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I WORK FOR MEMPHIS Cynthia Hughes-Ward, Budget Supervisor
CONTENTS 2017 4 5 6-7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 15
Editor in Chief Allison J. Fouche’ Contributors Amanda Fryer Alexus Gayden Jericka Webster Joann Massey Kyle Veazey Taylar Robinson Tobias Pulliam
Public Works removes remnants BookStock draws record crowd Inside the 901: Cynthia Hughes-Ward Explore Memphis makes learning fun The Move to 170 Memphis first city to offer TuitionIO Naturalization Ceremony celebrates independence My Brother’s Keeper Alliance provides success Doing the right thing: 1968 Memphis sanitation workers MWBE diversity gains national attention Memphis Heritage Trail rolls out
A View from the Mayor’s Desk
You’ve read headline after headline about it, and we’re not shying away from it: Our crime rate is unacceptable, and city government is laser-focused in doing all that we possibly can to reduce it. I say this quite a bit to the media and when I’m speaking to the public. But I want to let you know today that this work involves every one of us in city government. What you do at City Hall and so many other sites in our city matters when it comes to making life better for every Memphian, every day -- and that includes making our neighborhoods safer. Obviously, our police department is at the tip of the spear. It’s why we’ve invested quite a bit in recruiting and retaining to make sure our department is at a healthy size. But we have so many other departments that make that happen: Our HR team, for instance, truly is blazing a trail in finding innovative solutions to make our recruiting efforts deliver results. Our Fire Department plays a key role in public safety -- beyond simply crime. Our Parks and Libraries employees do so much to advance our shared goal of providing productive outlets for young people and all of our citizens. (Did you know that in the most recent fiscal year, we served more than 94,000 people in library programming -- up from 77,000 the year before? Thanks, library staff!) Truly, we’re all part of a team effort. I can’t say it enough: Thank you for all you do toward making life better for every Memphian, every day. Yours,
Public Works Team Effort to Removed Remnants from Recent Windstorm
By Amanda Fryer Memorial Day weekend was unforgettable this year. Although, some may wish they could forget it.. Nearly 190,000 homes were left without power. Damaged by fallen trees. Public Works swiftly kicked into gear to begin the long process of clearing away the damage. Director Robert Knecht knew how important this was for Memphis residents. “We can help restore some sense of normalcy. We can then clean up the debris, and get it out of there and so these communities and these streets, these homes, are back to some resemblance of normalcy again.” There were different efforts, including the Citizen Storm Assistance Program, created to help Memphians clear their property of storm debris. Deputy Director of Solid Waste Management, Philip Davis, knew having help would speed up the pickup process. “We currently have emergency debris and emergency response and unmanageable volume contractors
working to remove debris that’s being placed at the curb,” said Davis. “Largely vegetative debris [and] some construction demolition [waste].” The Solid Waste Management Department and its contractors have removed in excess of 300,000 cubic yards of storm debris. This is roughly equivalent to the volume of vegetative debris collected by the Solid Waste Management Department in a typical year. During the second pass of collection, contractors encountered piles of debris that require bulking or staging to improve collection efficiency and minimize the potential for damage to overhead utilities or other obstructions. Bulking of waste in the street (typically using a miniature skid steer loader) may result in some leaf debris residue left in the right of way. The Streets Maintenance Department assisted in addressing this residue by deploying street sweepers to collection locations to remove the excess debris.
Libraries’ Bookstock 2017 Draws Record Crowd By Marcey Wright More than 5,600 book lovers of all ages recently filled the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library for Bookstock 2017, Memphis Public Libraries’ annual authors’ festival. This year’s event – the largest in Bookstock’s history – offered local families lots of carnival-style fun for free. Live music and performances, food trucks, a cooking demonstration, door prizes, face painting, storytimes, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt around Central Library, CLOUD901 teen adventures and much more were all at customers’ fingertips. Four keynote authors were featured this year – Lisa Wingate (“Before We Were Yours”), ReShonda Tate Billingsley (“The Perfect Mistress” and “The Secret She Kept”), Daniel Connolly (“The Book of Isaias: A Child of Hispanic Immigrants Seeks His Own America”), and Adrienne Berard (“ Water Tossing Boulders”). Forty local authors, covering a variety of genres, also participated in Bookstock. Another first for this year’s event was the emphasis on diversity and community outreach. Four local Hispanic authors participated in Bookstock 2017, and two of
the keynote speakers’ books were about Hispanic or Chinese culture. Audiences were amazed by several live performances, like the Chinese QiPao Fashion Show, a Chinese choir and teen dancers. Local Hispanic band Ritmo Son also performed. “Many Memphis Public Library staff members work several months of each year to ensure that Bookstock is a success and an enjoyable experience for everyone who enters our doors. The amazing work they do is reflected on every customer’s face, regardless of age, in one big culminating day. Bookstock is not only fun but educational and supports literacy in Memphis,” said Director of Libraries Keenon McCloy. “Each year, customers realize that there are so many local writers they’ve never met and, sometimes, they are inspired to write their own stories,” added Adult Services Coordinator and event founder/planner Wang-Ying Glasgow. “The benefits of Bookstock are three-fold. Customers meet authors and enjoy the day of festivities. Authors promote their work directly to readers, and the Library continues to serve as a convener and connector of book lovers. Our ultimate objective is to develop a love for literacy and lifelong learning citywide.”
EDITORIALFEATURE
INSIDE THE 901: Cynthia Hughes-Ward, Budget Supervisor By Jericka Webster
What do you hope to bring to your role as the city’s Budget Supervisor? I believe Integrity and accountability is very important. I wish to bring honesty and morality to my role as the Budget Supervisor while being “Brilliant at the Basics.” Since you’ve been promoted as the Budget Supervisor for the City of Memphis what has been one of your most memorable challenges? Meeting the challenges of completing the Budget in a timely fashion always stand out in my mind as a particularly rewarding experience. What are a few of your major responsibilities in this position? Working in coordination with the Budget Manager Richard Campbell to develop and communicate budget policies within the Budget office and throughout the City is a huge responsibility for me. Overseeing the work efforts of the Sr. Financial Analyst -Anita Taylor, Shuman Majumdar and James Angus is a huge task as well.
What motivates you personally and professionally? My motivation both professionally and personally is happy results. I love it when the staff has that ah -ha moment. It means they have an understanding about what they are doing. What would you like citizens to know about the 2018 budget? This budget is tight and fair. There is no fluff. What skills have prepared you for your current position? Seek first an understanding. And understand the true meaning of serenity – accepting the things you cannot change, changing the things you can and having the wisdom to recognize and know the difference. What advice would you give someone seeking a career in government finance? Get in where you fit in. Governmental finance has many components. Know your strength, search for training where you are weak and make the commitment to make the government better.
EDITORIALFEATURE
As the Budget Supervisor, you’ve saved the City of Memphis a lump sum of money. What is your method of eliminating discrepancies within the city’s budget? Here in the City of Memphis Budget Office, we work closely as a team in all situations. We work together to review and cross check the budgeting process. We have put procedures in place to eliminate discrepancies. We have created several internal reports that the Budget staff uses to analyze the data and make recommendations to the division managers. In addition, we are meeting more with the divisions to discuss the current budget and be proactive in identifying the needs in the future. We are all here as servants. We serve the city. How did you end up in Memphis Tennessee? Wow, I’ve asked myself that same question. I was in search of employment. I moved from Chicago. And have no regrets, Memphis has a lot to offer. Do you have any special sayings or expressions? Life comes at you fast. Stay prepared. Do you have any interesting hobbies? Traveling. I have visited all but 6 states in the United States and of course my alltime favorite place is Chicago, Illinois. (I guess you can say for selfish reasons. That’s were my family is. And I miss those guys.) What do you like to do in your spare time? like to relax. In the event that I do get out I enjoy plays, movies, dinners and traveling.
Libraries’ Summer Program Makes Learning Fun (and Free) By Marcey Wright Summer is the perfect time to explore, learn and have fun – starting at Memphis Public Libraries. In June and July, thousands of local families made Libraries a part of their stay-cations during Explore Memphis 2017, a fullycustomizable summer program with hundreds of age-appropriate activities and free or discounted admission to local attractions. Whether reading their favorite books, participating in interactive programs, exploring the city of Memphis or sharing what they’ve learned, customers enjoy lots of fun on a little budget. It’s all free! “Explore Memphis is an ideal time for families to familiarize themselves with all that Memphis Public Libraries and the city of Memphis have to offer,” said Director of Libraries Keenon McCloy. “My favorite part of the program is that students can engage in fun and educational activities over the summer and avoid the summer ‘slide’ or slips in their education. We aim to keep kids and teens positively engaged and offer adults new experiences in technology, the arts and more.” Like traditional classrooms, Explore Memphis offers an engaging curriculum of STEAM programs, centered on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. However, nontraditional learning environments at our 18 locations citywide remove the pressures of learning and allow customers to feel at ease. Some programs include technology labs for kids and adults, robotics classes for teens, storytimes and puppet shows, ukulele classes, book clubs, arts and crafts, leather crafting, healthy eating classes, yoga and stretching, origami for kids, and the list goes on.
The Move to 170 By Jericka Webster In efforts to consolidate our facilities, many City of Memphis departments have settled into the former Donnelley J. Hill state office building located at 170 N. Main. The Memphis City Council purchased the building for $1.5 million in 2015 and immediately began the renovation process. Some advantages of the new building include great views of downtown, more space, updated wifi, energy efficient lighting, and controlled key card access. The departments that have moved into the structure now known as the Donnelley J. Hill Public Safety Building include: The Housing and Community Development department, Human Resources, Memphis Police Department, and the city’s Legal division.
Memphis becomes first city in the U.S. to offer student debt reduction program for city employees By Tobias Pulliam Beginning July 1, the City of Memphis is proud to provide student loan debt assistance to employees who have obtained or are in the process of obtaining a degree from an accredited institution, have outstanding loans, and meet program eligibility requirements. Through the Student Loan Reduction Program, administered by Tuition.IO, the City of Memphis contributes $50 per month towards a participant’s principal portion of outstanding student loans. “We are proud to be the first municipality in the country to offer this kind of student debt assistance to our workforce. We view this as an important investment in our employees,” said Alex Smith, City of Memphis Chief Human Resources Officer. “As the first major American city to embrace student loan assistance, Memphis is proving itself to be a leader in understanding and catering to the needs of today’s workers,” said Scott Thompson, CEO of Tuition.io. “Their initiation of this program should be a clarion call for other municipalities to follow suit. The burden of student loan debt is not a problem limited to private sector employees, and cities both large and small have significant numbers of workers who can benefit from debt reduction programs.”
76 Applicants become U.S Citizens during Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony By Taylar Robinson On Friday, June 30,2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in partnership with Daughters of the American Revolution welcomed 51 applicants representing 29 countries at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library for Naturalization. There were also 33 applicants taking the oath for their Certificate of Citizenship representing 19 countries. These applicants derived citizenship from their parents. Although becoming a U.S citizen could be a long process, the Naturalization Ceremony was brief and direct. With over 200 attendees, Immigration Services Officer Tameka Ward, gave an opening speech followed by the citizens signing the national anthem. The applicants recited the Oath of Allegiance led by USCIS Field Office Director, Lynuel Dennis, making them official U.S citizens. “With civic duty comes great responsibility. We welcome you all to what is now our home,” stated keynote speaker Kennon McCloy, Director of Libraries, who wrapped up the ceremony with this quote that would set the tone for the new U.S citizens. Following the ceremony was a specially organized mini information fair to provide information and services which might be of interest to the new U.S citizens and their families. There was information and resources provided on library services, voter registration sign up, passport services and local immigrant resources. “Naturalization, to become a U.S. Citizen is the ultimate goal of every immigrant who come to United States, legally or illegally, to realize their “American Dream” stated Adult Services Coordinator Wang-Ying Glasgow, who worked diligently to coordinate the successful ceremony.
Story and photos by Alexus Gayden The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBKA) Pathways to Success Opportunity Summit was held on June 22 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Over 1,000 young men from all over the city came to the event seeking employment. More than 100 companies participated and offered different opportunities. There were also different community service stations that included a barbershop, tie bar, motivational speeches given by various community leaders, resume building station, and open interviews. Memphis set a MBKA record for having the most attended event with the largest number of participating companies than any other city.
Doing the right thing by the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers
waste workers’ current Social Security and deferred compensation plans. We’ve been working on this plan since last fall. It’s imperative that the City of Memphis do the right thing by these men who sacrificed so much on the mission that brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to our city in the spring of 1968. Thoroughly explaining why our Solid Waste workers aren’t on our regular pension plan isn’t easy. It’s full of legal-ese, citations of laws dating back to the 1940s and plenty of correspondence since. My chief of staff, Lisa Geater, keeps it all in a big red file labeled “AFSCME PENSION,” and it’s two inches thick.
Marcellus Lovelace’s mural on Main Street.
By Mayor Jim Strickland In the nearly 50 years since our City of Memphis sanitation workers took the brave stand that remains one of the seminal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, we’ve come to admire their courage, commemorate their resolve and rally around them as a community. Yet there has always been a missing piece: a more secure retirement for these workers, four of whom remain on the job today.
In a nutshell, though, it’s this: Given the choice to of Social Security or our pension shortly after the city formally recognized AFSCME in 1968, the workers chose Social Security. But even with the city’s addition of a 457(b) plan in the mid-1990s, those funds proved to be not enough to allow many solid waste workers the opportunity to retire. Meanwhile, the city’s pension plan afforded comfortable retirements for other city employees. Previous AFSCME leaders, mayors and members of the City Council have tried to fix this. Problem is, federal law governing Social Security doesn’t allow groups who have elected to join the program to leave it. In 1995, the city made a move in the right direction by providing a 457(b) deferred compensation plan to augment what the workers would make from Social Security. It still wasn’t enough.
In July, at a breakfast honoring our 1968 sanitation workers, I announced that this will change. I shared more details of our plan to provide further financial security for the 1968 sanitation workers through $50,000 grants — both to the four who remain on the job and the 10 who are retired. We’ll work with a nonprofit called Operation: HOPE and one of our best corporate partners in Memphis, First Tennessee Bank, to administer the program. The City Council increased the grant to $70,000.
In 1999, the city made another move in the right direction by allowing new solid waste hires to enter the city’s pension plan and not participate in Social Security. But the city had to back out of that a year later when it learned that was not permitted.
This is a nearly $1 million commitment to do the right thing. But we won’t stop there. Also in July, I shared more about a new supplemental retirement plan that we’ll institute for solid waste workers who came on board after the 1968 strike. The city will provide up to a 4.5 percent match in a new plan that will join the solid
The 1968 sanitation workers showed us how courage can change a city. Our current solid waste workers show us how service makes a city work. It’s only right that today, as we near the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s death in our city, we take this meaningful step to do right by them all.
And so we’ve gone along, all these years, without a meaningful solution that does right by these men. Until July 6, 2017.
MWBE diversity gains national attention By Joann Massey When Mayor Jim Strickland was inaugurated as mayor of Memphis in 2016, he inherited a majority-minority (63% African American) city whose government was only spending about 12 percent of its contract dollars with minority firms. The City partnered with a local nonprofit to build an accelerator for local businesses and has held numerous opportunities to proactively connect firms to business, City Accelerator Memphis Team instead of just hoping they apply. Pictured: Lisa Scott Bruton, Maya Siggers and Kyle Veazey In just 15 months, the City has already improved Not pictured: Eric Mayse and Joann Massey MWBE spending by a whopping 60 percent and Memphis’ efforts are turning heads nationwide. City Accelerator, a joint initiative of the Citi Foundation and Living Cities, seeks to foster municipal innovation to be imperative for inclusive in economic opportunity. Memphis, along with Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee will each receive coaching, technical assistance and a $100,000 grant to implement new strategies that increase the diversity of municipal vendors and contractors and direct more spend to local minority-owned businesses. The Office of Business Diversity & Compliance in partnership with the Purchasing Department is seeking to jumpstart the EBO program through identifying and implementing new methods to refine procurement policy, leverage national support and utilize innovative technology to offer high quality resources to the business community that drives impact towards achieving equity. On July 26, Living Cities consultant Griffin & Strong visited Memphis where the OBDC staff convened all major economic development and procurement partners including Shelby County Schools and government, EDGE, Airport Authority, Greater Memphis Chamber, DMC, MLGW along with City of Memphis Comptroller and Risk Management. By prioritizing procurement reform, the City Accelerator Memphis team will use data to target improvements in order to leverage procurement spending, encourage participation and foster the growth of local minority vendors. “We know that for our economy to work, it must work for all,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. “That’s why improving the City of Memphis’ performance with minority and women-owned businesses has been a priority of mine since becoming mayor. Citi Foundation and Living Cities’ inclusion of Memphis in this cohort of City Accelerator shows that we’re turning heads nationally with what we’re doing. This program will only make our efforts stronger.”
Governor Haslam Visits Memphis, Signs ‘Tennessee Reconnect Act’ By Marcey Wright Tennessee, it’s time to reconnect with your dreams of earning a postsecondary education. Returning to the classroom or furthering your education has never been easier, thanks to the Tennessee Reconnect Act. A part of NextTennessee, Governor Bill Haslam’s 2017 legislative agenda, this program makes Tennessee the first state in the nation to offer its citizens – high school graduates and adult learners – a chance to enter or re-enter public higher education with no tuition expenses or additional costs to taxpayers. During a historic day at Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Governor Haslam signed the bill into law – an act that would help 118,000 adults in Shelby County and a total of more than 900,000 adults statewide who started college but did not complete it. “No matter what your educational path has been in the past, no matter what your income level is, you can go to college for free in Tennessee,” Haslam said. “If we can encourage this group of adults to return to college and earn their degrees, we can dramatically change the trajectory of a lot of people’s lives, and we can compete with anybody when it comes to recruiting business.” Representatives from Graduate Memphis, the Plough Foundation, and a host of elected officials looked on as Governor Haslam signed the bill and offered their full support for the program and Tennesseans who plan to pursue higher education.
It is considered the epicenter of African American history, heritage and culture and will include a walking trail with historical markers. The Trail has projected opportunities of an economic development impact of more than 1,000 jobs and $84 million in new tourism revenue.
Memphis Heritage Trail Rolls Out Signage and App This Fall
Throughout downtown signs will mark routes on four historic loops broken into categories named Civil Rights, Business and Entertainment, Historic Commerce and Historic Residential. The signs will include directions, photos, historic facts and QR codes (matrix barcodes that open various information when scanned) that access videos.
Look for bright new signs in the downtown area as the Memphis Heritage Trail (MHT) begins marking historic hotspots of the Bluff City. The Office of Housing and Community Development has been working on the project since 2008 and is very eager for the project’s roll out later this fall, which also includes a smartphone app, virtual tours, wayfinding installation and curriculum for area schools.
As the project has grown, so has the notoriety of MHT and locations along the Trail. More historic locations are coming forward, such as the Paradise Event Center (formerly Club Paradise where B.B. King, Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner once performed), and unveiling more of the story of Memphis. MHT has a designated page on their website for the news coverage of the Trail and its locations.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Felicia Harris, project manager for the MHT. “We are thrilled to share these historic African American gems with residents and visitors to our city. It is especially meaningful that it will be in place for the 50th commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death in April 2018.”
“Our wayfinding signage and smartphone app will launch in October,” Harris said. “What is really exciting is that it will tell a collective story to the user. It will bring Memphis’ history to life.”
MHT is a historic 20-block redevelopment area in Downtown Memphis. It includes the area bordered by Beale Street on the north, Main Street on the west, Crump Boulevard on the south and Walnut Street on the east. MHT utilizes cultural tourism as an economic driver by connecting the dots between historical, cultural and community assets. It embraces economic development, recreation and education and preservation – weaving all of these together to create a conservation strategy. The area encompasses: Clayborn Temple, Mason Temple, the Universal Life Insurance Building, Wither’s Gallery, Beale Street and the National Civil Rights Museum to name a few. A new landmark that will be in place by April 2018 is the I Am A Man Plaza honoring the sanitation workers and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Featuring videos, photos and maps, the app will give users historic photos and videos that will paint a picture of the people and events that occurred at MHT locations. Beacons will be placed at various places along the trail and will notify passersby, through their smartphone, that they are in the vicinity of a MHT location. They can then visit the landmark or access the app for additional information about the location. A MHT curriculum for grades K-12 was piloted this summer at Kirby High School’s (KHS) Summer Institute by KHS history teacher and MHT volunteer Lauren Barksdale. Plans are in the works for it to be available to Shelby County School teachers this fall. For more information , visit www.memphisheritagetrail. com . The app will be available for free on Android and iPhone, as well as a web-based interface. It can be downloaded at the App Store, Google Play.
Nominations Coming Soon! Save the Date:
November 1, 2017 Holiday Inn-University of Memphis 11:00 a.m. The Ovation Awards is an annual ceremony recognizing excellence in City government. Hosted by the Human Resources Department, the Ovation Awards highlight outstanding employees who exemplify exceptional customer service, leadership, teamwork, and other distinguished achievements.