Wow, I can’t believe it’s already June. It’s amazing how time flies when you’re busy. I just returned from my second continuing education conference, the North & East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association Conference in Galveston. President Wes Suiter, Angelina County Judge, and his officers provided an outstanding and entertaining meeting.  It was great to talk to and get to know many people from this part of our state, and learn about the issues you are dealing with in your counties.  Many of the issues are the same as those in other regions, while others are different.  Big county or little, north or south, east or west, we all deal with some similar issues.

As president of the State Association, I do not have managerial responsibilities at these regional meetings, thus allowing me time to visit with the many vendors who choose to take part in these conferences. I am able to stop and really listen to each of the folks in their respective booths.

The vendors and their companies are what make our conferences so successful and help make County Progress such a great read each month.  Not only do we see our friends at their respective booths, we read about their services and products every month in County Progress. I would like to send a big “Thank You” to all of the vendors who come to all of our conferences and advertise in County Progress.  Without you it would be difficult to conduct successful conferences. Many of you have become friends outside of the conferences.  That’s just another one of the reasons all of our conferences are so effective.

We all hope the exhibitor appreciation receptions at the conferences convey how much we value your participation. The door prizes awarded to the vendors are just a small token of our gratitude.  The door prizes awarded to the attendees at the end of the vendor portion of the conferences are always exciting, as well.  Again, please accept our sincere thanks from our elected officials and spouses for your many forms of participation in our regional and state conferences.

Please remember to put the State Conference on your calendars, Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Lubbock!

– Patti Jones

Teamwork.   The cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interest of a common cause (dictionary.com).

Since we are only nine months from the start of the 2015 Legislative Session, now would be a good time to develop your teamwork strategies.

When you begin building your team, there are several factors to keep in mind:

• It’s not just about you and your ideals.
• Differences of opinions can lead to healthy discussions.
• The working environment your team develops will dictate the success of your organization.

While researching the term “teamwork,” I came upon quite a few great quotes:

•  “Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.”  Alexander the Great
•  “Contrary to popular belief, there most certainly is an ‘I’ in ‘team.’  It is the same ‘I’ that appears three times in ‘responsibility.’ ” Amber Harding
•  “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” Author Unknown
• “The basic building block of good teambuilding is for a leader to promote the feeling that every human being is unique and adds value.” Author  Unknown
•  “A team is more than a collection of people.  It is a process of give and take.” Barbara Glacel and Emile Robert Jr.

 

I could go on and on with quotes, but as you can see, the theme to teamwork is to put the effort first and yourself second.

For the years I have been with Lubbock County, we have been extremely fortunate to have teamwork among our elected and appointed officials, as well as our employees.  Don’t get me wrong, we have had our disagreements on issues, but because we all put Lubbock County first, our decisions have been made accordingly without compromising our own values.

Lubbock County has been recognized because of our teamwork on Vote Centers, strategic planning, Regional Public Defenders Office for Capital Cases, Lubbock County Special Needs Defenders Office, and so on.  None of these efforts would have come to fruition without teamwork.

As elected and appointed officials, along with our employees, we owe it to our citizens to develop teamwork strategies to be the most efficient and effective form of government.

See you soon!