage with the snowblower…it feels like I did the reverse just a few months ago!

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

I understand that the list of registrants on the GAC event page wasn’t cooperating and it turns out that it wasn’t “permissioned”.  It works now.  Update on the room block…Friday is completely sold out and I’m trying to get more rooms freed up for Monday night.  There are 80 rooms reserved in our block, but only 65 registered, so there are at least 15 more people we’re expecting.  I’ve compared the room list to the registration list and contacted those who don’t yet appear in the room list. 

The Strategic Planning Teams are coming together with Strategy Leaders and members of NATLE to decide on how to accomplish the Plan’s goals.  A simple wufoo form that was sent out to all members on Wednesday as an invitation to participate and rank their top 4 Strategy Team choices.  Only a handful have come in, but I will compile the rankings and forward the Team rosters by the end of next week.  We are jumping right into this next step and a no-pressure kick-off meeting will be a great way to get everyone together, meet, and talk about a plan for how often to get together and map out a few measurable milestones.  Expect to be contacted by a Team Leader in the next few weeks.

Our Salary Survey is moving ahead with the email coming from The Spark Mill on Monday.  I just sent a reminder to the EDs.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…am I the only one who thought we were done with changing the clocks?  I just checked and we (well, most of us) have to fiddle with the clocks on the microwave, stove, alarms, thermostats, etc. for one more cycle this November 6th.  I haven’t decided how I feel about the super dark mornings that we’ll have next winter, but I like the idea of lighter evenings.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

To help prompt registrations for the GAC, I have started to send blasts with profiles of the speakers who will be joining us.  I know we are still six weeks out from the conference, but I’m stressing the urgency in making hotel reservations.  The latest message is to reserve a room before making flight plans since Friday, Nov 11th is sold out of our block and that’s after nearly doubling our original number in the contract. The current list of registrants is on the event page (when you’re logged in), so if you are talking with someone and you don’t see their name in the list, please encourage them to sign up and to forward the announcements to their leadership and governmental affairs staff.  There’s nothing better than hearing these discussions firsthand.

The Strategic Planning Work Group (Valerie, Alison and Jennifer) met with Chris Bennett (The Spark Mill) to talk about the timing of its implementation and how to keep it at the forefront of our activities as a living document going forward.  One of the next steps is to reach out to the membership with a brief questionnaire to invite them to let us know where they may have interest in participating within the goals and strategies of the plan.  The questionnaire will go out early next week.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I checked on Jeanie in Tallahassee and she weathered Ian without losing power.  I’m sure we all know someone who has been (or is being) affected by the storm…seems like we’ve had more than our quota, so far, this year.  This is a working weekend for me – going through the rest of the boxes that have come down from Dad’s attic – but my thoughts are easily drawn back to those in its path with each Breaking News update.

Good Afternoon, Happy Fall and Happy Friday…er, Saturday!

It was good to see our Executive Committee members at the first meeting since Seattle.  The minutes are drafted and pending a review.  Our next meeting will be at 3pm on Saturday, November 12 at the GAC in New Orleans.  I have invited our Justice Partners to be an exclusive sponsor of dinner that night.  No one has jumped at the chance, but I’ll keep you posted.

Confirmations have started to go out to the GAC speakers and I will be pushing out more frequent announcements to register.  We have 42 registrants and over 50 rooms reserved, so I know there are several more coming in.  The current list is viewable on the event page (when you’re logged in), so if you are talking with someone and you haven’t seen their name in the list, please encourage them to sign up.

Membership dues are still trickling in with 66 yet to renew.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great (rest of the) weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…the arrival of Fall was unmistakable.  Frost warnings have been part of the weather reports for the past few days and the heat in my house kicked on this morning.  I’m ready to pull out the fleece and flannel again, but gradually.  This was a bit of a shock to the system.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The Strategic Planning team met with Chris Bennett from The Spark Mill to discuss the input from this Committee regarding the draft Overview and go over the next steps.

The Salary Survey draft trom The Spark Mill has been shared with the Exeuctive Committee and the plan is to have it distributed before the end of the month.

The GAC Program flyer is now available on the event page.  The final time slots are still being confirmed with the speakers, so check back periodically for the latest version.

I am on vacation starting today through next Friday.  Since I can’t bear to cut the cord completely, I have my computer with me and will respond to any unexpected dumpster fires.  I’m on that long-anticipated trip with friends to the Latitude Margaritaville in Daytona.  Each rental unit comes with its own golf cart and margarita maker.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great long weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!  The weather up here on Saturday was spectacular, but left a lot to be desired for the rest of it.  I didn’t get around to re-sealing the driveway, but edged it so at least it looks spiffy and will be ready next summer.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The Salary Survey Team met this week with The Spark Mill folks, Chris and Courtney, their survey designer.  The plan is to have at least a preliminary report available by the GAC.   EDs will receive an email from the Team to be on the lookout for an email from Courtney with the survey.  A timely response will increase the chances of having a near-final report, and most important, it will help you know your true value.

The GAC Planning Committee met this morning to go over the proposed speakers and firm up the time slots.  We should have enough info to flesh out and update the draft of the program on our event page.

The GAC Scholarship Committee unanimously selected Alyssa Davenport, the Political and Public Relations Director with the Colorado TLA.  She attended the virtual GAC in 2020 when she was with the Florida Justice Association, but this will be her first in-person NATLE meeting and she’s very excited to meet everyone.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great long weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…if you drive by my house tomorrow, you might see me out sealing my driveway.  The brands that tout themselves as “30-year” sealants must be tested under the lightest conditions – my last application was only 5 years ago and it’s ready for another coat.  It’s one of those jobs that needs to be done while the pavement is warm so the sealant adheres, but it’s also a heavy job to lug the 5-gallon bucket around.  The tiny minority procrastinator in me reigns supreme on the really hot days when sealing would be ideal, so even with the best of intentions this summer, I haven’t gotten around to it.  I’ve been paying attention to the weather reports and I don’t want to miss my window as the temps are cooling.  Ain’t homeownership fun?

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Our 4th Monday Zoom Series on Working From Home & Workers’ Comp Issues with WILG member, David Nomberg, was a hit.  The recording is available in case you missed it. Passcode: 5zPhar?N

The Salary Survey is moving ahead with a small team to work with The Spark Mill on the survey design.  The immediate task is to come up with the variables that will make the data relevant to all levels of ED.  Look for an email from Team Chair Tiffany McGee with a request for input.

A misleading fieldname was the culprit in the duplicate dues notice going out in response to payment received.  It has been fixed and hopefully MC will consider renaming the field to save the next unsuspecting admin from this snafoo.  We have 17 EDs and 17 Associate member renewals in, so far, plus three new members.  I’ll send a reminder notice on Monday.

The GAC Scholarship Committee is meeting on Monday afternoon and will have an awardee to announce by Tuesday.  We have 26 registrations and I’m working with the Ritz-Carlton to set aside a few QQ rooms instead of K in case anyone needs to bunk up.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a good weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…my former “boss” at UVM is the Chair of the Biochemistry Department and since the University shut down in March 2020, he has stopped by my house every weekend with either tulips (or other bulbs he grows in his greenhouse) or veggies from the huge garden he cultivates with his wife (who’s also a principal researcher in the Department).  For the past year, we’ve been meeting up at Panera for lunch and the “handoff” of goodies.  Anyone need any pickles?  He brought a whole grocery bag of cucumbers last weekend and I can only eat so many cukes!

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The dues renewal notices were distributed this week in case any TLAs wanted to get the charge in before the end of August.  This is the first round of renewals since the upgrade and, while it’s a multi-step process and not exactly intuitive, I think it worked.  I’ve heard of one example of a duplicate notice received after submitting payment, so let me know if that happens for you, too, and I’ll get MC Support to help me figure out the glitch.

The Strategic Planning Team met with Chris Bennett to review the draft outline he developed from the Retreat.  We spent a full hour going over a one-pager, carefully tweaking the language to accurately articulate our goals and objectives for the 3-year plan.  We will forward the updated draft for review and comment by the Executive Committee as soon as we have it back from Chris.  The timing will allow us to have a final version to approve at our next EC meeting on Sept 20th.

Please register for our 4th Monday Zoom Series on Working From Home & Workers’ Comp Issues with one of Jennifer Comer’s WILG members, David Nomberg.

The Salary Survey is next up on NATLE’s plate of projects.  Stay tuned for next steps, and I’m delighted to say that The Spark Mill has confirmed that the timing is right for us to have a complete survey at the GAC.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a good weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I just helped the poor guy that the motorcycle dealership sent over to wrestle Dad’s Honda Magna and scooter out of the basement.  Neither bike had been on the road for over a decade and like barnacles encrusting a sunken ship, the stuff that accumulated over the intervening years made it a tricky, sweaty, good-hearted-curse-inducing process to get the Magna shimmied out from its hidey hole.  No injuries to report, not even a scraped knuckle, though it was a tight squeeze to get the handlebars out the sliding glass door.  With the tractor gone a few weeks ago, and now the bikes, I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel in this saga of Dad’s move to an independent living facility nearby.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The Executive Committee meeting associated with the GAC will be Saturday, November 12 beginning at 3pm.  This gives a little extra travel time earlier in the day for those Committee members who don’t want to come in on Friday.

The GAC Planning Committee met on Thursday to review the list of topics for the program and a save-the-date note went out this week to our Justice Partners about sponsorship opportunities at the GAC in November (12-15).  I’m excited that TrialSmith/Counsel Financial has committed to the social event – I’ll keep you posted on details as they come in – and AAJ is again sponsoring a Welcome Reception on Sunday afternoon.  If you are in contact with our other JPs (Preferred Capital, Ringler, SBA Funding, Strategic Capital, Certified Records), please encourage them to sponsor a breakfast and/or break.  The event page is set up and is accepting registrations.

We’re coming up on Dues Renewal season, so I’ve met with MC for training on how the process has changed since the upgrade.  I’m working on a recap on the year of NATLE achievements and will follow up a few days after with the dues notices.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a good weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I think I count marigolds among the earthly miracles.  The fact that I haven’t had to wrestle with ANY tomato hornworms for the past two years is a blessing indeed.  My reaction to coming nose-to-horn with one is similar to how a cat reacts to a cucumber, no lie.  (Google “cat cucumber” videos, it’s hilarious.)  They’re hidden in plain sight until my slow-to-engage keen sense of observation notices the leaves have been chewed down to the nubs.  That’s when it’s super easy to spot the bright green caterpillar – as long and as big around as my middle finger – clinging to the underside of a branch.  I now surround my tomato plants with 20+ marigolds and I guess it’s the scent that keeps the moths from laying their eggs anywhere in the area.  Blissfully hornworm free.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

I hope you were able to join Kent’s presentation yesterday as he went through the results of his survey of TLA listserv users.  It was packed with information and a big takeaway that confirmed the value of the Listserv.  A working group will explore options for an app to supplement – not replace – the ListServ.  We recorded the program (password=  @2P.*Ekv ) in case you weren’t online.  Kent distributed his PPT earlier today along with the respective TLA results. 

Under the heading of “follow-up from the Annual Meeting”, the two Membership Surveys’ results that Barbara shared at the Business Meeting in Seattle have been posted to the NATLE FYI section on the website, the approved budget has been shared with the bookkeeper, and most cases of COVID we seemed to pass around have run their course.

We have the next year of EC and Leadership meetings mapped out and the upcoming meeting dates are posted in the NATLE FYI.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a good weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…topping the list of simple pleasures (and I’m pretty sure this only counts as a pleasure in my book), I picked up a 2023 desk calendar yesterday.  I know, I’m living a thrill-a-minute.  I haven’t transitioned to solely viewing my meetings and appointments on a tiny screen and my brain appreciates seeing the whole month laid out at once.  (Factoid: if, on Zoom, you see me looking over my right shoulder, the odds are good that I’m looking at my calendar.)  Now that I no longer commute to a separate office, well, one that’s farther away than the bonus room off my bedroom, I’ve stopped buying calendar packs for my DayRunner and it only gets attention on the rare occasion I need to look up a mailing address.  While LLBean was my mom’s idea of Mecca, it was closely followed by office supply and hardware stores, and I definitely inherited that gene.