News, Vol. 8 [i.e. 11], no. 6 (June 1998)

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VOL 1ii NO 6

GBA Looks Back on Strategic Planning Results

I n October of 1993, GBA began an in-depth examination of the organization during a strategic planning process that had been mandated by law. Managers and employees of GBA completed three phases of strategic planning and produced mission and vision statements as well as operational plans for each section. A total of 190 employees participated in the months long process. Strategic planning seems so long ago. However, quite a few changes within GBA have occurred as a result of employees and managers taking a closer look at our organization. One area in which GBA has been successful is providing assistance and services to agencies on a statewide basis. In 1996, GBA received approval in the FY 97 budget to establish two new programs, a roofing program and a facilities programming group. As a result, the Facilities Planning Section of GBA is one of the fastest growing areas in our organization. The Roof Management Group now provides agencies with roof specifications and monitoring of roof installations as well as periodic roof inspections on a statewide basis. Additional funds were included in the FY 99 budget to expand the operation. Program and Plan Review has become the state's "one-stop" procedure for project review and is authorized to review construction documents for life safety and ADA code compliance. This group is also developing statewide standards for future construe- tion projects. Facilities Planning has contributed certified architects to assist the Georgia Emergency Management Agency in several disaster recovery efforts around the state including south Georgia after Hurricane Albert and the recent tornado damage to Hall County. The State ADA office is also now under GBA's domain. Another goal outlined in strategic planning was to operate public buildings and grounds in the "most effective, innovative and responsible manner." In September of 1996, GBA began a pilot operations program on the south complex of Capitol Hill. This pilot program was based on an extensive study of GBA's maintenance operation. The study recommended maintenance, grounds care, custodial and operational improvements as well as cost

reduction programs. The success of this first pilot program resulted in full implementation of the maintenance team concept in late 1997. While there was some concern among employees about such a drastic operational change, feedback, both from GBA employees and tenants, has been very positive. Recent surveys have indicated improved tenant satisfaction since implementation. Comprehensive building manuals have also been prepared for GBA properties.
During the strategic planning process, training was identified as one of the most important issues to GBA employees. Since that time, GBA has designated a training room in the #1 MLK building and provided Georgia Power electrical training to various individuals in the operations section. Facilities Resource Management, a consultant reviewing Central Energy Plant CEP) operations, has developed a comprehensive training program for CEP employees and the maintenance teams. Police and Security has increased its efforts in training as well. Employees have participated in CPR training and the proper techniques of using the radios. Police officers have received firearms training as well as specialized patrol
See, Strategic Planning, back page
GBA Website Now On-Line
With the assistance of GANH, GBA now has a web page! Employment opportunities, banquet information, bidding opportunities, cafeteria menus plus much more helpful and interesting information! It's all there at www.ganet.org/gba!
The site includes information about our organization including a brief history, the services provided to tenants and the general public as well as information on each section of GBA. GBA News and Tenant Talk are online as well!
Our website is a work in progress! Comments and suggestions can be sent to Julie Kerlin at 1 MLK, Jr. Drive or byemail at jkerlin@gba.state.ga.us.
Visit our site soon! We hope you enjoy!

Congratulations:
David Johnson (Food Service) and his wife, Jane, who celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on April 3.
Bessie and Robert Mosley (Food Service) who celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on May 20.
W.W. Watson (Police) and his wife, Mary, who will celebrate 31 years of marriage on June 4.
Larry Mulkey (Police) and his wife, Peggy, who will celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary on June 9.
Pete Kanes (Security) and his wife, Martha, who will celebrate their second wedding anniversary on June 11.
Ronald Ghani (Security) and his wife, Donese, who will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary on June 22.
Daniel Gibbs (Security) and his wife, Teresa, who will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary on June 26.
Ben Ramsey (Security) and his wife, Dot, who are the proud great grandparents of Ashley Knight born April 2 to Amanda and Kevin Knight.
Johnny Wright (Motor Pool) and his wife, Gayle, who will celebrate 28 years of marriage on June 5.
Constance Roberts (Security) on the birth of her granddaughter, Laylah Roberts, born on April 14.
James Sanders (MTSouth) and his wife, Jo Ann, who celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on May 19.
Ruth Maxwell (Contracts) who participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Georgia Special Olympics on May 22.
Welcome Back to:
Florence Smith (Food Service) who is recovering from surgery.
Sympathy to:
Harry Stewart (Police/Security) in the death of his father, William Stewart, on April 26.

Anniversaries
John Shy ................... 18 years Christine Brock ......... 17 years Johnny Weaver ......... 16 years Scott Summers .......... 15 years Robert Gardner ......... 15 years Charles Nash ............ 15 years Sam Ferguson Ed Standridge ............ 14 years 22 years
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Becky Burt ................. 10 years Larry Atha
21 years

What's Going On ...

Contracts

Evelyn Fife

+ 21 years The Gilders Studio has been awarded a contract

to gild four panels on the State Capitol dome.

+ Roof Systems Consultants received a contract to examine the

roofs at the Floyd Building.

+ Taylor Construction was awarded a contract to repair and

replace siding on the GBA Police Station.

+ Metro Waterproofing was awarded a contract to repair water

leaks at the #7 MLK Building.

+ The Contracts Section was extremely pleased with the statewide

turnout to the recent seminar on elevator maintenance. Ap-

proximately 55 individuals representing state agencies and

universities around the state attended the seminar held May 14

at the Floyd Building.

Food Service
+ Welcome to Marci Desart and Pattie Strickland who have
joined GBA's newly named banquet section, Stately Events, as reservationists.

Operations
+ Stanley Cunningham and Albert Bynes have joined Mainte-
nance Team South. Stanley and Albert are responsible for
cleaning the MTS parking facilities.
+ Marlon Conley and Lewis Causey have joined Maintenance
Team North as HVAC technicians. Roy Wright and Linton
Wells have joined MTN and are responsible for cleaning the
MTN parking facilities. Michael Boyd transfers from Shared
Services to MTN.
+ Ray Klimczak has assumed supervision of the Central Energy
Plant in his duties as Chief Engineer.

Employees of the Month
April 1998

Congratulations to James Wade (Parking), La-Wayne Duncan (Security), Dorothy Barcus (MTPeachtree) and Mark Mashburn (Shared Services) who were selected Employees of the Month for April 1998. Not pictured is Walt Jones (MTNorth).
Correction: Tia Whitney (Employee of the Month for March 1998) was identified as Security. Tia is a member of the GBA Police Force.

From the Chef's Corner
What can be more delicious than old fashioned oatmeal cookies. Here's a recipe that is sure to rival your mother or grandmother's recipe.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup Pet Milk 2 1/3 cups of 1-minute oats
or quick cooking oats

1/3 cup cocoa 1 stick margarine 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 tsp vanilla extract

Humidity needs to be 100%. Bring cocoa, sugar, milk and margarine to boil for exactly 1 1/2 minutes (no more, no less). Have wax paper ready to drop cookies. Add oats, peanut butter and vanilla. Makes 21 cookies.

Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
-Samuel Johnson

June Birthdays
Jose Chow .......................... 1st Scott Summers ................... 1st Cosmos Lee ...................... 2nd Selwyn Lee-Kim ................ 3rd Charlie McKinney ............. 3rd Curtis Bivins ...................... 6th Ernestine Smith ................. 7th David Almond .................. 9th Rahman Stephens .......... 10th Ruth Maxwell ................. 12th Diane Jenkins ................. 13th Marvin Akins .................. 14th Anthony Campbell ......... 14th Wanda Ross .................... 14th Reginald Hood ................ 15th Thornton Marshall ......... 15th Larry Ashley ................... 17th Terrence Johnson ............ 17th Everett Payne .................. 18th Alethea Thomas ............. 18th Lelia Johnson .................. 19th Rebecca Lowery .............. 19th Mary Flemister ................ 20th Michael Guy .................. 22nd Willie Moon ................... 22nd Betty Bohler .................... 23rd Regina Ector .................... 23rd Tommy Kelly ................... 23rd Lee McElhannon ............. 23rd James Sanders ................. 23rd James Hamrick ............... 25th James Byrd ...................... 26th Stephen Dawson ............. 26th Gerald Marwede ............. 26th Stanley Phillips ............... 26th Lavonne Key ................... 29th Charles Dobbs ................ 30th Yibai Lu ........................... 30th Cynthia Teel.. .................. 30th Johnny Weaver ............... 30th

SPEED BUMP

by Dave Cover/y

Dale Handley Bids
Farewell to GBA Family
Saying goodbye to family can sometimes be very difficult. That's the way Dale Handley feels about the Georgia Building
Authority. GBA has been family for close to thirty years and saying goodbye definitely won't be easy. Despite the sadness, she takes great pride in her retirement and looks on it as a goal achieved through some very hard work, sometimes 80-90 hours per week in the heyday of the Garden Room.
Dale began her career at GBA in 1971 as a secretary in the Stockroom, which was then located in the basement of the Judicial Building. Her tenure in the Stockroom was only preparing her for her next asssignment, that of secretary to Luther Lewis. She later transferred to the payroll section and in 1989 was named supervisor of the Computer Operations Section responsible for payroll and accounts payable. In 1995, she moved again to the Director's Office to become Special Project Coordinator handling the events schedule for the State Capitol and reimbursement of ADA funds to state agencies. She completes her tenure in the Facilities Planning Section handling ADA reimbursements. Despite all the work hours she put in at the Georgia Building Authority, Dale also managed to raise three girls and care for her late mother, Mimi, who was famous for sending her chocolate cake to the office for everyone to enjoy. In her leisure time, Dale and her husband, Bud, plan to enjoy their pool and travel, travel, travel. There might be some time for projects around the house, but only if time permits. As Dale turns the page on a new chapter of her life, memories drift back of making sandwiches at the Garden Room, bartending at the Depot, train trips to Athens, and Ray Lee's Blue Lantern. The Blue Lantern? Oh! The tales she could tell!
Strategic Planning, continued from front page
techniques, ethics and professionalism and criminal procedures. A large number of GBA employees have completed computer training, and safety training has been reinstituted in the last month.
Another issue that was of importance to GBA employees was organizational climate and morale. Employees have benefited from more staff meetings, establishment of quarterly telephone directories, implementation of a bulletin board system and new uniforms. A Morale Task Force was estalished, several social and community projects have been accomplished, and most of all, the task force brought several important issues to the forefront, some of which have been implemented and some of which are still pending.
All in all, GBA has come a long way since we began strategic planning. Some might think we're through, but actually we're far from it! Strategic planning is a process, not a stop and start project, and we must continue to evaluate and improve our programs. In the coming weeks, you'll be learning how GBA plans to continue this process of evaluation and improvement. GBA management met in mid-May to explore various quality management systems and has selected the Simply Better Self Assessment System to be our blueprint. We'll be learning more about quality, leadership, human resource development, customer and market focus, process management and business results. You'll also hear about Georgia's Oglethorpe Award! Stay tuned! There's lots more ahead!

Father's Day Trivia
First initiated by Louise Smart Dodd's tribute to her own father on his birthday in 1910, this holiday became a national observance in 1966. Here's some fun trivia about dear old dad.
A poll conducted by Hallmark last year asked respondents to list their father's most endearing fashion faux pas. The results:
1. Black socks with shorts (33%)
2. Ugly hat (21 %)
3. Polyester sans-a-belt trousers
(15%)
4. "Half-acre" necktie (11 %)
5.. Ratty bathrobe (10%)
6. Plaid golf pants (4%)
7. White belt (2%)
Graduation News
Anthony Dunn, son of Gloria Banks (MTLaundry), will graduate from Booker T. Washington High School on June 17. He hopes to attend Atlanta Area Technical School.