One particle of sand is minuscule.  However, when you add over 180 tons of sand to that-what do you get?  Riverbend Beach of course!  Thanks to Monteagle Sand Company, we will have just the right grade of sand for Team Sandtastic this summer.  Monteagle Sand Company is devoted to the manufacturing of premium grade natural sand for a variety of applications.  Most of it is utilized in the concrete industry as well as the fine finishing of masonry and stone work.  Last year they worked very closely with Mark Mason from Team Sandtastic to ensure he had the type of sand he needed for the large sand sculpture at Riverbend Beach.  Monteagle Sand Company is a great community partner.  They have been generous in their donation of approximately 180 tons of sand for Riverbend Beach.  We are load’in up the sand and getting revved up for Riverbend 2010! More details to come…Stay tuned…

http://wdef.com/flood

The images are frightening and so close to home.  Just think only 2 hours away…cars are under water, people have lost their homes, a neighboring community is suffering.  What can we do to help?  TVFCU has partnered with the American Red Cross, News Channel 12, Sunny 92.3 and 96.5 The Mountain to raise funds for our neighboring Tennessee flood victims.  The monetary donations will go to the Red Cross specifically for disaster relief flood victims in Middle and West Tennessee.  All TVFCU branch locations will serve as donation collection points.  We will provide an account to hold and manage the funds until they are donated to the Chattanooga chapter of the American Red Cross.  News Channel 12, Sunny 92.3 and 96.5 The Mountain radio partners will be hosting live, on-location broadcasts from TVFCU branches during the next week to help get the word out.  Stop by one of our 13 locations this week to help support our neighboring community during this traumatic time.  We thank you for your contributions and support!

Play Golf, Do Good. Do good by raising money for Students Taking a Right Stand while having fun in the sun. Play Golf, Win a Jag.  That’s right; if you play in the STARS Golf Tournament on August 16, you just might win one.  Score a hole-in-one on the designated hole and this beautiful Jag could be yours.  Land Rover of Chattanooga is once again sponsoring our hole-in-one contest and I can’t wait to see what the other prizes are.  All of the par 3’s will be prize holes.  So, you may have a chance to win a set of clubs, airline tickets, a cruise or who knows-what if you score a hole in one on any par 3?!  Sign up now to play at www.playgolfdogood.com   Show us your skills and you could win some of our fabo prizes!

We have 239 employees with an average years of service of ten years.  Forty-five employees have been employed over twenty years. This year another fifty-one employees are celebrating their 10^th-19^th year anniversary.  Blake Strickland, our CEO and President, celebrated his 32^nd year anniversary with TVFCU. That alone speaks volumes of what type of company TVFCU is.  Now you know why we are smiling when you walk into our branches.  :)

How did this all work? The survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Tennessee, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The “Best Employers in Tennessee” list is made up of 25 companies. Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the “Best Employers in Tennessee.” The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group evaluated the data collected from the participating companies and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

For more information on the Best Employers in Tennessee program, visit www.bestemployerstn.com.com

You may have wondered where I have been…or most likely not. lol Humor is allowed in blog writing. Well, I have been working with the rest of  the TVFCU team getting ready for Riverbend Beach 2010!  That’s right-we are doing it again this summer!  For those of you who missed it last year, check out our Riverbend 2009 photo gallery. You are in luck because we are bringing the beach to Chattanooga again along with our fabo community partners!  We are all working hard to add new additions to this wonderful experience for you.  No, it’s not too early to be announcing this. Yes, check your calendar and step outside.  It’s already getting warm and it’s going to get even hotter by June.  To jump start Riverbend Beach and a hot summer, TVFCU just launched a new website www.tvfcuatriverbend.com

We literally went live with this just a few days ago, and are constantly adding new content.  Sooo…go ahead and add it to your Favorites and bookmark this evolving website.  I’ll be posting new updates as we quickly approach Riverbend Beach 2010!

Not only as an employee but as a fellow artist, I am excited to announce that Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union is co-sponsoring the Youth Gallery at the annual Palate 2 Palette event benefiting The Craniofacial Foundation.  Join us in celebrating Chattanooga’s talented and creative area high school art students exhibiting in the Youth Gallery this Friday, March 19^th from 7:00pm until 9:00pm in the Southside’s old Southern Railway Building on West 13th Street.

This special Youth Gallery reception is an opportunity to preview the juried exhibit prior to the Gallery Stroll. There will be live musical entertainment, and Jason’s Deli will provide refreshments.

Tickets for the Youth Gallery Reception:     Adults: $5     Students: $2

Advanced reservations are not required.

 2010 Youth Gallery Participants:

• Baylor
• Boyd Buchanan High School
• Center for Creative Arts
• Chattanooga Christian School
• CSAS
• Girl’s Preparatory School
• Howard High School
• Ivy Charter School
• McCallie
• Notre Dame
• Ooltewah High School
• Red Bank High School
• Signal Mountain High School
• Soddy Daisy High School
• Tyner Academy

Gallery Stroll  Saturday, March 20th  5pm – 8pm

On Saturday evening the Youth Gallery will be open as part of the Palate 2 Palette Gallery Stroll. There will be live musical entertainment and hors d’oeuvres provided by On the List Catering and Events. Tickets for the Stroll are $75.00 per person and include entrance into all nine galleries and admission to the “Bubbles & Sweets” after-party at Loose Cannon Studio.

Advanced reservations are required, and tickets may be purchased on-line at www.palate2palette.org

Cost: $75 per person.  For more info: (423) 778-9176

I want to start by letting everyone know that I am not a golfer.  I am a wannabe golfer.  I think it’s a wonderful sport, but my skills do not really go beyond miniature golf.  Once I worked for a company that had a fun, slightly competitive employee golf tournament which I participated in.  Let me just put it this way, I became the “putt-putt girl.”  However, I enjoyed every bit of it!  Many moons later, I am now working on one of the best golf tournaments in the area, the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union’s Annual Judy Wilson Memorial Golf Tournament benefiting STARS: Students Taking A Right Stand.  Whewww, now that’s an introduction!

This year will be my third year working the golf tournament.  I am very excited about August 16, 2010! Why you may ask?  No, I am not going to be at the beach.  I am going to be at the Black Creek Golf Course in Cummings Cove.  This private golf course lies in the Chattanooga Valley where the view of the mountains is breathtaking.  This is an all day event for me and the TVFCU crew.  We arrive to the golf course when it’s dark, and we leave the golf course when it’s dark.  Yes, there is some sunlight in between there.  Throughout the day, everyone is fed like kings and queens by the food sponsors (more details about this in a later blog).  I meet all kinds of new friends, as well as seeing familiar faces. 

Every year I learn new things.  My first year, I learned what it meant to “sit on a hole.”  Literally sit by the golf hole, watch and measure if need be.  I didn’t realize all this until after a few teams came by.  I learned quickly the key was to look alive; otherwise they may use you as the target for a few practice rounds just to make sure you haven’t had a heatstroke.  No worries, I was never hit nor did I have a heatstroke.  I drink gallons of water prior to this special day to prep myself for these type of scenarios.  In addition, I learned the true meaning of “mulligan.”  I always thought a mulligan was a person who loves to sport a mullet.  No, this is not correct.  A mulligan is actually a “do-over” shot during your golf game.  At our golf tournament, golfers can purchase these “do-over” mulligans before their tee time.  These proceeds go to benefit STARS. 

My second year, I learned what “flights” are.  Before when I heard the term flight, I thought: How much and where to?  I do like to keep my passport up to date just in case an unbelievable deal comes along.  But no, no, not in the game of golf.  You do not need a passport for our golf tournament.  A “flight” is a term for a division of golfers within a golf tournament.  Who knew?  Well now I do.  I’m excited to continue down this road of golf enlightenment.  I wonder what I will learn this year.  Any suggestions?

In the meantime, I continue to work with the TVFCU crew to make this year another successful and fun golf tournament for you!  Who knows, give me a few more decades and perhaps I’ll be out there one day playing on the infamous Black Creek course where the PGA tour champions play!  Hope to see you on the green this year!  Sign up now at www.playgolfdogood.com

Theme: “Why I Love My Credit Union”

Calling all creative geniuses, video aficionados and credit union-loving students. Now is your chance to express your hidden (or not so hidden) creative talent and make some dough towards your college education.

Can life get better? We submit that it cannot! But if YOU submit a 2 minute or less video about why you love your credit union you could win big bucks to help pay for school.

Face it-

• You want your 15 minutes of fame.
• You want to show all your friends the mad skills you’ve developed (or plan on developing) with your video camera.
• You want money to help you get through college.

(Here’s where we come in)

We want creative attention grabbing videos that spread the word about what’s great about TVFCU. So unleash that creative energy and get started!

Here are a few topics to get you started. Feel free to use these or come up with your own.

• What was your first experience with TVFCU?
• Why do you like your Student’s Choice Checking?
• Why did you choose us?
• What is one way TVFCU has helped you?

Here’s how it works-

• Brainstorm the most creative, interesting and captivating way to tell what it is that you like best about TVFCU.
• Grab your pets, your friends, your friend’s pets or whatever to add your personal style to the video.
• Film 2 minutes or less of TVFCU-loving genius.
• Register and upload your video (videos must be in AVI, MOV or MPEG format at a minimum 320×240 resolution) at www.tvfcu.com/scholarship/video_register.php by April 2nd, 2010 (make sure you are a member by the time you upload –you can join with a minimum $5 deposit)

There will be 2 scholarships awarded. The $2,000 grand prize will be awarded by a panel of non TVFCU judges who will be looking for creativity, originality and unique and interesting ways to convey your message.

The second $500 scholarship is based solely on people’s choice. So…

Spread the word! Send your video which will be posted at www.tvfcu.com/scholarship to your friends, family, neighbors, sister’s ex-boyfriend’s dentist, (ok you get the idea) and have them vote for your video. Plus, Facebook, Myspace, blog, text or whatever it is you do to get the word out—do it! Only votes submitted here will count.

Winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting, April 27th to be held at The Chattanooga Zoo at 6 pm as well as posted here.

Good luck and may the creative juices flow!