April 13, 2006
9:30am-10:00am (CDT)

Participants

AR: Susan Stoyek, Bill Winters
Big Stone Gap FO:  Harry Morris
KFO: Bill Card, Jo Gault
MCR: Len Meier
WR: Veronica Eskova, Karyn Evans, Janine Ferarese, Mary Green, Lou Hamm, Cathy McNish, Dianne Osborne, Bruce Schwartz, Dawn Trudeau, Robert Welsh, Alan Wilhelm

TOPIC: Uranowski’s Promotion-How does this affect TIPS?
DISCUSSION: Lois Uranowski has been selected as Chief, Ecological Services and Technology Transfer Branch in the Technical Support Division, in Pittsburgh.  Her appointment is effective April 30, 2006.  Lois is still scheduled to teach SDPS course in May.
ACTION:  Lois will identify a service manager for PA.

TOPIC: Hardware Needs Survey
DISCUSSION: Received only a couple of responses on survey information so far.  Ken Eltschlager asked Dawn if Garmin GPS units would be ordered for future Garmin classes.  Question posed during meeting: which comes first - obtaining a Garmin unit or attending the class?  Answer was a pre-arranged need existed for only one training session group. Demonstrated equipment needs will determine whether future classes are held. 
ACTION:  Service Managers should complete hardware survey and submit to Bob Welsh electronically by Wednesday, 4/19.  

TOPIC: Geospatial Survey
DISCUSSION: Bill Card distributed an e-mail status report to Service Managers.  E-mail contained two tables - a list of organizations who have responded to the survey and those who have not.  Have heard from 30 organizations to date.
ACTION: Service Managers should review list Bill sent and if their customer names are not on list, advise Bill; also, “tweak” those customers that have not yet responded. 

TOPIC: Steering Committee Meeting
DISCUSSION:  SC Meeting will be held in 3 weeks.  Agenda is set; travel arrangements are going well.  Currently resolving issues regarding the need for a few more hotel rooms at GOV rate. 

TOPIC: TIPS National Team Meeting Update
DISCUSSION:  Nothing has changed from last meeting.  Agenda will be finalized soon and information will be forthcoming on hotel arrangements and logistics.  Draft agenda is on SharePoint for team review and comment.  Participants should plan on traveling on 7/16, since meeting begins at 8am on Tuesday, 7/17.

TOPIC: Training Program Update
DISCUSSION: Karyn recently gave a Training Program presentation at the CLT meeting; information was well received.  Decision made to cancel the ARCGIS Spatial Analyst class scheduled in Alton on May 9th, due to low enrollment; may reschedule end of summer/early fall.  Karyn is working on a meeting process for TIPS Steering Committee meeting in May and agenda/hotel contract for TIPS Team Meeting in July.

TOPIC: Software Distribution Status
DISCUSSION: Not going well; 125 hardware drives were purchased but the data copy device only accommodates thumb drives.  Dan and Lou will be coming up with an alternate solution in near future.

INFORMATION:  Mary Greene and Greg Morlock have taken on a temporary assignment with the Western Technology Transfer group.   Eric Perry has been requested to form the TIPS Hydrology Workgroup during Mary’s temporary assignment.  Contact Eric for hydrology related questions over the next few months.

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 25, 9:30am Central Daylight Time