Responses To The Employee Survey

NRCS employees represent many diverse backgrounds and interests. The responses to the employee questionnaire reveal more than just a name, face, voice or a job duty of our fellow coworkers. We all have lives outside of our jobs and sometimes sharing ourselves can help us find a common thread to build good working relationships. The Civil Rights Committee appreciates all of the responses that were received.

Here is some of the interesting information submitted by some of our fellow coworkers. We hope that you will enjoy this.

Languages spoken

Naturally, most of us speak only English, but there are some exceptions amongst us. Beatriz Villa’s native language is Spanish while Larry Robeson, Dwight Dickson, Rusty Walker, Robert Anderson, Susan Hopkins, and Paul McQuade speak a little Spanish. There are some that speak a little French, including Ralph Smith, Randy Franks and Michelle Beasley. Jeff Sanders, Jennifer Yaeger and Trent Cash speak a little German. There is another language that probably more of us speak than will admit and those that are proud of speaking Southern include Nancy Harris, James Woodall, and Rick Cody.

You probably did not know that John Rissler’s first language is Pennsylvania Dutch. Steve Dobbs speaks bits and pieces of Vietnamese and Phillipine. Doug Slabaugh speaks Cajun English. Herb Paugh speaks pig Latin.

And finally, Randy Parnell says that he can barely speak English. Hang in there Randy!

Rusty Walker spoke Spanish at eight years of age. He lived outside of Madrid, Spain and was required to take Spanish for three years and took three more years of Spanish in high school. In addition, he worked managing a nursery business crew of fifteen to twenty Hispanics. He states that many Hispanics have different dialects. The language spoken in Spain would be different from what you hear in Guatemala, Cuba, or Mexico.

Favorite Wild Animals in Tennessee

There were a variety of favorite wild animals. Employee’s names are listed below their favorite animal.

And finally, Denise Watkins' favorite Tennessee wild animal is the elephant and Alan Neal's favorite Tennessee wild animal is the honeybee.

Favorite Places in Tennessee to Visit

There are a variety of favorite places that NRCS-Tennessee employees like to visit including the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Land Between the Lakes, and Cool Springs Galleria.

• Fiery Gizzard Trail in Grundy County – Mandy Silvey
• Big South Fork – Ray Holyfield
• Hickman County and the Duck River - Robin Mayberry
• Neyland Stadium – Terry Horne
• Trails at Savage Gulf – Lori Pittman
• Window Cliffs-Cookeville – Jennifer Yaeger
• Todd Reed’s favorite place is Brutons Branch about a mile up from Pickwick Dam.
• Adam Daugherty’s favorite place is his personal cabin built at the head of Yellow Creek in Cumberland County and Diana Rasnick’s favorite place is the Biltmore.

Little Known Information About NRCS-Tennessee Employees

Employee responses revealed a wide variety of interests and is presented as follows:

• Enjoys horseback riding – Lorella Jennings, Bill Dailey with his daughter
• Landscaping and flower gardening – Kay Cox, Jeanne Eastham, Laura Walrath
• Sailing – Doug Slabaugh
• Working Sudoku puzzles – Susan Hopkins, Sandy Stewart, David McMillen
• Running – Carolyn Dillard ran the Country Music Half Marathon, Randy Franks ran his first half marathon this year at 57.  His goal is to run a marathon.  Mike Tatum enjoys running in 5k races.
• Robin Mayberry enjoys reading about the cattle drive period in western history.
• Matthew Denton restores antique vehicles.
• Gary Moore enjoys outdoor activities, EVEN field work!
• Roy Settle enjoys canoeing, kayaking and fishing.
• Anthony Khiel qualified for the U.S. Olympic team tryouts in shooting in 1984.
• Christy Luna enjoys auto racing.
• Odell Poyner enjoys drag racing.
• Debbie Blankenship enjoys do-it-yourself projects and attending blues festivals.
• David McMillen likes to play bluegrass, blues and jazz music.
• Rick Livingston enjoys blues music.
• Carol Chandler worked as a SCUBA diver surveying for endangered mussel species in the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.
• Mandy Silvey took an ornithology course and enjoys bird watching.
• Chris Hancock likes to draw landscape scenes with pencil and charcoal.  He drew the scene that was the cover for the Coffee SCD annual banquet and annual report.
• Playing softball – Nancy Harris, Greg Quillen, Todd Reynolds
• Allen Morrow enjoys eating trout, deer, bear, dove and groundhog.
• Kenneth Williams has sixteen years in the Gospel ministry.
• Denise Watkins collects elephants (not live ones).
• Lynda Lemay loves flower gardens and painting.
• Herb Paugh likes guns.
• Hank Webb enjoys golf and raising vegetables.
• Trent Cash can run the 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
• Bobby Ellison is taking flying lessons.
• Jennifer Chastain collects old tobacco tins.
• Kay Cox is a member of a local garden club, Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs, National Garden Clubs, Inc. and Deep South Region.
• Louis Boyd competes in golf and tennis competitions.
• Brigette Winters is currently raising three kids, four dogs, a cat, two birds and fosters for a Nashville Canine Rescue Group.
• Michelle Beasley bought her first horse when she was in the sixth grade and she still has it and its offspring.  She was captain of the UT Livestock Judging Team for two years and later with the Horse Judging team.   
• Randy Parnell likes to shoot groundhogs.
• Matt Crowell makes custom made stag antler knives.
• Mark Carroll makes homemade jelly, raspberry is his specialty.
• Jenny Adkins is a “wannabe” nature photographer.
• Tommy Hunt is a freelance photographer and videographer.  Also, he, Dwight Bell, Terron Hillsman and Dixie Carter are from McLemoresville, TN.
• Richard West likes to take his wife out dancing.
• Walter Howard is an avid motorcycle rider and enjoys traveling and trips throughout the Southeast.
• Gary Handley’s favorite toy store is Home Depot and he enjoys deer hunting and making deer jerky.
• David Willis used to be a good water skier.
• Curt McDaniel is a St. Louis Cardinals fan.
• Andy Neal enjoys going overseas on mission trips to Africa even though he does not like to fly.
• John Rissler is the sixth of twelve children.
• Larry Robeson enjoys listening to Irish, Celtic, and classical music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert.
• Adam Daugherty likes to do personal taxidermy work.
• Gary Blackwood likes to build things with wood and metal.
• Heather Conner enjoys riding ATV’s.
• Todd Reynolds has four children under five years of age.
• Charles Roberts played tuba in a high school band.
• Dwight Dickson collects and restores John Deere tractors.
• Janet Coleman likes to eat crawfish.
• Charles Davis likes to repair fishing rods.
• Nearlene Bass collects old coins.
• Beatriz Villa loves animals and playing with her four pet rabbits.
• Ron Harrison likes to snow ski in Utah.
• Grace Lutz has been a big Washington Redskins fan since she was a little girl.
• Lori Pittman likes to paint and play guitar.
• Todd Reed likes to fish on the lake for brim.
• Mike Hart enjoys camping.
• James Woodall likes doing woodwork.
• James Ford likes to listen to older people talk about their life experiences.
• Dimple Geesling got chased by a bear once in the Smoky Mountains – but they say never feed them (don’t tell anyone, but sometimes women don’t listen well). She still goes to Cades Cove to see the deer and she still gets out when she sees a bear to take pictures and then her husband runs after her.
• And last, but not least, Steve Dobbs enjoys cooking and Matt Brown enjoys home brewing strong and flavorful British ales.

Maybe we could get them to host the next All Employees Meeting!!

Once again, the Civil Rights Committee thanks everyone who participated in this survey.