Tennessee Trustee Association Spring Conference  Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
May 21-25  Music Road Hotel.

The Jim and Marie Murphy Endowed Scholarship for Graduate Studies was funded with support from the Murphys, the County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT) and other county associations and individual donors. The scholarship is to be used to help others seeking to better themselves with an advanced degree from UT. 

The first recipient of the award is Cara Rains. She graduated from UT in Knoxville in the spring of 2011 and has been accepted into the UT College of Law. Cara’s mother (Bledsoe County Trustee Deanna Rains) has been a COAT member for as long as Cara can remember. She says when she was young, she didn’t understand the significance of her mother’s job. But she has since learned that being a county official is a respected job in communities throughout the state. 

Last year, Cara had the opportunity to intern in the office of the governor and was able to witness the relationship of COAT members with others in government. She hopes that by attending law school, it will help her to understand these complex relationships even more. 

Jay West is Executive Director of The County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT) - a non-profit association of County Clerks, State Court Clerks, Registers and Trustees. COAT was formed in 1968 to serve coordinated efforts of county officials with respect to training and intergovernmental relations while providing a cooperative information sharing environment.

COAT is managed by a 17 member voting board of directors, about half of whom are elected annually during each fall COAT Association meeting. Representatives from the various county official groups that serve as COAT affiliates gather during the association meeting to discuss issues relating to their county offices.

Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the County Officials Association of Tennessee to provide equal employment opportunities to individuals and to provide its programs, activities and services to its members regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or status in any other group protected by law. Inquiries and charges of violation of this policy and requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to Jay West, COAT Executive Director, at 615-253-6700.

Title VI Policy

It is the policy of the County Officials Association of Tennessee to provide all of its programs, activities and services to its members regardless of race, color, or national origin. Inquiries and charges of violation of this policy should be directed to Jay West, COAT Executive Director, at 615-253-6700.

Public Service Legacy Society Launched

The UT Institute for Public Service recently launched the Public Service Legacy Society to honor individuals who remember the institute or one of its agencies - the County Technical Assistance Service, the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, the Law Enforcement Innovation Center, the Center for Industrial Services or the Jimmy Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership - in their estate plans. As a Charter Member of the society, Davidson Metro Trustee Charlie Cardwell is strategically planning to continue his legacy of public service for the greater good through a trust set up to benefit the work of the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS).

“Joining the society made sense to me as I wanted to do something to give back to an important organization that touches the lives of nearly all Tennesseans,” Cardwell said. “No other agency does as much for county government as CTAS and I greatly appreciate its work and support, which has helped me serve Davidson County residents for so many years.  Choosing to support IPS through my estate plan worked for me knowing that a program assisting the mission of CTAS will be permanently funded. I hope others consider joining as well.”

There are many ways one can become a member of the Public Service Legacy Society. A simple bequest through an existing will is an option as well as creating a trust as Cardwell is doing. One can also contribute to existing endowments through an estate gift or give any appreciated assets such as stocks or bonds. Some individuals choose to make a gift that provides a lifetime of tax-free income at a rate much higher than commercial annuities. It also is possible to see a reduction in estate taxes as a result of free, confidential estate planning assistance provided by the staff of the University of Tennessee Foundation.

Whatever the reason for donation, the gift will affect the economic development, law enforcement, technical advising, training and leadership development in our great state of Tennessee for many years to come.

For more information about the society, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at The University of Tennessee Foundation, the Institute for Public Service’s development director, at (865)974-6587.