2016
Employee News MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION V O L U M E
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9525 Escobar Dr. 3590 West Picacho Ave. El Paso, TX 79907 Las Cruces, NM. 88007 T- 915-872-2250 T-575- 524-2835
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3750 Stewarts Lane Nashville, TN 37218 T-615 627-5117
J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y
901 Carriers Dr. Laredo, TX 78045 T 956 717-9849
10210 N Vancouver Portland, OR 97217 T 503 286-6110
www.m-v-t.com
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Hello Team, For any of you that haven’t met me, my wife likes to call me the Nerd Herder. Which really means if it has electricity running through it, it’s my fault when it’s broken. I am Mesilla Valley’s Chief Information Officer (CIO). My teams and I are responsible for keep-
A GREAT member of our MVT TEAM
ing all computers, applications and, systems working. We are also responsible for creating and advancing those systems so that anyone who uses a computer can perform their job more efficiently. Most recently we made a huge change to the phone & email systems and have moved both systems to the cloud. By doing this we have moved these critical systems out to purpose de-
signed data centers with high amounts of redundancy built in. This promises us higher levels of service and less outages caused by “data centers in a closet”. Along with these purpose built data centers this reduces the amount of internal expertise needed to maintain the servers and applications that these systems were comprised of. This also means a reduction in the amount of time taking care of those systems and frees up IT resources to focus on other profitable ventures for all of MVT’s organizations. Not only are these changes providing increased access and reduced maintenance but they are cheaper than the traditional on prem-
Mike Kelley
ise solutions. We will soon see the benefits of the new phone system as we increase the speed with which we can adapt the system to the organizations needs while enjoying reduced costs.
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Both cloud solutions have increased our capabilities to provide service outside the companies’
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walls. If we find ourselves in a situation like Nashville most recently had (city wide shut down due to snow). Many people will be able to work from home using the cloud to access not only their email but have their desk phones ring on a softphone on their computer. We will soon be adding more of our critical systems to these cloud services truly enabling us to continue business where ever we are. While we have quite a bit of clean up to do with the phone system and are finalizing killing our in house email servers, we are already onto our next adventure which is increasing the speed and amount of internet bandwidth at all of the organizations larger locations. Again an increase in service while reducing the costs for these services. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Lately I
have started to equate the saying “That’s the way we’ve always done it” to insanity. We in IT may be CRAZY but we aren’t insane. So as our team creates a little havoc in your life and change how we are doing things know that we are always doing it with the goal of helping you get more done faster and easier so that we can all go home and enjoy our lives knowing we’ve done the best job we can. After all isn’t that the real goal of why we are here?
Sincerely, Mike Kelley From Left to right: Noah, Ash, Hannah, Mike, Wife Leslie, and Ireland Rose.
“INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN BUT EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS” -Albert Einstein
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Great Beginnings make, Write this! Post that! Check to make sure this is correct! Find what we need! What do all these statements have in common? We hear these words every day from different people in our departments and in our business. Even while facing these everyday requests, we strive each day to constantly improve, all while dealing with the daily pressures from issues that may arise and plans that change. A little while ago, we felt that there should be a way to put continual improvement into a set program to make sure that we were following through with new goals and initiatives that we wanted to see implemented around us. We were able to find the Great Leaders Program, created by Franklin Covey. This program aims to increase improvement by setting a straight path towards continued success for managers and employees alike. The first and foremost requirement of the program was for all managers and supervisors to become familiar with the material in order for them to pass on the central themes and mentality of the program to their team. There were two different sessions for managers and supervisors to attend. These sessions were held at the Radisson and Wyndham hotels in their respective banquet halls in September and October 2015. The sessions lasted 2 full days and included many facts and viewpoints that contributed to an overall theme of “always moving forward”.
There was a variety of learning aids such as videos, discussion, and games that were played. Different “keys” or guidelines were given to first establish a team mentality. A very important question also arose. “How are we going to increase and keep team motivation?” This was coupled with a lot of soul searching and thinking on our parts that allowed us to see what our teams needed to become motivated to move our business to the next level. As we moved through the program, we learned that keeping commitments are just as important as the people that make the business run every single day. We not only need our team members to make and keep commitments to managers and supervisors, but managers and supervisors also need to make and keep commitments to their team and the overall business, all while keeping the “employee mentality” prominent in their minds. As the program came to a conclusion, we saw that all parts of the program included the employee well-being as an integral part of motivation and success in one way or another. We also saw that when the sessions were dismissed at the end of day 2, we were not done with learning through this program by any means. Continue page 4 EMPLOYEE
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As the months have passed, we have been implementing new tasks as part of the Great Leaders program for company leaders and employees to take part in that will enhance their focus on improvement. These new tasks were created to give us a roadmap to where we want to go. Some of the programs, such as the “Work Compass” subtopic allow us to make commitments while holding each other accountable, another big and important facet of the Great Leaders program. We also have been holding “Team Clarity Meetings” that allow us to lay out all tasks that can lead to team and overall business improvement and create a path towards completing them, all while creating mission and vision statements that will define our motivation and will allow us to stay focused. As we continue, we tie all programs into each other in order to let ourselves build upon the previous. Each day we face a whirlwind of tasks, issues, problems, and changes. These are all common in any business and within any team. We are elated that we have been able to find a program that will help us to build a roadmap to continued success. We cannot lose sight of continuously improving and always looking toward the future with the hope and drive to be the best at what we do.
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Officials from the El Paso Speedway Park announced a new partnership today with Western Technical College that will see the family-owned and operated college become the title sponsor of the historic dirt race track. “Western Tech is happy to support Speedway Park, whose roots run deep in El Paso like ours,” said Brad Kuykendall, Chief Executive Officer of Western Technical College. “This partnership provides an opportunity for growth in the industries we both serve— not only for our students but for auto and racing fans and enthusiasts.” Western Tech is an accredited college located and operating in El Paso for over forty-five years, with a real-world approach that combines classroom learning with hands-on experience, and in some cases, online study. The college is a leader in providing customized training for businesses in all areas of need. It’s one of the many reasons Western Tech graduates find success in their careers. “Western Tech has long been a shining asset to our community and the residents of El Paso,” said the track’s General Manager, Rue Stone. “As a premier sports and entertainment destination in the Southwest, this is a partnership that makes sense on so many levels, and one that we’re confident will benefit both the race track and Western Tech, as well as the thousands of fans who visit us each year.” One thing that won’t change, Stone added, is the high-powered excitement that race fans have come to expect from the superfast 3/8-mile-long clay oval located just east of El Paso. Since 1970, Western Tech has provided quality training and education in a caring, professional environment that prepares new students and working adults with the skills they need to succeed and advance in their chosen careers. This isn’t Western Tech’s first involvement with the world of motorsports. In 2013, Western Tech partnered with multi-time NHRA champion Don Schumacher Racing to create an internship program that has since seen graduates from the program go on to lifechanging careers in the sport of drag racing. “We’re always looking to add skilled and ambitious people to the DSR organization,” said team owner Don Schumacher. Western Tech has been awarded two School of Excellence Awards—one for each campus—from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Only 13 colleges received this prestigious award which, in part, measures the school’s graduation and employment rates. For more information about Western Technical College, call 800-225-5984 or visit them online at www.westerntech.edu. You can also like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/westerntechnicalcollege, follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ westerntech and Instagram at www.instagram.com/westerntech, or subscribe to their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ user/westerntechelpaso.pbbbbp Western Tech Speedway Park is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located 6.0 miles east of FM 375 on US 62, then 0.5 mile north on Krag St., then east on Tangerine Ave. For more information, call 915-791-8749 or check out www.epspeedwaypark.com. You can also find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elpasospeedwaypark or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ Eelpasospeedway. MPLOYEE NEWS
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USMTS racers, MVT Road Warriors hunting big bucks in 2016 February 5, 2016 | by Jeff Nun, USMTS.com LAS CRUCES, N.M.—The 18th season for the United States Modified Touring Series is shaping up to be the biggest and best so far with the best of the best in dirt modified racing looking to get their piece of the lucrative USMTS pie. “With some races moving one week due to the way the calendar falls, it made it very tough to get all of the races put together to fill each region and have multiple race swings,” said USMTS President Todd Staley. “Somehow, after hundreds of hours on the phone and emailing back and forth with dozens of track operators, it all came together for the eighteenth year in a row.” Not only is the schedule of events littered with must-see shows, but continued strong support from USMTS marketing partners has allowed for a much heavier treasure chest for the racers to fight for. Each of the three USMTS regional points champs will earn $6,000 during the 2016 USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental—up from $5,000 last year—with even more cash spread out to the other finishers in the top ten. This year’s USMTS National Champion will earn $25,000 with a lot of extra money above last year’s payout for the rest of the top 15 spots. Staley announced that the USMTS is also doubling the guarantee to all drivers running every ‘Hunt’ race to $2,000 regardless of where the driver winds up in the final standings. The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental will kick off Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and wrap up Thursday, Sept. 22, during the first night of the 18th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. Overall, this year's ‘Hunt’ is comprised of 21 events at 20 race tracks in seven states over the course of 50 days and nights. Combined, one driver can pocket a cool $40,000 for winning all three regional crowns and the 2016 USMTS National Championship. To sweeten pot even more, Mesilla Valley Transportation has stepped up this season to present the MVT Road Warrior rewards program for 2016. This MVT Road Warrior program will offer $10,000 to any driver that does not miss a single USMTS event in 2016 (including all points races and “big money” crown jewel events). If only one driver makes every race in 2016, he or she gets the whole $10,000. If two drivers have perfect attendance, each will get $5,000 and so forth. The total amount may exceed $10,000 because no matter how many drivers make every single race, each one of them is guaranteed at least $2,000. The bonus money will be paid out during the $10,000-to-win 17th Annual USRA Fall Nationals at the Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M., Oct. 20-23. There aren’t many people out there that do more for the racers than Royal Jones, and the new MVT Road Warrior program is just another example of that,” Staley added. In addition to serving as the President of Mesilla Valley Transportation, Jones is also an accomplished dirt modified racer and also owns and operates the Southern New Mexico Speedway and Western Tech Speedway Park in El Paso, Texas. To read more please go to: http://usmts.com/news/news_article.asp?NewsID=21759
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Las Cruces Sun-News 1:34 p.m. MST January 23, 2016
Chamber recognizes city's best businesses Kevin McGrath, left, accepted the award for the "Nonprofit of Year" for Burger Time Tournament and Royal Jones accepted the award for Business of Year for Mesilla Valley Trucking at the Chamber of Commerce Friday night. Sun news photo LAS CRUCES - The best of the best were awarded by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Friday night at the group's 2016 Choice Awards and Gala. Beyond recognizing those who have gone above and beyond for the city's business community in the last year, the event, held at the Las Cruces Convention Center, began with a tribute to a former city councilor who died last week. "Former Las Cruces Councilor Miguel Silva passed away Sunday," said Troy Tudor, interim executive director of the chamber. " He was a man passionate about his community and working toward its betterment. Always remembered for his penchant for hats and his big smile, he was a frequent visitor to the chamber of commerce and a staunch supporter of this organization and business in our community. I ask at this time we take a moment of silence to remember a great Las Crucen, Mr. Miguel Silva." Following the recognition, and dinner, the following awards were presented to local leaders in the business field, education and from throughout the community, including: Business of the Year – Mesilla Valley Transportation Small Business of the Year – Main St. Bistro Non-profit Of the Year – Burger Time All High School Sports Golf Tournament Police Officer of the Year – Officer Mark Renteria Fire Fighter of the Year – Lieutenant Chris Mount Crystal Apple Awards Principal of the Year – Priscilla Johnson, Highland Elementary School Teacher of the Year – Lino Castillo, Sierra Middle School (Sixth and seventh grade science – dual language) Early Career Teacher of the Year – Ana Bruner, Highland Elementary School (First grade) Volunteer of the Year – Deanna Green (Enchanted Occasions Rental) Conquistadore of the Year – Rick Altamirano (First Light Federal Credit Union) Citizen of the Year – John Hummer Young Professional of the Year – Rachel Courtney (Horse N Hound Feed N Supply) http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/
www.bataanmarch.com
**If you are interested in participating in the 2016 Bataan Memorial Death March Please contact Emily Roof , MVT covers all registration fees for MVT employees.**
HOW TO TRAIN
Written by Trish Duque
I was asked to pass along some helpful information for people who are wondering how to prepare for the Bataan Death March, don’t worry, you are not alone! The Bataan Death March is no small feat. I’m an avid runner, have ran many races, and I lead a free local running group in Las Cruces. I’m not an expert or certified coach or nutritionist, I just have experience and I learn new things all the time. I hope these basic tips will help you have a successful Bataan Death March experience! Feel free to private message me with any questions.
Find A Training Plan And Follow It! Find one now and start it ASAP, the Bataan Death March will be here before you know it. Look for a plan that is at the right level for you: walker, beginner runner, intermediate runner or advanced runner. There are plenty available, here is one site that has many to choose from http://www.halhigdon.com/training/
Connect! People that move together evolve together. They go longer, run (or walk) stronger and have a lot of fun along the way. Join a buddy or group—you'll learn a lot, have a built accountability resource and a set of healthy role modeling friends. Join my free Las Cruces Running Group! http://www.meetup.com/Las-Cruces-Running-Group/ El Paso has one group that I know of but I don’t know about the fees http://upandrunningelpaso.com/races-and-groups/training-groups
Get Good Gear To train and complete a half or full marathon, you really need some good gear. Buy a good pair of running shoes (if you haven’t already). Good tech tees that wick sweat away from your skin and fits well to avoid chafing. Also look for running shorts, pants, capris or possibly a running skirt and wicking socks which pull moisture away from your feet. This helps to decrease the occurrence of blisters. Caps and sunblock, wear it! You will need a hydration belt or backpack or at the very least a handheld water bottle strap with pouch. These systems will allow you to carry water, energy gels or snacks. There are many brands and styles, so shop around.
Hydration and Proper Nutrition Nutrition is even more important. You need to fuel well before your race and also eat well afterward to ease recovery. Before your long runs, you should carb load a day or two in advance. Eat good carbohydrates like whole grain pasta, quinoa or sweet potatoes and eat more fruits and vegetables. These foods can help your body store extra glycogen which you can draw on for quick fuel during the run or walk. Some good pre-long run choices are oatmeal, a whole grain bagel with peanut butter and a banana. Try a few different food choices during your training runs or walks to find what works best for you. Aim to eat about 60 minutes before your run for enough digestion time. After your long runs you want to refuel within 30 minutes. Eating proper recover food in this time will help your body absorb the nutrients fast and will decrease fatigue. More: Fueling Facts Drink water, lots of water. Drink water in the days leading up to, before, during and after your long runs or walks. Do not underestimate the importance of water. Becoming dehydrated is not fun and can be quite dangerous. Make sure you have "practiced" what you will eat on race day. It is important to know that what you eat will not disturb your stomach and will fuel you well through the race. You will have plenty of long runs or walks over 6 miles to test your nutrition plan.
Rest Last but not least, rest your body well and get enough sleep! Good luck and happy training! PAGE
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Red Hawk Golf Club 7502 Red Hawk Golf Road, Las Cruces, NM 88012 575-373-8100 EMPLOYEE
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RECIEPES.
Stuffed Strawberries
Ingredients: 1 pint of fresh strawberries I package of cream chees softened 1/2 cup confectioners Sugar 2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/104493/stuffed-strawberries/
Directions Cut the tops off of the strawberries and stand upright on the cut side. Make a cut 3/4 of the way down from the tip of the strawberry towards the bottom. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and liqueur until smooth in a mixer or a food processor. Place into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe into each strawberry and arrange on a serving platter!
Creamy Pesto Shrimp
Ingredients
1 pound of linguine pasta
1/2 cup of butter
2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup pesto
1 LBS of large shrimp peeled
Directions 1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. 2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, and season with pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly. 3. Stir Parmesan cheese into cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Blend in the pesto, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened. 4. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over the hot linguine.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/11808/creamy-pesto-shrimp/?internalSource=staff%20pick&referringId=199&referringContentType=recipe%20hub
Letter from the Editor When you think about the future what do you think about? Some people think it will be dark and scary place with robots taking over the world... Sorry to say but this isn’t a Terminator movie! However, the future is in our hands. Right now. We control the future. It might not seem like a lot but it truly is. For example, what do you do when life gives you lemons?...You post about it online and have people feel sorry for you… NO! You make lemonade and you DRINK IT and then you DANCE. Your attitude can effect so much. Change a little and you could change a lot. Be positive! Be the reason you make someone dance this week. Throw kindness around like its confetti. Change can be a scary thing, but aren’t we are all on the same team? We can make the world better for each other. Tomorrow will be better because you’ll make today awesome. So get to it. “BE BOLD. BE KIND. BE AWESOME!”
Emily K. Roof Marketing Director “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle!
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