Senior Leadership Northeast Minutes from March 16, 2010

 

The March 16, 2010 meeting of Senior Leadership Northeast was convened at the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce building at 9:00 AM by Chairman Ed Havran.

 

There were thirteen (13) individuals present representing five (5) Northeast Tarrant County cities.

 

Sunny Meeks with the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce welcomed us and announced the upcoming City Slickers event on May 16 at the Grapevine Convention Center.

 

Minutes were on the website.

 

Faye Beaulieu, regional director for United Way Northeast, began with an explanation of a change in her role over the past year. In addition to her community-building responsibilities as project director, she now serves as regional development director as well, participating in workplace campaigns at Northeast Tarrant businesses, cities and school districts.

 

In addition, Beaulieu shared some highlights from the United Way of Tarrant County strategic plan passed by their Board this past year and setting direction for the organization through 2012. She commented first on the planned sale of the United Way building on Brown Trail in Bedford and the subsequent relocation of her office, supposedly by the end of 2010. Then she explained the planned rebalancing of United Way fund distribution from the current division of 11% to United Way work built and implemented by volunteers and 89% to programs housed at United Way partner agencies to 60% invested in United Way/volunteer-created work and 40% to programs of partner agencies. This rebalancing will take place over the next 3 years, and agencies that lose money as a result can regain funds by submitting responses to RFPs (Requests for Proposals) posted on the United Way website in late spring.

 

Beaulieu also announced that Meals on Wheels of Greater Tarrant County and the Tarrant Literacy Coalition will be added to the list of program partners who appear on the annual pledge card, bringing the number of agencies participating to 45.

 

Additionally, Beaulieu commented on United Way’s ongoing focus on education, income and health, and she outlined the strategies for improving lives that will be  pursued in each area.

 

Beaulieu provided to the group the 2009 data from 2-1-1 based on calls made from Northeast Tarrant County, and she made available a variety of handouts, including the new United Way of Tarrant County annual report.

 

Jim Truitt, candidate for Tarrant County Clerk, began by explaining the duties of the Clerk’s office which are constitutionally mandated by the state and defined by statute.  The Tarrant County clerk is the official records keeper for the county.  These records include marriage licenses, birth certificates, death certificates, real estate transactions, mineral rights/deeds, all records from commissioner’s court proceedings, etc.  Duties can differ by county.  Larger counties have both a District Clerk (Tom Wilder in Tarrant County) and a County Clerk.  The District Clerk manages the district courts (27 courts in Tarrant County-civil, family and felony criminal cases).  The County Clerk is responsible for the records of the proceedings of the 15 county courts in Tarrant County (misdemeanor and probate).

 

Truitt then explained why he decided to run.  He spent ten years in the corporate world before going into business for himself.  He and his wife, Representative Vicki Truitt, have run a successful health care consulting business for the last 26 years.

 

After graduating from SMU, he worked as a shoe salesman and then worked in the warehousing and transportation industry with businesses including many U.S. food service distribution companies like White Swan.  With margins in the 1-5% range, you made a profit by increasing volume or finding a better way of doing it.  Truitt’s job was to find a better way of doing it.  He was held accountable for the budget and he should come in under budget without sacrificing productivity or customer service.  The last two years he oversaw 185 employees and managed multi-million dollar annual budgets. 

 

The Tarrant County Clerks office has 150 employees and a $9 million annual budget.  This budget has increased 15% in the last two years (during the worst recession since the Great Depression).  Truitt is used to competition and corporate innovation.  Innovation cannot happen when there are no consequences.  He wants to make a difference by making the County Clerk’s office more accessible, more productive and more cognizant of the fact they work for you.  He will do this by low-tech and high-tech means.  Low-tech by offering three-day work weeks with longer hours to meet the needs of busy customers (you).  High-tech by making everything more accessible online. 

 

Don’t forget to vote:  Early voting:  April 5-9, Election Day:  Tuesday April 13

 

Also, Tarrant Literacy Coalition Corporate Spelling Bee:  Wednesday, March 31 at TCC Trinity River Campus, Downtown Ft. Worth at 11:30 am.  If interested, call 817-870-0082

 

Meeting was adjourned at 10:30 AM.  Next meeting will be April 20.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Rebecca Barksdale