State personnel news: a news quarterly for and about Georgia state employees [Vol. 21, no. 2 (Apr. 1997)]

VOLUME 21, No. 2

April 1997

GeorgiaGain Completed!
Variable Pay Increases Based

On Performance Set For Oct. 1

The Georgia General Assembly has approved a $61.1 million appropriation recommended by Gov. Zell Miller to fund variable pay increases based on performance for state employees.
On Oct. 1the state's new Common Increase Dateeligible employees will be awarded pay increases linked to their performance rating on their annual performance appraisal:
4 percent for a Met Expecta-
tions rating,
5.5 percent for an Exceeded

Expectations rating, and
7 percent for a Far Exceeded
Expectations rating. State Merit System Interim Com-
missioner Dana Russell commended Gov. Miller for including the variable pay component of the GeorgiaGain project in his FY 1998 budget proposal.
"I think the fact that he recommended it is an indication of his ongoing support for the concept of true pay for performance," Russell said. "This funding represents the

final piece of GeorgiaGain and marks the completion of that major project, although as incoming Merit System Commissioner Dan Ebersole has indicated, we will continue to review the effects of GeorgiaGain and fine-tune it as necessary."
The General Assembly also approved Gov. Miller's recommendations for:
$5.1 million to provide condi-
tional salary increases of 5 percent
(See PAY INCREASE, page 2)

Time To Celebrate!
With a total of $2,345,534 (and 12 cents) pledged in the 1996-97 State Charitable Contributions Program campaign drive--up from the prior year total of $2.2 million--it's time to celebrate.
Shown in the Governor's Office with the two Governor's Cup awards donated by BellSouth are State Merit System Assistant Commissioner Mickey McGuire, left, who chairs the Policy Advisory Committee, and DHR Commissioner Tommy Olmstead, who chaired this year's campaign.
One trophy will be awarded to the top state department and the other to the top college/university, based on a performance formula which takes into account each organization's total contribution, number of employees and average salary.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony scheduled April 30 at 10 a.m. in the Department of Education Board Room (East Tower).
Funds generated through the campaign will support over 70 nonprofit organizations. See page 8 for a list of all the contributing departments and colleges/universities.

Flexible Benefits Program Open Enrollment Scheduled April 17May 16 With Enhanced Options Available

Open Enrollment for the 1997-98 Flexible Benefits Program is April 17-May 16. The new benefits year starts July 1, 1997. Enrollment materials soon will be available from your department or agency.
Employees will want to review their enrollment materials carefully, as several important benefit programs have enhancements and improvements for 1997-98, most at no cost to employees.
Employee premium rates for short-term and long-term disability coverage will decrease in 1997-98, and better yet, new features improve the value of this coverage. First, the salary cap for benefits has increased. Second, a special feature increases benefits if the benefit recipient participates in an approved rehabilitation program. In addition, a temporary recovery benefit, added to the long-term disability plan, encourages employees to return to work, without endangering their benefits if they're not able to maintain a full-time effort.
Life insurance benefits also are improved with a new feature, SurvivorSupport, a financial planning service that is offered to employees' beneficiaries under the Flexible Benefits Program Life Option. While SurvivorSupport is paid by the insurance company for the life insurance plan, the financial advice is provided by Ayco, a wellknown independent financial advisory company.

This service can help ease the burden on an employee's beneficiaries during a particularly stressful time.
A new Long-term Care plan and a new insurance company, UNUM, will be offered. With a change in long-term care insurance companies, any employee can enroll in the new plan this year without providing the medical underwriting requirements usually needed to have this coverage. Long-term care insurance is available to State employees, their spouses, parents, and parents-in-law. Several recent studies on care givers of the elderly in the U.S. have drawn attention to the increasing importance for Americans to plan for long-term care financial needs.
NurseCall 24, a new feature of the State Health Benefit Plan, offers a round-the-clock hotline staffed by nurses to help SHBP members decide whether to care for themselves at home, to see their doctor, or to visit a hospital emergency room. NurseCall 24 also offers medical information on over 400 subjects through pre-recorded messages. In addition, an excellent selfcare health book is also available to SHBP members free of charge through NurseCall 24.
To learn more, employees can visit Benefit Fairs or attend Flexible Benefit Program meetings offered in their area. Read the State Personnel News insert in this issue for more information.

Page 2

Coming In July: Strategic Job
Market Information Services,
Position Decision Coaching
The State Merit System's Classification and Compensation Division has developed two new fee-based services--Strategic Job Market Information Services and Position Decision Coaching--which will be offered to customers beginning July 1.
"We in the division are both pleased and excited to offer these two services," Division Director Mary Gayle Ulm said. "They were developed in response to customer requests and are the first in a line of services and products which will be developed to meet specific customer needs."
Strategic Job Market Information Services will assist customers in making informed salary administration decisions and will give customers the information needed to be competitive and to succeed in today's business environment.
Classification & Compensation Market Data Specialists have over 40 years of collective experience in:
Conducting salary/benefit and other types of surveys for
government unique jobs and evaluating the data.
Collaborating with customers to meet business needs, including
salary research.
Reporting findings consistent with industry standards.
Conducting job evaluation studies.
For more information, contact Denise Crowe at 404/657-0373 or Bill Jackson at 404/657-0366.
Position Decision Coaching will be offered as a part of the division's Ongoing Position Decision Support Service. This coaching and ongoing support service will give agency personnel staff the tools and support necessary for sound position-related decisions.
As an introduction to the support service, subscribers will participate in small group coaching sessions designed to enhance classification skills. After the coaching sessions, subscribers will receive position-related decision advice and assistance from experienced Classification & Compensation staff.
For more information, contact Merrimac Penman at 404/657-0372 or Tim Evans at 404/657-0365
STATE PERSONNEL NEWS
Volume 21, Number 2
State Personnel Board
Geri P. Thomas, Chair M. David Alalof, Vice Chair Claybon Edwards, Member
Anne Kaiser, Member Robert Wagner, Member
State Merit System
Dana Russell, Interim Commissioner
Martha E. Evans, Editor
The State Personnel News is published quarterly for state employees by the Commissioner's Office of the State Merit System. If you have comments or questions, wish to submit material for publication, or need to correct a distribution problem/address, contact Martha Evans, Editor, State Personnel News, 200 Piedmont Avenue, SE, Suite 504 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334, or call 404/ 656-2723. If you have a disability and need this material in an alternative format, notify the Editor at the above listed address, or for TDD Relay Service only: 1-800-255-0056 (text telephone) or 1-800-255-0135 (voice).
The State Merit System is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

PAY INCREASE(from page 1)
effective Oct. 1 for incumbents in the Correctional Officer job class series working in high mission institutions (security level V and VI).
$1.5 million for a 5 percent
supplemental salary adjustment effective Oct. 1 for Department of Corrections food service and maintenance workers directly supervising inmates.
$1.6 million for supplemental
salary adjustments and an additional 5 percent salary increase effective Oct. 1 for Peace Officer Standards Training (POST) certified personnel in the Youth Development Worker and Facilities Police job class series within the Department of Children and Youth Services.
$60,541 for supplemental sal-
ary adjustments effective Oct. 1 for administrative law judges in the Office of State Administrative Hearings to conform with minimum salary levels established by the GeorgiaGain project.
State Government In addition to the pay increases, the State Government portion of Miller's budget also includes:
$1,002,281 to begin the mod-
ernization of the Personnel Accounting and Control System (PACS) computer system.
$110,378 for a toxicologist
($70,378) and serotyping supplies ($40,000) at the main Poultry Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Oakwood.
$44,576 for a laboratory tech-
nician ($22,554) and specimen processing and diagnostic equipment ($22,022) at the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
$100,000 for a computer ana-
lyst, pathology resident and computer equipment at the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
$625,000 to establish and op-
erate the Special Insurance Fraud Fund as enacted in House Bill 616 of the 1995 General Assembly. The total amount of this appropriation will be collected through assessments levied on insurance companies during the first quarter of the fiscal year.
$20 million in bonds to con-
tinue the renovation of the 2 Peachtree Street Building, including the 2 Peachtree Street Annex for use by the Georgia State University School of Public Policy.
$114,615 in the Office of Sec-
retary of State to fund two positions to perform investigations of investment advisors.
$45,000 to provide one agent

for the Drugs and Narcotics Agency.
$4.9 million to continue the
modernization program to improve the Department of Revenue's management and information systems. An additional $14.5 million was provided in the amended FY97 budget to implement the first phase of the modernization effort.
$250,000 for a satellite imag-
ery system to assist counties map forest changes to monitor compliance with the timber harvest tax.
$100,000 to provide funds for
the Youth Challenge Program in the Department of Defense.
$75,000 for the Georgia Coun-
cil for the Arts, $50,000 to increase state art grants to $3.9 million and $25,000 to increase the Humanities Grant to $175,000.
$1,185,678 to increase
Governor's Emergency Funds to $5,185,678.
$700,000 to enhance eco-
nomic tax modeling systems to assist with tax policy and revenue decision making.
$897,500 to provide an in-
crease in benefits for members of the Public School Employees Retirement System, which provides benefits for cafeteria workers and school bus drivers employed by local school systems.
$3 million in general obliga-
tion bonds for Americans with Disabilities Act modifications.
$100,000 in additional state
general funds for lease/purchase of an aircraft to replace the jet, and $64,046 in additional aircraft receipts to hire copilots.
$5.9 million in general obliga-
tion bonds for development of the Georgia State Capitol Education Center at Plaza Park.
$13.7 million in general obli-
gation bonds for renovations to the State Capitol.
A sampling of other budget items of general interest:
Agriculture
$6 million in general obliga-
tion bonds to build a new Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Athens on the UGA campus.
Children & Youth Services
$5.1 million to provide funds
for the opening of Emanuel Youth Detention Center and McIntosh Youth Detention Center.
Economic Development
$6.2 million in state funds and
$6.2 million in matching private and federal funds to improve the competitiveness of Georgia's three most important traditional manu-

facturing industries: textile, apparel and carpet; food processing; and pulp and paper.
$31 million in improvements
to the Savannah harbor system and terminals.
Environment/Natural Resources
$10 million in bonds for the
River Care 2000 program to acquire and protect sensitive land along Georgia's river corridors.
$7.4 million for the Hazardous
Waste Trust Fund to finance the cleanup of hazardous waste sites not covered under federal hazardous waste laws.
Health Care/Human Services
$213.3 million to eliminate the
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program and implement Georgia's new program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
$7.1 million to fund commu-
nity-based services for mentally retarded clients previously served at Brook Run.
Public Safety (Corrections)
$6 million to provide ad-
vanced funding for three prisons in Coffee, Wheeler and Charlton counties that are being considered for privatization.
Railroads
$1.2 million in general obliga-
tion bonds to acquire the Midville to Kirby line and $1.3 million to rehabilitate the Fort Valley to Perry line and the Camilla Industrial rail yard.
$4 million in general obliga-
tion bonds to plan for passenger rail service from Macon to Atlanta.
Roads and Highways
$125 million in general obli-
gation bonds for the Governor's Road Improvement Program.
Technical/Adult Education
$9.5 million to provide for a 6
percent salary increase for teachers with the Department of Technical and Adult Education effective Sept. 1, 1997.
$9.3 million to annualize the
cost of opening 12 new facilities, including nine satellites. These costs include 234 new equivalent full-time positions and operating costs.
$1 million to complete the
phase-in of a plan to have at least one full-time adult literacy teacher in each of Georgia's 159 counties. The final 26 teachers are added in the FY98 budget.
Veterans Affairs
$198,871 to build a memorial
to World War I veterans near the front entrance of the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building.

Page 3
Georgia Gets Its First Strategic Plan To Define Vision, Goals

Governor Zell Miller's vision for Georgia is outlined in the state's first ever strategic plan, a document developed by the Office of the Governor and the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) with input from the legislative Budgetary Responsibility Oversight Committee.
The plan fulfills the statutory requirements for a state strategic plan as outlined in Code Section 45-12-73 and represents a comprehensive vision for the future of Georgia. As outlined in the State of Georgia Budget Report for Fiscal Year 1998, the strategic plan "provides a view of the Georgia of tomorrow and the activities that are presently underway to move toward that future. Additional initiatives are identified that should be undertaken to attain our vision. Importantly, the plan sets forth results which are critical and must be accomplished so that Georgia can excel and be successful today and in the next century." Vision for the State of Georgia
Georgia is a land blessed with natural resources and is fortunate to have residents who have been willing to work hard to support a dream for themselves and for their children. It is this dream of a better future that has been the driving force behind our state's economic development in the last generation. While we have made much progress toward meeting that goal, there is still work to be done.
Achieving this goal of a brighter future will require work and perseverance. It will not simply happen but will occur only if we take the necessary steps that are required. These steps must be taken concurrently in a variety of areas which, while important separately, together can create the dynamic climate which will make Georgia a national leader.
Georgians deserve an educational system which will allow them to reach their full potential by giving them the knowledge and skills needed for the new challenges of tomorrow. It must provide both the opportunity to learn, such as the pre-kindergarten program, and tangible rewards for hard work, as provided by HOPE scholarships. In the future Georgians will see education as a lifetime experience which prepares the individual for the constantly changing conditions of a world community.
All Georgians also have the right to lead a life in a secure and safe community in which crime is

controlled and fear of crime becomes a relic of another time. Government will maintain effective law enforcement to protect the public and guarantee swift and assured punishment for those who break the law. By continuing to build a fair and effective judicial system, Georgia will create a climate of respect for the law which will help to break the cycle of violence found in parts of our society.
A prosperous future will be based on a strong state economy which can compete successfully with the nation and the world. Georgia's economic growth must be protected by continuing a multifaceted strategy which attracts new industry, strengthens existing industry and provides the foundation and infrastructure necessary to foster economic growth.
In developing industry, Georgia must also be careful to protect the very resources upon which our prosperity is based. Rich agricultural areas, expansive forests, and abundant water have helped to foster strong growth. These resources must be protected in order to assure continued prosperity in the future. By developing resources in an ecologically sound manner, building upon the format established by Preservation 2000 and RiverCare 2000, Georgia can ensure that it maintains the very resources which have created its current prosperity.
A good quality of life for themselves and for their children have long been goals of all Georgians. Adults as well as children deserve a social environment which allows them to develop to their fullest potential. Human services must be guided by principles which encourage and develop individual responsibility and accountability. Special emphasis must be given to policies which strengthen the family unit, because it is the breakdown of the family that has created the most serious consequences affecting the social and economic conditions in which children are raised.
In striving to create a better future, state government cannot work alone. Because of limited resources government is just one of many partners in the public and private sectors which must work together if a better future is to be achieved. Our challenge is to keep government as a good partner, one

which encourages quality development and growth. To accomplish this, government must work to deliver services to the citizens in an efficient and effective manner. An ineffective government will drain our economic strength and threaten our prosperity.
As we proceed along convergent paths in all of these areas, a better Georgia will emerge. Our state will thrive in a climate of fiscal responsibility and personal security. It will prosper with the strength of an educated, welltrained workforce and an infrastructure unrivaled in the world.
Strategic Agenda Priorities This first strategic plan focuses on six primary issues which the Governor believes to be the top priorities in setting the agenda for moving into the future. These six major issues are:
Education Georgia's future economic growth and prosperity can be ensured only through the development of an educated and highly skilled workforce with the ability to change quickly to meet shifting economic demands. Our goal must be the development of an educational system which is inclusive, flexible and effective. To succeed, it must build on the current policy which provides both opportunities to learn, such as the pre-kindergarten program, and tangible rewards for hard work, as provided by HOPE scholarships. The skilled training for the jobs of tomorrow must be made available for all Georgia citizens. We must continue to build private and public partnerships which will increase the educational choices available to our citizens. Learning must be seen as a lifetime experience which prepares the individual for constantly changing conditions.
Crime and Public Safety All Georgians have a right to live in safe and secure communities. Government has a responsibility to provide for the public safety. To accomplish this, the state must maintain well-trained, effective law enforcement and guarantee swift and assured punishment for those who break the law. Juveniles who commit certain violent crimes will be tried as adults and will serve adult sentences in special facilities. The Georgia judicial system must be organized and staffed so that the enforcement of Georgia's laws can be administered quickly, efficiently

and fairly. While we must ensure that the judicial system protects the rights of the accused, the system must also protect the rights of the victim.
Economic Development Success in economic development in Georgia has come because we believe that cooperation between government and business is crucial to long-term economic growth. Our goal is to maintain and increase Georgia's economic growth rate which, in turn, will provide ongoing opportunities to Georgians. This goal will be achieved through a multifaceted strategy which attracts new industry, builds and supports existing industry, promotes Georgia and its products to the world, and provides the foundation and infrastructure for new industries of the future.
Human Services All Georgians want and strive for a good quality of life for themselves and for their families. All children should grow up in a safe and nurturing environment which allows them to develop to their fullest potential. We believe that public welfare should be used for its original purpose: to offer shortterm support to families in crisis or need. Georgia will achieve these goals by providing education, training and support to people to break the cycle of dependency. Additionally, the health care system in Georgia will provide access to quality health care in the appropriate setting and in a costeffective manner. This system will emphasize affordable basic health care coverage and increased individual responsibility for personal health. Georgia's future is a society which promotes a healthy and productive existence for its citizens.
The Environment Georgians are blessed to live in a state with remarkable ecological diversity. Creating a better environment in a rapidly growing state is a major undertaking. Increasing population and development place growing pressure upon natural resources. Georgia is making major progress in the fight to preserve its environment. Through publicprivate partnerships the amount of land placed in conservation has been greatly increased. Significant steps are being taken to reduce water and air pollution and to limit soil and land erosion. Building on existing effective programs will

form a strong base for the creation of an environmentally sound state in the future. Efficient/Effective Government
Delivering services to citizens in the most efficient and effective manner must be the primary concern of every government agency and every public employee. Changing long-term operating procedures is difficult for any organization. The very nature of government makes this challenge even more difficult for governmental organizations.
A primary goal is breaking this mold and forcing state agencies at all levels to look at their operations in new ways. As public service providers, agencies must clearly identify their customers, focus their commitment and resources upon results, and be willing to measure their performance and be accountable.
These six major issue areas do not address every initiative or service that state government now provides or should provide. However, these six areas are critical to setting the direction for state government as we begin to move into the changing world of the twenty-first century. This plan represents an important road map for the citizens of Georgia and state government.
Summary As Georgia state government moves forward in the implementation of this plan, several tools, including strategic planning, will be utilized by agencies to assist the citizens in realizing this vision for the future. With the advent of results-based budgeting, redirection (a budget tool for creating efficiencies in state government), Quality Service Georgia and performance management through Georgia Gain, state government is poised to create a system of quality services in which citizens are considered customers. All of these tools will create a more responsive and efficient state government and make this vision for Georgia a reality. For our citizens and those individuals in state government, this plan will provide the direction that will take the state into the next century. Every citizen of Georgia has a stake in our state's future. Through planning and sound management practices, with an eye on efficiency and effectiveness, state government will become a partner with citizens in building a dynamic Georgia.

Page 4
Miller Lists Legislative Accomplishments For 1997

The Office of the Governor released the following list of Governor Miller's 1997 legislative accomplishments:
HB 681, Georgia's new DUI/ Teen Driving law, takes effect July 1, 1997. The new legislation puts first time offenders behind bars for 24 hours--young teens in juvenile detention centers and adults in jail. It seizes license plates of habitual DUI offenders and eliminates the effect a nolo plea has on drivers' license suspensions. (Currently a drunk driver can keep his or her driver's license by pleading nolo.)
The law imposes a zero tolerance policy on drivers under 21; a threestage graduated driver's license program on teen drivers, delaying full licensure until age 18; and a 1 a.m.5 a.m. curfew for drivers under 18.
SB 104, the Governor's Welfare Reform Plan, continues the focus of previous welfare reforms. The new effort requires more personal responsibility and stresses the need for self-sufficiency and parental responsibility. The plan is designed to continue toward its ultimate goal of employment for those willing to help themselves and increases penalties for those who fail to comply.
Welfare is no longer an entitlement under the new plan. The receipt of cash assistance is limited to a maximum of four years. Georgia will meet all federal work participation guidelines for recipients, who must engage in work activities shortly after assistance is sought. In addition, current family cap provisions will be strengthened so that families receiving assistance for 10 or more months will receive no increase in cash assistance for the birth of additional children.
Most importantly, the plan emphasizes that education and training are the long-term solutions for ending the cycle of poverty that traps so many on welfare. The new proposals require teen mothers receiving assistance to stay in school, adult recipients to ensure their minor children attend school and parents to participate in parent-teacher conferences. Assistance is also available for adults wishing to finish high school or work towards a GED, with a special focus on persons between the ages of 20-26 with at least a 10th grade education.
Families moving into Georgia will receive the same amount of assistance they would have received in their previous state of residence for a 12-month period, if lower than Georgia's level of benefits. Legal immigrants will be eli-

gible for up to 12 months of cash assistance.
Those persons who fail to cooperate in establishing paternity or obtaining child support will be denied assistance or have their benefits terminated. In addition, those found guilty of drug felonies or serious violent crimes will have their assistance terminated forever. Failure to comply with mandatory work requirements will lead to a 25 percent reduction in benefits for the first offense and termination of assistance for the second offense.
Governor Miller's $11.8 billion fiscal year 1998 state budget includes:
$249.5 million for a 6 percent pay raise for all public school teachers and state university employees and a 4 percent pay raise for state paid school bus drivers and lunchroom workers.
$6.2 million for expansion of the HOPE Scholarship Program to include college students who maintain a B average during their freshman year. Currently, students must earn a B average for two years to earn their way onto HOPE while in college.
$2.4 million for a major statewide expansion of Governor Miller's newborn screening program. The Governor's Children 1st Program guarantees every child in Georgia will be screened at birth to identify special needs and provide whatever support services are necessary to ensure the child grows up healthy and ready for school. Each at-risk child's developmental success will be tracked for his or her first three years, prior to entry into the state's voluntary pre-kindergarten program.
$6.5 million to hook up all of Georgia's high schools and public libraries to the Internet.
$5.3 million for a prevention plan to combat teen pregnancy.
The Governor's Drug Dealer Liability Act, SB 80: Permits a parent, spouse, or child of a drug user, a child whose mother was an abuser while pregnant, an employer of an abuser or medical facilities that provide treatment for the abuser to sue to recover damages against a drug dealer who marketed illegal drugs in the area where the abuser obtained or used the drugs. The drug abuser himself is not permitted to file such a suit.
The Medicaid Fraud Forfeiture Act, HB 377: Permits the state to seize the property of a person suspected of Medicaid fraud to prevent the property from being

disposed of before the person is convicted.
The Victims Compensation Amendments, SB 90: Provides that residents of Georgia who are victims of international terrorism or mass violence while outside the territorial boundaries of the United States are eligible for compensation, extends the deadline for filing claims from 180 days to one year, and permits residents of Georgia to receive victims' compensation in Georgia even if he/she received compensation in another state for the same crime. Current law prohibits payment to any victim who has received similar compensation from another state.
SB 15 provides two modifications to Miller's 1994 "Two Strikes and You're Out" law, which was inadvertently changed last year with passage of SB 210. The new bill reinstates the 10-year minimum mandatory sentence for criminals convicted of rape and aggravated sodomy. SB 15 also changes the sentence for rape and aggravated sodomy from one to 20 years imprisonment back to 10-20 years imprisonment, and includes language which provides minimum mandatory 10year sentences for first-time convictions of the seven serious violent felonies and "Two Strikes" provisions for repeat offenders.
Passed as a constitutional amendment in November, 1994, the "Two Strikes" law mandates anyone convicted twice for murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated child molestation, rape, aggravated sodomy or aggravated sexual battery must be sentenced to life without parole.
The Sexual Offender Registration Amendments, SB 105: Changes the permissive authorization of information to a mandatory release of information by the GBI or any sheriff maintaining required records of sexual offenders. This bill brings Georgia into compliance with "Megan's Law," a law requiring the release of relevant information necessary to protect the public concerning a repeat sexual offender.
Governor Miller's Child Support Legislation, HB 284, brings Georgia in line with federal guidelines and allows the state to collect nearly $51 million in federal funding. The new legislation contains provisions which allow the state to seize bank accounts without going to court; require genetic testing in contested paternity cases; and suspend the recreational licenses, in addition to driver's and profes-

sional licenses, of anyone willfully behind in child support payments.
Governor Miller ended a sevenyear-old dispute this session over how to divide water from rivers that originate in Georgia and flow into Alabama and Florida, with passage of HB 148 and HB 149.
The bills establish two separate water compacts which cover the Chattahoochee, Flint, Apalachicola, Alabama, Coosa and Tallapoosa River Basins.
The compacts do the following: --Establish a Compact Commission composed of the Governors of Georgia, Alabama and Florida, plus a fourth member appointed by the President. Only the Governors can vote, and all votes must be unanimous. --Require the states, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to develop a water allocation formula to equitably divide the waters among the three states. The formula will be based on a five-year study scheduled to be completed by December, 1997, that uses computer models to project water needs through 2050. --Once the three states unanimously agree on a formula, the federal commissioner can agree, at

which time the allocation formula becomes effective. If the federal commissioner disagrees, the compacts dissolve.
--If the states fail to agree on an allocation formula, the compacts dissolve by the end of 1998.
--Each state will continue to manage its own waters, and no state water resource project or water permit decision is subject to Compact Commission approval.
HB 167, Georgia's Coastal Management Act, gives Governor Miller the authority to submit application to become a member of the federal coastal zone management program. As a federal member, Georgia would receive technical assistance, funding ($1.5 million in FY97) and the authority to review and approve federal activities which might impact Georgia's natural resources.
SB 81, which authorizes waivers and variances to rules adopted under the Administrative Procedure Act in limited circumstances, reduces bureaucracy and provides an efficient way to change the unintended impact of a rule and yet insure compliance with state laws.
HB 479 and HB 487, Revenue Changes to Titles 40 and 48, addresses the modernization efforts of the Department of Revenue.

WHITE WATER STATE PROGRAM
Sponsored by the State Personnel Council
Discount Prices on Advance Ticket Purchases: (Price includes admission to American Adventures) $18: Age eight and up. $10.75: Age three to seven. No charge: Children under age three.

Please send me:

_____tickets @ $15 $_________

_____tickets @ $10 $_________

_____Total

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Name__________________________________________ Home Address___________________________________ City/State/ZIP___________________________________ Agency_________________________________________ Business Telephone_______________________________ Home Telephone_________________________________

Make checks and money orders payable to the State Personnel Council. Include SASE with payment. Mail to: State Personnel Council, P. O. Box 347206, Atlanta, GA 30334-7206. Allow seven days for delivery. Tickets cannot be purchased in person. No discounts at the gate.
Drop Box Locations: Department of Education Credit Union, Room 466, Balcony Level, East Tower, or DHR Personnel Office, Room 214-H, 47 Trinity Ave.

Page 5
Ultimate Choice Video On Teen Pregnancy To Be Broadcast On April 24

Georgia's PeachStar Satellite Network will transmit the video Ultimate Choice, a firsthand account of teens and their parents who are struggling to survive the difficult circumstances of teenage pregnancy, on Thursday, April 24, at 2 p.m.
The program will reach Georgia middle and high schools, technical institutions, and university system and public libraries.
"Many teenagers are under the false impression that they are untouchable and that teen pregnancy could never happen to them," Governor Zell Miller said.
"I think the Ultimate Choice video sends a very clear message, that it can happen to you, it can happen to anybody, and will hopefully make those same teenagers think twice before becoming sexually active."
Statistics show that 66 percent of Georgia's high school students report being sexually active, more than 29,000 teenage girls in Georgia be-

came pregnant in 1995 and that teen pregnancy costs the taxpayers of Georgia more than a half-billion dollars each year in Medicaid, welfare benefits and food stamps.
Ultimate Choice will make an impact on most viewers because it puts faces on these statistics, Governor Miller said.
The video was produced by ImageMaster Productions Inc. for the Governor's Children and Youth Coordinating Council with financial support provided by PROMINA Health System for its television debut.
"As the largest not-for-profit health system in Georgia, PROMINA sees the tragedy of teen pregnancy every day in hospitals and clinics," CEO Bernie Brown said.
"We were delighted to support the teenage pregnancy prevention project and to work with Governor Miller and the State of Georgia to assure that every family has an op-

portunity to view Ultimate

Choice."

In addition to the PeachStar Sat-

ellite Network transmission, the

video has been aired on commer-

cial stations in all major TV mar-

kets in Georgia.

The video explores the complex

issues involved in this national epi-

demic, the new state and federal

laws affecting teenagers and their

families, and provides firsthand ac-

counts of teen parents who are

struggling to survive the difficult

circumstances teen parenthood pre-

sents. Film crews traveled over the

entire state, visiting small towns,

rural communities, and metropoli-

tan areas to document the people

and issues involved.

The new video is only one of the

Governor's latest efforts to crack

down on teen pregnancy in Geor-

gia. The General Assembly ap-

proved $5.3 million to fund a fivepart prevention plan to combat teen pregnancy in Georgia.
The program includes three initiatives that were launched earlier

Celebrating at a kick-off luncheon at the Governor's Mansion to thank sponsors and television stations are (L-R) Gov. Miller, Judy Neal, Executive Director of the Governor's Children and Youth Coordinating Council, and Bernie Brown, CEO of the PROMINA Health System.

this year, funded by a $2.3 million

appropriation from the FY97 welfare caseloads. DeKalb and gusta, Cobb County, Columbus,

amended budget:

Fulton counties will each get two Griffin, Gwinnett County, Macon,

Opening 15 clinics in areas clinics, and single clinics will be Rome, Savannah and Valdosta.

with both high teen pregnancy and opened in Albany, Athens, Au- Expansion of family planning

services within county health

departments, with a major

emphasis in Albany, Augusta,

Columbus, Gainesville, LaGrange

and Macon.

Expansion of a community-

based pregnancy prevention pro-

gram targeted at teenage males that

8 WEEKENDS: APRIL 19-JUNE 1, 1997 Plus Memorial Day, Monday, May 26 10:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

is already operating in 15 Georgia communities.
Two additional initiatives will be added beginning July 1:

Sponsored by the State Personnel Council

Funding more outreach and

mentoring workers at the county

ADULTS:

Regularly $11.95 save $2.45

level.

No. of tickets_____x $9.50=_________

Expansion of Grady Hospital's

successful abstinence-based pro-

CHILDREN: Regularly $5.50, save 75 cents

gram for teens called Postponing

Ages 6-15

No. of tickets_____x $4.75=_________

Sexual Involvement.

"We are making progress here in

(Children under 6 Free!)

TOTAL_________

Georgia through education and in-

tervention programs in the battle to

Mail orders to: Georgia Renaissance Festival, c/o State Personnel prevent teen pregnancy," Governor

Council, P. O. Box 347206, Atlanta, GA 30334-7206

Miller said. "I am proud of these

Drop Box at the following location: Department of Education Credit Union, Room 466, Balcony Level, East Tower
Self-addressed, stamped envelopes must accompany all orders for return of tickets. Payment should be made by check or money order payable to the State Personnel Council. Please do not mail cash. Allow 7 days to receive tickets. Deadline to order: May 23, 1997.

latest efforts and I encourage all Georgians to stay in the fight."
For information, contact Judy Neal, Executive Director of the Governor's Children and Youth Coordinating Council, 404/651-9027.

Name

_______________________________________

Department

_______________________________________

Home Address _______________________________________

City, State, ZIP _______________________________________

Business Telephone _______________________________________

The next edition of the State Personnel News will be distributed in July. To submit information, contact Editor Martha Evans, 404/656-2723.

Page 6
Dick Grote On Discipline Without Punishment

(Editor's Note: Dick Grote developed the Discipline Without Punishment system which will be implemented by several state agencies in the coming months. A human resources and performance management systems specialist, he developed his unique approach to employee discipline while employed at Frito-Lay. He formed Dallasbased Grote Consulting in 1977 to promote the concept, which has been implemented in both public and private sector businesses. Grote also is an adjunct professor of management at the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management.)
Q: Why did you choose to highlight the word discipline? What ideas resonate for you from that particular choice? Why not have zeroed in, for example, on a word likeresponsibility, as in taking personal responsibility for one's actions?
A: For me, the answer is that we are talking about discipline and I feel it's important not to get away from that--this is a discipline system. Granted, the word discipline can have a negative connotation, but it also can have a positive one. We like the idea of a well-disciplined person or a welldisciplined team--and this is a system to bring about a welldisciplined organization.
In any organization, you've always got roses, daisies and weeds. Whenever there are employee complaints, management should be looking at who is complaining. If the roses aren't happy, you need to take action, but if the people who are complaining are the ones making the smallest contribution--the weeds--that's an indication you're doing something right. I believe in holding people to high standards. Demand better results and you get them. One of the reasons why we don't get better results is that we don't set our expectations for employees high enough.
Is that an old-fashioned idea? Oh yes, it goes back to the 1960s when there was a fundamental shift away from responsibility and toward rights. Tom Wolfe called the `70s the me decade. What we have now is people whose sole concern is, "What's in it for me?"
Look at the popularity of that word codependency. What we are doing is looking for excuses to avoid taking responsibility. This

discipline model demands individual responsibility. That can be unpopular for two reasons. A lot of people don't like to take individual responsibility. The other is that there are a lot of managers who feel more comfortable in punishing somebody than in taking a tougher stance of demanding individual responsibility. This program takes more maturity.
Q: Is this concept similar to tough love?
A: Yes, it is. What I think is important about tough love is that yes, it is tough, but it's done out of love for the person. You may get to the point you have to kick that teenager out of the house. You do it to force that individual to take responsibility. With an alcoholic intervention, everyone says, "Joe you are an alcoholic." We're doing the same here: "Joe, this is the problem. We're not going to punish you for it. Take responsibility for it. If you don't, you just can't work here."
Q: You indicated that Discipline Without Punishment has been implemented, and works, in both private sector and public sector work environments. What differences do there tend to be in the implementation models?
A: There are very, very few. What I do see are the almost evenly split misconceptions that each group has about the other. The public sector tends to believe managers can fire at will with no good reason at all, that the rewards are significantly greater and that politics do not exist. In the private sector, the belief is that public sector people have a free ride, very low expectations and that it's impossible to ever be terminated. Now in both cases, that's not correct, so I find the biggest difference between the two is the erroneous opinion one has about the other.
I can't tell in a group whether I'm in a public sector or private sector setting. The kinds of questions that come up are identical. The real distinction is, what has the organization done before? For example, what is the organization's attendance policy? We have to look at how to bring past practices into synch with what we're going to be doing. How do they fit into the Discipline Without Punishment model?

Consultant Dick Grote, center, makes a point to members of the implementation team for the Department of Pardons and Paroles during a recent planning session in Decatur.

Q: As you become more familiar with the work environment in state government here, have you become aware of any distinctive differences from any other government entity with which you have worked? If so, what implication is there for the success of Discipline Without Punishment here?
A: No, the government organizations that have chosen to work with me have a lot in common. The only organizations--public or private--that call me that are interested in this are ones that have a real belief that individual responsibility is important, that the traditional way of handling discipline, the way things were done in the past, isn't good enough.
I think you have a critical mass here, enough people with genuine vision, for implementation to succeed. I think particularly about (former Merit System Commissioner) Bobbie Jean Bennett, the vision she had to say this is worth taking a look at. She saw it as the missing link with GeorgiaGain and your Performance Management Process (PMP).
You had developed a process of rewarding those performers who do well, but you still didn't have an equivalent system for taking care of people who are not meeting expectations--and doing it in a way that philosophically is in synch with PMP. It's easy to manage the daisies and roses. But

how do you, as a manager, react appeals process is preventing

when an employee in effect says, supervisors from suffering the

"Blow it off. I don't care"? Can consequence of doing something

you maintain your integrity at that stupid.

point? That's where the concepts On the one hand, I feel very

of Discipline Without Punishment strongly that appeal procedures are

come into play.

appropriate, but there is that small

All B. J. did was invite me in as a cadre of individuals who will do

speaker at some GeorgiaGain anything to make life difficult--

events. What happened was that the attitude "Do anything to me,

we got enough interest from people I'm going to go appeal it"--they

that the next step was some want to make the supervisor so

training programs and an executive sorry that he took this action, that

overview. Folks said, this seems to he'll leave the employee alone.

make sense, and here we are. Why The problem is not so much,

hasn't every organization seen the should there be an appeals process,

light and implemented it? It is but how to do it so it happens

because this system requires a rapidly and there's minimal

major leap of faith, a move toward disruption.

believing in individual responsi-

bility and abandoning the need Q: What regional differences do

to exact a pound of flesh as you find in attitudes toward

punishment.

discipline?

Q: You are aware that the State A: As far as regional differences,

of Georgia is in a period of there are none that I have seen in

transition, with a cadre of this country. But with some of the

classified employees and an work I have done in Southeast

emerging group of unclassified Asia, there are significant differ-

employees. Do you envision that ences in the perception of the

the Discipline Without Punish- employment relationship. One of

ment model will have to be the things that makes this country

adapted to accommodate that and western Europe different is

mix? If so, what might that that for us the employment process

adaptation look like?

is very difficult, but the termina-

tion process is very easy. In other

A: Not in the system itself. The countries, hiring is very easy, but

only factor is the appeal process. terminating somebody is very

(Classified employees have the difficult. In Singapore, I saw an

right to appeal a termination.) I advertisement for a stewardess,

believe in the appeals process. not a flight attendant. Not only did

What you're really doing with an (See GROTE, page 7)

Page 7

GROTE months and months with Joe attention and expect a positive the transaction. It's important to that was appropriate in any

(from page 6) getting full pay. What happens change.

realize what we are actually asking organization. The messianic

there is the golden handshake. I

for. We only take action with part--there definitely is that in

the ad require her to be between 24 say to Joe, "This isn't working out. Q: Are you personally more behavior that is unacceptable. We're me--when I talk about it some-

and 29 and have a certain kind of If you will quit, I'll give you comfortable talking to managers not asking a person to become a times when I feel like I'm in a

education, but the ad also said she $6,000." They are astounded at the or line employees?

star, to become an exemplar for group that I'm really resonating

had to be very pretty. Nobody concept of employment at will.

excellent performance. All we're with, I will explain that, as part of

thought about age or sex discrimi- Even though we have employ- A: I'm more comfortable asking Joe to do is to move to point my work, in addition to providing

nation--that's what they wanted. ment at will, my experience with dealing with managers because that is at least acceptable. That's not for family, I want to leave a legacy.

On the other hand, in the any kind of reasonably sophisti- that where I've spent most of my unreasonable.

I remember when I was working

Philippines, I can't fire you. I cated organization is that just time. But I worked my way

at a General Electric plant in

suspend you with full pay and then because you have the right to through college loading boxcars. Q: When you're conducting Rome, GA. Over a weekend, all

write a letter to the Ministry of terminate doesn't mean you are I'll put that job up against any job. these training workshops, you the managers came into the plant

Labor and ask for a termination going to do it. Are companies I also was a card-carrying union sometimes seem almost messi- and took down the signs for the

certification. When they get my required to have a discipline member with the International anic about spreading the word white and colored restrooms. Our

request, they write you a letter and system? No, they're not. Any one Paper Workers and Paper Makers, on Discipline Without Punish- country has transformed itself. We

say, "Dear Joe, we have a request of any size will have one because it and I was a first-line supervisor on ment. Has that always been the have abandoned that segregated

for termination. Do you feel we makes sense not to fire people at the second shift at GE. So what I case?

America and good riddance.

should grant one?" Then it goes to whim. It makes sense to bring a say comes from direct experience,

I also worked as a stewardess

a hearing, so the process goes person's problems to that person's it's not book learning, it's talking A: It's evolved over time recruiter in 1968. At that time,

with people, it's being there.

because when I first developed the women were hired as steward-

When I talk with employee system it was in response to a esses--not flight attendants, stew-

groups, one of the messages I feel specific problem in a specific plant ardesses--and they were hired as

is important to bring is that with no thought that I would do nurses and they were hired as

managers earn their pay and have a more than solve a particular teachers, but that was all. And that

very difficult job. I don't think problem. What happened as a America's gone and good riddance.

until you've been in that job you result was seeing the effect that it But we still have an America

can understand the pressure and had there and seeing the response where we apply criminal justice

the demands. I think a lot of people of people to it and realizing what procedures to people in the

STATE EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION
130 Memorial Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30303 For information, call: 404/656-3748 Toll Free: 1/800/659-7328

see upper level managers--deputy directors, people like that--in nice carpeted offices, getting the perks. That's true, but what they don't

we had done was apply some ideas about individual responsibility, decision making in a very difficult area, disciplinary action, that

workplace who are not criminals. If they are criminals, call 911.
I believe that effective organizations do not operate on a criminal

State Employees Days
Sunday, May 25, through Friday, June 13

realize is the enormous demands transformed the workplace. Then justice mentality. They operate on

and stresses that people in those seeing that this approach worked a personal responsibility mental-

positions face.

not only in a situation where there ity. How do you do that? I'm an

(Saturday, May 31, and Saturday, June 7, not included)

was a major morale problem, but industrial engineer. The approach

Once again, the State Employees Credit Union has negotiated a fantastic deal for state employees at Six Flags Over Georgia. The dates: Sunday, May 25, through Friday, June 13 (except for Saturdays, May 31, and June 7). That's a choice of 18 days to use this fantastic discount. State employees and their families are all invited to participate in this tremendous benefit to state employees. Don't miss this opportunity to save money, and enjoy Six Flags early in the season. The regular

Q: Is the disciplinary process more difficult for the employee or the manager?
A: The manager is always under the most pressure because the manager has to be the initiator of

also in plants where employee relations were very good, then outside the factory situation, when I put it into marketing, accounting, finance and it worked extremely well there, and then coming to realize that this was an approach

I naturally gravitate toward is changing policy, changing systems, creating systems that require managers to deal with people with dignity and grace. With this system, you don't have a choice. You must.

Discipline Without Punishment admission price is $32 at the gate this year. Your price for this special
event is $17. This amounts to a $15 per ticket savings (almost 50%).

5 Agencies Plan Implementation Six Flags has announced the biggest concert of the year will be the
inimitable Wynona Judd on Friday, June 6, at 8 p.m. Concert tickets will be available at the gate for an additional charge of $6 per ticket.

TICKET ORDER FORM State Employees Credit Union State Employees Days at Six Flags
Sunday, May 25, through Friday, June 13
(Saturdays, May 31 and June 7, not included)
Send me _____ tickets at $17 each. Total Enclosed: $_____________ Name:_________________________________SSN:____-___-____ Address:_________________________________________________ City:_________________________________ST:____ ZIP:________ Home Telephone:__________________________________________ Office Telephone:__________________________________________ Please allow at least seven calendar days for processing and mailing. Send order with check or money order and Stamped Envelope to: State Employees Credit Union, 130 Memorial Dr., SW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
404/656-3748 Toll Free: 1/800/659-7328

The Discipline Without Punishment system developed by nationally recognized management consultant Dick Grote will be implemented in at least five state agencies this spring and summer: the State Merit System, the Office of the Secretary of State, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Department of Administrative Services and the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Each participating agency has set up its own implementation team headed by a project coordinator. These teams have been meeting with Grote on a regular basis as they adapt the system he designed to meet their agency's needs--each agency customizes policies and procedures to fit its culture.
The State Merit System serves as the link between the agency project

coordinators and Grote as agencies go through the process of building their unique framework. Diane Schlachter, Ed.D., director of the State Merit System's Training and Organization Development Division, serves as project coordinator for Discipline Without Punishment implementation.
The disciplinary process is built on three levels: an oral reminder, a written reminder, and decision-making leave, a one-day disciplinary suspension with pay. On that day, the employee must decide to solve the immediate problem and also commit to fully acceptable performance in every area of the job--or quit. Once he makes this commitment, any employee who fails to keep his commitment is terminated.
Among Grote's reasons for paying the employee for the one-day disci-

plinary suspension are that it changes the supervisor's role from adversary to coach, eliminates money as an issue, and reduces anger and hostility.
Grote requires participating agencies to train managers and supervisors on the management skills needed to use this system effectively prior to implementation.
The system has been designed to streamline the discipline process by training managers to use their agency's policies and procedures matrix as a guidebook for handling situations as they arise.
Another series of implementation sessions with Grote likely will be offered again in late summer or early fall. For information, contact Schlachter at the State Merit System Training and Organization Development Division, 404/371-7371.

Page 8

Charitable Contributions Program Totals For 1996-97

State Agencies

Public Safety Revenue

13,844.00 50,409.76

Agency

Contribution/Increase Satilla CSB

2,330.00

Administrative Office of the Courts

3,363.04

State Merit System

14,345.63

Administrative Services

22,091.52 22% Subsequent Injury Trust Fund

1,366.00 12%

Agriculture

6,077.91

Superior Courts

19,359.00 23%

Audits

2,306.00

Supreme Court

3,700.00 17%

Banking and Finance

5,418.00

Teachers Retirement System

1,840.00 22%

Children and Youth Services

42,932.00 46% Technical and Adult Education

82,811.78

5%

Coastal CSB

6,143.00 29% Transportation

142,889.92

Cobb/Douglas CSB

1,001.00 89% Veterans Service

1,626.00

Commission on Equal Opportunity

1,745.00 16% Worker's Compensation

4,026.00 91%

Community Affairs

14,493.00 78% TOTAL State Agencies

$1,145,479.89

Corrections

88,208.09

Court of Appeals Defense

4,531.00 1,861.00

University System

DeKalb CSB

1,800.00 145% College/University

Contribution/Increase

East Central CSB

1,958.00

Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College

5,761.00 34%

Education

26,535.00

Albany State University

11,479.58

1%

Employees' Retirement System

3,083.00

Armstrong Atlantic State University

19,598.00 13%

GA Building Authority

4,040.00

* Atlanta Metropolitan College

4,504.00

GA Bureau of Investigation

14,638.00

Augusta State University

7,992.00

GA Forestry Commission

11,988.00

Bainbridge College

5,490.00

7%

GA Mountains CSB

1,340.00

6% Board of Regents/Central Office

5,086.00

GA Pines CSB

1,446.00

* Clayton College and State University

14,129.00

GA Public Telecommunications Commission 4,222.72

* Coastal Georgia Community College

4,805.00 11%

GA State Financing/Investment Commission 408.00

Columbus State University

11,365.00 24%

GA Student Finance Commission

6,196.78 91% Dalton College

10,833.00 17%

GA World Congress Center Authority

4,623.00

* Darton College

2,134.50

Gwinnett/Rockdale/Newton CSB

3,689.00

6% DeKalb College

21,257.00 25%

Human Resources

324,841.72

6% Floyd College

6,719.94

Industry, Trade and Tourism

6,184.00 14% Fort Valley State University

4,927.04

8%

Insurance Commissioner's Office

6,154.25

East Georgia College

670.00

Labor

70,647.48

6% Gainesville College

5,115.00

Law

5,455.00 19% Georgia Institute of Technology

252,463.18 19%

Legislature

4,891.00 22% Georgia College and State University

14,168.00

Lookout Mountain CSB

2,136.00 62% Georgia Southern University

33,420.00 11%

McIntosh Trail CSB

395.00

* Georgia State University

120,749.85

Medical Assistance

8,158.00 24% Gordon College

2,304.00

Middle Flint CSB

300.00

* Kennesaw State University

24,224.20 40%

Natural Resources

45,499.92

5% Macon College

5,613.00 16%

New Horizons CSB

219.00

Medical College of Georgia

176,747.82

Northeast Georgia CSB

5,452.00

Middle Georgia College

3,676.00 36%

Office of Consumer Affairs

1,718.00 10% North Georgia College

5,018.00 339%

Office of Planning and Budget

8,536.00

Savannah State University

13,527.00

Office of Secretary of State

9,572.17

Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

4,452.00 21%

Ogeechee CSB

522.00

South Georgia College

2,110.00 260%

Pardons and Paroles

8,938.00

Southern Polytechnic State University

7,818.00

3%

Pathways CSB

501.00*

University of Georgia

369,923.16 10%

Peachbelt CSB

2,228.00

Valdosta State University

21,719.96 16%

Pineland CSB

5,884.20

Waycross College

780.00 18%

Public Service Commission

2,035.00

TOTAL University System

$1,200,580.23

Indicates a new participant.* CAMPAIGN TOTAL

$2,345,534.12

Support Staff
Professional
Development
Opportunities
The Training and Organization Development Division of the State Merit System has two upcoming opportunities for professional development for support staff in state government.
The National Secretaries Day Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23. The conference will be hosted in four cities: Decatur, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah.
Each conference includes a morning seminar, a luncheon, and the American Management Association (AMA) satellite teleconference of the Tenth Annual Briefing for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
The conference will focus on the competencies needed by secretaries to do their jobs today, as well as three years from now, including self-development, communication skills, and organizational skills.
The registration fee is $30; the deadline for registration is April 15.
The Seventh Annual Professional Development Conference for Support Staff will be held Oct. 8-10 at the Clarion Buccaneer, Jekyll Island.
The conference is preceded by a professional skills competition. There will be four events, including typing and three other events to be determined.
Preregistration is required for both the conference and the professional skills competition. See the July edition of this publication for details about this conference.
For more information on both these events, contact Venus Stone at 404/371-7371.
Quality Service Georgia

To Host Workshop,

Gov. Miller Announces Holocaust Remembrance On May 6 Plans Oct. Conference The Quality Service Georgia

Gov. Zell Miller and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust will hold the State Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust on May 6 at noon in the chamber of the Georgia House of Representatives.
"The Holocaust is one of the darkest periods in the history of humankind," Gov. Miller said. "I encourage Georgians to remember the victims of the Holocaust and the terror they faced, and to remember

our military forces who liberated the concentration camps."
The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust will conduct the observance, which will include participation by Georgia Holocaust survivors and concentration camp liberators.
The keynote speaker for the program will be Professor Yaffa Eliach, creator of the acclaimed "Tower of Life" Exhibit at the

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Eliach is a pioneer scholar in Holocaust Studies, founding the first Center of Holocaust Studies in the United States. She was appointed as a member of President Carter's Holocaust Commission and in 1995 was named Woman of the Year by CBS Television for the impact of her work on the public.
As part of the observance, WSB-

TV anchor Monica Kaufman will receive a humanitarian award for her contributions to Holocaust education in Georgia.
Middle and high school students who placed first in the Art and Writing Contest, "Anne Frank: What Is She Saying To Us Today?" will be recognized.
For more information, contact the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust at 404/651-9273.

Network will host a workshop on Meetings that Work in Macon on Friday, April 18, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Cost is $5 to cover lunch. For information, contact Ronda Britt at 404/657-8422.
Mark your calendar for the
Quality Service Georgia Network's Third Annual Quality Conference, scheduled Oct. 8-9 in Atlanta. Britt and QSG staff member Danetta Hill will coordinate the conference.