Associations Install New Officers
SEVERAL OF TAC’S AFFILIATE ASSOCIATIONS installed their new presidents during the past two months.
They include:
• Texas Association of County Auditors - Jimmy Mynar, Burleson County Auditor;
• County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas - Mark Evans, Trinity County Judge;
• County Treasurers Association of Texas - Lesa Crosswhite, CIO, Taylor County Treasurer; and
• Texas District and County Attorneys Association - David Williams, San Saba County District Attorney.
Court Assistants Training
to be Held in February
JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS should be thinking ahead to February and
preparing to send their staff to the Court Assistants Training Conference.
This 14-hour course keeps county court staff current on judicial and management
topics that pertain to their specific responsibilities. To make it
even more attractive, participants will be reimbursed for all allowable
travel, meals and lodging at state grant rates.
The conference will be held Feb. 20-22, at the St. Anthony Hotel in San<
Antonio. The course is limited to 200 participants, so early registration is
advised. The registration fee before Jan. 29 is $100; after that it becomes
$125. For room reservations, call 210-227-4392 and ask for the Texas
Association of Counties room block. A registration form is on page 25 or
register online at www.county.org. This course has been approved for 14
hours CEU credit.
TAC Law Enforcement Team
Offers Help from ‘Masters’
TAC LAW ENFORCEMENT
SPECIALIST Carmella Smith recently
earned her Master Peace Officer and
Master Jailer certificates from the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement
Officer Standards and Education
(TCLEOSE).
The “master” designation is the highest
educational proficiency level a peace
officer can receive, above “basic,” “intermediate”
and “advanced.” To earn a
Master designation, a peace officer
must have one of the following combinations
of training and experience:
- 1,200 training hours and 20 years,
or an associate’s degree and 12 years;
- 2,400 training hours and 15 years,
or a bachelor’s degree and nine years;
- 3,300 training hours and 12 years,
or a master’s degree and seven years; or
- 4,000 training hours and 10 years,
or a doctoral degree and five years.
TAC Law Enforcement Specialists
Steve Chalender and James MacMillan
have also earned their master certifications,
as has TAC Training Consultant
Mark Warren.
The continuing education of TAC’s
law enforcement team helps TAC aid
sheriff’s departments around the state.
TAC’s team has offered regional workshops
on use of force in jail settings and
other topics. The next series of two-day
regional workshops begins Jan. 9, 2007
and takes place in various locations
around the state until March 1. Those
workshops will focus on interpersonal
communications skills.
After completing this course, participants
will be able to:
- Understand the benefits and defend
the use of quality interpersonal communication
skills with inmates;
- Identify and explain the purposes
of these communication models and
analyze potential uses in managing
inmates;
- Explain the progressive components
and related elements of effective
communications and the relationships
of each of these components;
- Explain the cognitive foundation
and associated skills for managing
offenders behavior; and
- Discuss and demonstrate the complete
use of the communication skills
presented.
For more information on the regional
workshops, visit the TAC Web site at
www.county.org.
Training Set for
Newly Elected Officials
NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS ENTER A WORLD unlike any they’ve
known before. The rules are different and the stakes are high.
That’s why TAC will bring a basic training course for new officials to
several locations during December. All new officials should attend
to ensure that they know what to expect when they open their new
office doors in January. The dates and locations of these workshops
are:
WEST
Dec. 4 - Abilene, MCM Elegante Suites (4250 Ridgemont Drive);
Dec. 5 - Odessa, MCM Elegante Hotel (5200 East University); and
Dec. 7 - Amarillo, Ambassador Hotel (3100 IH-40 West).
EAST
Dec. 4 - Conroe, Del Lago Resort and Conference Center
(600 Del Lago Blvd.);
Dec. 5 - Tyler, Holiday Inn Select (5701 South Broadway); and
Dec. 6 - Waco, Waco Hilton (113 University Parks Drive).
SOUTH
Dec. 11 - McAllen, Casa De Palmas Hotel (101 North Main St.); and
Dec. 13 - San Antonio, Omni Colonnade (9821 Colonnade Blvd.).
Visit the Education Center at www.county.org for more information.
THE 2006 COUNTY INVESTMENT OFFICERS CLASS OF 2006 was photographed in early October at their final session. In the back row,
from left, are Galveston County assistant auditor Anthony Craig, Jr., Rockwall County Treasurer Bill Sinclair, Bexar County senior analyst
Sherie Monsalvo, Maverick County Hospital District chief financial officer Terri Patlan-Contreras, Cochran County Treasurer Doris Sealy, Tom
Green County Clerk Elizabeth McGill, Hale County Commissioner Gary Koelder and Gillespie County Auditor Larry Crump.
Front row, from left are Texas Association of Counties staff member Ender Reed, Bexar County accountant Terry Leufroy, Live Oak
County Commissioner Jim Bassett, Medina County Auditor Teresa A. Martinez, Brown County Treasurer Ann Krpoun, Nueces County accountant
Alberto Silguero, Falls County assistant treasurer Kimberly Reynolds, Hunt County Treasurer Delores Shelton, Nacogdoches County
Treasurer Denise Baublet, Dawson County Hospital chief financial officer Jay Vise and Tarrant County trust administrator Robin Nino.
Internationally Known Speakers Commit
to TAC Management Conference
THE 2007 TAC County Management
Institute, to be held May 2-4 in Austin, will
feature two excellent keynote speakers. Suzie
Humphreys (who spoke several years ago) is
a well-known motivational and inspirational
humorist. She has, as she says, “been fired,
been broke, been disappointed, been a petrified
expectant mother at 40 years old and
lived her life with a passion for learning not only how to be better,
but to see things differently.” She survived it all by “Looking
for the Laughter,” the title of her presentation.
The second keynote speaker, psychotherapist and professional
development coach Kay Christopher, will be speaking on
“Clearer Thinking: Focusing the Power of Your Mind.” The
motivational lecture focuses on the idea that the “mind is a powerhouse”
and the seminar will help audience members learn to
focus their attention, think logically and pay
better attention to detail.
In addition, on Thursday, Dr. Patrick
Sherman will speak on “Creating Passion
and Soul in the Workplace.” His program
will focus on customized employee motivation
and retention strategies for a workforce
of diverse demographics, as Baby Boomers
begin to retire and are replaced by “Generation X’ers.” He
will also address the challenge of getting the most out of staff
members and working with other elected officials – all with
differing expectations.
The TAC County Management Institute will be held at the
Doubletree Hotel in Austin. For more information, contact the
TAC Education Staff at 800-456-5974 or visit the Education
Center at www.county.org.
TAC Focuses on Technology in Regional and State Forums
 A SERIES OF REGIONAL
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
WORKSHOPS conducted by TAC’s
County Information Resources Agency
helped bring together county commissioners,
IT professionals and other
county officials and staff interested in
planning for a more technological
future. The regional workshops, held in
October, took place in Fort Bend,
McLennan and Smith Counties.
The groups were small to encourage
round table discussions. “What was
most important was the counties sharing
information with each other and
realizing that, big or little, they all have
the same problems and objectives,”
CIRA Director Gayle Latham said.
Washington County Commissioner
Kirk Hanath attended one of the workshops
and said he believes the discussion will help him determine
where to put his county’s technology dollars.
“It’s important to provide your employees with the tools they
need to take care of constituents efficiently and effectively,” said
Hanath. “If your technology won’t do that there’s no sense in having
it.” He said the next step is to assess where his county is with
their technologies and their needs, then
create a plan to integrate new technologies
to satisfy those needs.
The workshops are just one way in
which TAC is working with counties to
help with their information technology
needs. In January, TAC will present its
annual Courts and Local Government
Technology Conference.
Hanath said he is looking forward to
the conference, which will concentrate
on getting local governments prepared
for the digital future. As constituents
become more technologically savvy,
they expect that their government will
keep up. However, governments and
courts need to know their options as
they prepare to join or upgrade in the
current digital age.
The conference, to be held Jan. 31-
Feb. 1, will share the Austin Convention Center with the
Government Technology Conference. Registration for the TAC
conference entitles attendees to attend major GTC events and
exhibits, and also includes pre-conference workshops Jan. 30 for
training specific to each county office.
For more information, see page 13 or visit www.county.org.
TAC Receives DWI Grant Funds
TAC EDUCATION STAFF IS CONDUCTING DWI TRAINING
SEMINARS for judges using a new model of sentencing. The
DWI court model has been successful in other states, prompting
Texas to encourage judges to adopt the plan. The training was made
possible through grant funding from the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration through the Department of Transportation.
The DWI Court model, designed for first or second time DWI
offenders, has been highly successful in other states in reducing the
number of times a defendant is charged with a subsequent offense
and the number of times his or her probation is revoked. The model
hinges on the use of alternative, appropriate sentencing – making the
punishment fit the defendant.
In most courts, the terms and conditions of parole are standard,
frequently appearing on a pre-printed form. With this new model,
defendants who might benefit from alternative sentencing may have
their probation more highly structured to match their circumstances.
They might report to the judge monthly instead of to the probation
officer. Community service may be designed to suit their interests
and abilities, allowing them to perceive value in what they do.
Although some of the conditions of probation are mandated by
law, this model provides additional terms that the judge may order as
appropriate.
“This is the most important thing that we’ve done in this country
to reduce driving while intoxicated incidents,” said Gene Terry, a former
county judge on TAC’s Education staff. “In New Mexico, North
Carolina and California this program has already been shown to
reduce recidivism and revocation, and has also reduced fatal crashes
by intoxicated drivers.”
Terry also noted that many instances of domestic violence are related
to substance abuse, and hopes that this program will help reduce
that problem as well. Although the new DWI Court model will not be useful for everyone,
it holds high promise for keeping a good number of DWI
defendants from becoming repeat offenders. For more information
on this program, call Gene Terry or Dwayne Holman at 800-456-
5974.
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