January 2007 Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE
News from Dulles Chapter of SHRM and other timely HR information
“Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way"
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 (5:15pm to 8:00pm ~ Sheraton Reston)
Using moving and inspiring stories from the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, Robin Gerber illustrates the ideas and lessons that are at the heart of great leadership. Learn about effective and innovative ways of communicating, the key to risk-taking, and the importance of conviction in pursuing your goals.
Robin Gerber is a national commentator and speaker on leadership, and the author of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage (Penguin/Portfolio, 2002) and Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon with a foreword by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great (Penguin/Portfolio, October, 2005). Her books are used in leadership development courses and corporate programs across the United States. She is also a lawyer and senior faculty for the Gallup Organization, and a senior fellow in Executive Education at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park.
A member of the Board of Contributors for the opinion pages of USA Today, and a columnist for Reader's Digest, Robin also publishes frequently in other national newspapers. She has been a commentator on NPR’s Marketplace and Morning Edition, and has appeared on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer and dozens of radio talk shows.
Robin is an inspirational keynote speaker on leadership development, using moving stories from the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt, Katharine Graham and other great leaders to illustrate leadership lessons. Some of Robin’s clients include Bank of America, Marriott, Legg Mason, JP Morgan/Chase, Freddie Mac, Aetna Information Services, the AARP, Lee Hecht Harrison, Giant Food, The Culinary Institute, West Point, the U.S. Forest Service, the Council for Excellence in Government, The 3rd Quality Conference of the European Union, and many universities, colleges, girls’ schools, nonprofits and government agencies. She also has a select client list for executive coaching. Prior to becoming an author, Robin practiced law in Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill. She has studied and written about leadership development since 1975.
We welcome our February sponsor: Carter Advantage. Kevin Carter, Realtor with RE/MAX Select Properties will be present to talk to us about their services. Kevin believes in offering you the attention you deserve. If you are looking to buy or sell a home, Carter Advantage can help. For more information, please contact Kevin at 703-723-3725, Kevin@carteradvantage.com or at his website – www.carteradvantage.com .
We welcome our February Community Speaker: Karen Longe, MPT with KEL Ergonomics, Inc. has over 10 years of experience in providing ergonomics consulting services to corporate clients. KEL Ergonomics focuses on prevention and management of injury in the work environment. KEL provides classroom education, work site assessments, ergonomics program development, and they also provide coordination of workstation changes, assistance with product selection, group risk assessments, remote office evaluations, bio-mechanical education and more. For more information, contact Karen at KELErgonomics@aol.com; or 540.364.0115.
Note: This meeting has been approved for 1.0 PHR/SPHR recertification hours through HRCI.
Register online at www.dullesshrm.org.
Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update
Members who attended the December meeting donated $50 in cash! Thank you for your continued support. Reston Interfaith's programs address the most critical issues facing our neighbors: affordable housing needs and homelessness, nurturing and healthy environments for families, and social issues, such as domestic violence and substance abuse. For more on how to help, check out www.restoninterfaith.org.
Letter from the President
Happy New Year! It’s a pleasure to welcome you to 2007 – the 20th Anniversary of Dulles SHRM. On January 21, 1987 a group 47 HR professionals came together at the Dulles Holiday Inn to form our Chapter, which was officially chartered in June of that year. Since then, we have won 17 merit/superior merit awards and one Pinnacle award from SHRM, sponsored the Leesburg Chapter of SHRM, launched a web presence, and outgrown two meeting locations.
We now have more than 250 members thanks to the Board members, other volunteers, and sponsors who have contributed over the past 20 years to making Dulles SHRM “Your Chapter of Choice.”
At our December holiday party, 2006 President Maggie Chan highlighted last year’s accomplishments. Thanks to her outstanding leadership and a dedicated Board, we delivered programs with timely topics and quality speakers, facilitated discussion groups, grew our membership, maintained strong financial health, offered study groups to help members pass their PHR/SPHR exams, partnered with community organizations, connected with student chapters, and awarded scholarships and donations, while ensuring a warm and welcoming atmosphere at our events. If you missed Maggie’s presentation, you can check it out here, 2006 Dulles SHRM Accomplishments .
In 2007 we’ll build on these successes while offering new programs and services responsive to your needs. Our activities will address two areas that our member surveys show you value most highly:
- Building Your Network – Networking at monthly meetings will be enhanced by having access to a private area generously provided by our new meeting facility, the Reston Sheraton. Our sponsors will be located within this space, enabling you to more easily connect with them.
- Increasing Your HR Knowledge – We will continue to offer multiple ways to expand your knowledge and access information, including: a robust website that provides a wealth of information and links to other resources; quality speakers at our monthly meetings; breakfast discussion groups on “hot” topics; an informative monthly newsletter; and a fall study program to help members pass their PHR/SPHR exams. In addition, we are partnering with Northern Virginia SHRM in 2007 to offer members an opportunity to participate in a mentoring program.
We owe a big “thank you” to the sponsors who have already signed up to support us in making our 2007 initiatives possible – particularly Aerobodies Fitness, our first Annual Sponsor.
If you’re interested in volunteering to help with our 2007 activities, please contact me (msaily@humanr.com). Volunteering is a great way to contribute while expanding your professional relationships. The 2007 Virginia State Conference & Expo will be held October 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City and offers another way to get involved. If you’re interested in presenting or sponsoring, go to the website now: www.2007shrmvastateconf.org. If you’re interested in volunteering, a signup sheet will be available on the website in a few weeks, so please stay tuned for the announcement.
Your input is important to keeping Dulles SHRM “Your Chapter of Choice.” Our topics and speakers for 2007 were selected based on your responses to our 2006 Membership Survey and the ongoing feedback you provide on the monthly meeting evaluation forms. Be on the lookout for our 2007 Member Survey in early March. In the meantime, please contact any Board member with your ideas, insights, or concerns.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at our 2007 events!
Mary Saily
President, Dulles SHRM
~ Your SHRM Chapter of Choice ~
We Welcome Our 2007 Annual Sponsor:
Aerobodies Fitness Co., Inc.
Since 1992 Aerobodies Fitness Company, Inc. has provided Washington are consumers and corporations with a wide variety of customized health and fitness solutions. With headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, Aerobodies’ has become known for developing unique and innovative wellness programs that can be used in home or at your office site.
Through their exclusive, personalized programs such as My Equilibrium Coach® or Walk it OFFice®, Aerobodies proves their tireless dedication towards improving the health of the clients they serve. Their healthy lifestyle solutions are motivating and can be easily implemented into your daily routine. For more information, call 703-642-8577 in VA or 202-265-4448 in DC, or check them out online at www.aerobodies.com.
January Community Speaker
We welcome Bill Browning, our January Community Speaker. With twelve years in corporate training and another six years in community-based workforce development in Northern Virginia, Bill can help match the talent management priorities of SHRM employers with community-based solutions. Currently, Bill serves as a workforce development specialist with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) doing just that! Previously, he worked for five years with one of America’s top-performing workforce development programs training low-income family breadwinners for new careers, NVFS Training Futures, located at Tysons Corner.
Bill will touch on several community-based resources for Dulles area employers, including free “Tools for Retention” from NOVA, a recent case study on how one employer leveraged tuition assistance to cut turnover by 50%, and new workforce development initiatives specifically benefiting employers the Dulles region. Interested participants at the January meeting can place their cards in a drawing that night to win one of two free “Talent Management” consulting engagements from NOVA. This service is guaranteed to recommend at least three community-based resources to address your firm’s specific talent recruitment, development or retention priorities. To contact Bill directly, Dulles SHRM members can reach him at wbrowning@nvcc.edu or (703) 323-3284.
2nd Annual Greater Washington Area
Employer Benefit and Work Life Survey
Set to Launch
The 2nd Annual Greater Washington Area Employer Benefit and Work/Life Survey will launch Monday, January 29 and close on Friday, February 23. Washington area organizations of all sizes and representing all industry sectors are invited to participate. The survey is electronic, and most questions are in a simple multiple choice format. Participants should be able to complete the survey in less than one hour. The survey is co-sponsored by Dulles SHRM, NOVA SHRM, the Metropolitan Washington Work/Life Coalition, WTPF, and Wachovia Insurance Services.
Participating employers will receive an electronic copy of the survey results FREE OF CHARGE no later than April 9, in time for 2008 renewal planning. Non-participants may purchase results at a cost of $500.
Survey findings will include up-to-date, competitive information on benefits policies and practices for a range of industry groups and employer sizes. In addition, the 2007 survey will track year-over-year changes and trends.
The survey content includes a full range of employee benefits topics: medical, prescription, dental, vision, plan design, rates and contributions, other medical questions, consumer driven health care, medical trends, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, supplemental life insurance, paid and unpaid leave, holidays, short-term disability, long-term disability, paternity leave, jury duty, bereavement leave, military leave, unpaid leave, telework, Internet connectivity, referral bonus, reduction in workforce policies, relocation, training, tuition reimbursement, 401(k), outsourcing -- and more.
If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Steering Committee Representative Nancy Streeter at nabss@aol.com.
Upcoming Events
2007 Virginia State SHRM Conference & Expo
Call for Presentations ~ New Deadline February 15, 2007
Join the HR Revolution!
Plans are underway for the 2007 Virginia State SHRM Conference which will be held October 3-5, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia. The theme of this year’s conference is HR Revolution: Driving Competitive Advantage.
The Programs Committee is currently seeking thought-provoking and challenging presentations for the 2007 Virginia State SHRM Conference. The core focus of the conference is to help Human Resource Professionals create successful practices that will drive strategy and results, think strategically around emerging business and social trends, and sharpen their business acumen.
The 2007 Conference Program Tracks are:
• The Global Workplace
• Leadership and Strategy
• Business and Technology
• Emerging Trends
• HR on the Cutting Edge
• Government Contracting
The deadline for proposals is February 15, 2007. Presenters will be notified of their selection no later than March 30, 2007. For more information on the Call for Presentations, or to submit a proposal, please visit our web site at www.2007shrmvastateconf.org. Questions can be sent to info@2007SHRMvastateconf.org.
Dulles SHRM to Participate in NOVA SHRM Peer Mentoring Program
Contributed by Chas Sumser, Certification Representative
Recognized in 2003 with a Pinnacle Award for Excellence by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the NOVA SHRM Peer Mentoring Program has resulted in promotions, lateral career moves, and new job opportunities for approximately 70 percent of its alumni. In 2007, for the first time, the program is open to registered Dulles SHRM members.
The program is designed for individuals with a variety of career development objectives: building a strong professional network, expanding HR competencies, and gaining experience in group mentoring. Participants are provided with the opportunity to learn from peers as well as a variety of guest mentors from academia, consulting, and industry.
Participants are matched with a peer mentor (i.e., someone with a similar level of experience as opposed to a higher level) prior to the first meeting. Matching will be based on experience level, professional interests, and developmental goals. The peer mentor will serve as a coach in helping his or her partner to achieve individual career goals. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity for one free coaching session with a registered career coach. The estimated monthly time commitment for the mentoring program is 3 to 4 hours a month, which includes participation in monthly group mentoring meetings and career coaching conversations (phone, e-mail, or in-person) with your peer mentor. There will be a total of 10 group meetings throughout the year. All meetings will be held on Wednesday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (starting with our kick-off program in March 2007 and ending with the final program in January 2008) at National Louis University in McLean, Virginia.
All applicants must be members in good standing with the NOVA or Dulles Chapters of SHRM. Additional information, including application dates and deadlines, can be found online at http://www.novashrm.org/mentoring_program.cfm or by contacting Chas Sumser, Dulles SHRM Certification Representative, at chas@fgm.com or 703.885.1000.
Mark Your Calendar
2007 Chapter Breakfast/Dinner Meetings:
- March 21 (Dinner Meeting) – “The Art of Business” Presenter: Greg Justice, Focus: Professional Development
- April 18 (Breakfast Meeting) – “Accounting 101: How HR Professionals Affect the Bottom Line” Presenter: Larry Singleton, Focus: HR Metrics
- May 16 (Dinner Meeting) – Presenter: Kathleen Ferris, Focus: Coaching
- June 20 (Dinner Meeting) – Presenter: Talisa Ernstmann, Focus: HR Competencies
- July 18 (Breakfast Meeting) – Presenter: Cornelia Gamlem, Focus: Employee Relations
- August 15 (Dinner Meeting) – Presenter: Bob Corlette, Focus: Recruiting
- September 19 (Dinner Meeting) – Presenter: Misti Mukherjee, Focus: HR and the Law
- October 17 (Breakfast Meeting) ) – Focus: Compensation/Benefits
- November 14 (Dinner Meeting) – Focus: Employee Recognition Programs
- December 5 (Dinner Meeting) – Holiday Party
Chapter Discussion Group
“Employee Retention ”
Thursday, February 1
We know retaining quality employees is a challenge. We ask employees why they are leaving during the exit interviews, but are we asking our quality employees why they are staying? Do you have a retention plan that changes with the needs of your employees and business? Companies need to take a proactive approach to hold on to their employees. Denise Henderson, PHR, Senior HR Generalist for ARTEL, Inc. will facilitate the group discussion on employee retention.
In preparation, please reflect on the following questions:
- What retention plans are working for your company?
- How do you keep your employees motivated?
- What training plans do you have in place for managers regarding retention?
- How do you keep employees informed of important company news?
You are invited to bring examples from your experience, or, if you have had no previous experience in this area, consider this an opportunity to learn from your colleagues. There is no charge for attending.
Please confirm your participation by registering on-line, at least 24 hours in advance, at www.dullesshrm.org. If you have questions, feel free to call Cindy Loison at 703-265-7520. Participation is limited to the first 25 people who sign up.
Date: Thursday, February 1
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Place: Sprint Nextel, 2001 Edmund Halley Drive (off of Sunrise Valley Dr between Reston Pkwy and Fairfax County Pkwy), Reston VA 20191
Conference Room: A1100/122 (1st Floor)
Phone: 703-433-4400; (Contact: Karen Harvey)
Directions:
From points east:
Take Toll Road (VA-267) to exit 12 (VA602 – Reston Parkway)
Left on Reston Parkway
Right on Sunrise Valley Drive
Right on Edmund Halley Drive (Conference Room A1100/122 – 1st Floor)
From points west:
Take Toll Road (VA-267) to exit 12 (VA602 – Reston Parkway)
Right on Reston Parkway
Right on Sunrise Valley Drive
Right on Edmund Halley Drive (Conference Room A1100/122 – 1st Floor)
Welcome to New Members
Contributed by Lynn Padgett, Vice President, Membership
The Dulles Society of Human Resource Management SHRM welcomes our newest members. Thank you for choosing our chapter!
Julia Bergeman, Corporate Recruiter, Argon ST
Kimberly B. Durazo, PHR, Senior Manager, HR, AOL LLC
Megan Filippi, Corporate Recruiter, Argon ST
Debbie Green, CEBS, Consultant, Aon Consulting
Cynthia Jewett, HR Generalist, ACET, Inc
Tamara Karnes, Human Resources Administrator, Exemplar, Inc.
Joan Liszka, Sr. Recruiter, Alliance Bank
Maia Lucier, PHR, Director, Compensation and Benefits, Dimension Data North America
Venencia Magnusen, PHR
Noriko Mitsumune, PHR, Personnel Analyst, County of Fairfax
Martin Pellum, SPHR, Chief, Travel Services Center, National Reconnaissance Office
Sherian Roggeband, SPHR, Director, Human Resources and Operations, Congressional Hunger Center
Tamara Salyers, SPHR, Director of HR, American College of Radiology
Juli Seaman, CPA, Yount, Hyde & Barbour, PC
Michael Shepelak, Director Human Resources, SWIFT
Valerie Smith, Managing Partner, Organizational Development Group
Barbara Stebbins, SPHR, HRIS Manager, Gate Gourmet
Keli Winter, Human Resources Specialist, VISTA Technology Services, Inc.
Information and Articles of Interest
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
2007 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Awards
Nominations for the Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Awards are now being accepted! The prestigious award has been honoring exemplary Virginians for more than 16 years and recognizes excellence in community service and volunteering. The awards include recognizing volunteer service on the part of businesses, faith-based groups, families, government, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, national service, nonprofit organizations, seniors, volunteers, volunteer administrators, and youth. Visit www.vaservice.org for more information or to download the nomination form or submit an online nomination through the website. The nomination process ends at 5:00 PM, Wednesday, January 31, 2007. The awards ceremony will take place on April 12, 2007 at the Virginia Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service in Richmond.
Michelle Carrera, Inside Business - Hampton Roads
Monday January 1, 2007
– The following is an excerpt from her article:
I encourage all of our businesses to think of this New Year as a time to welcome people of diverse backgrounds, and varied beginnings. Every success starts with an opportunity – and those opportunities are what our soldiers fight for every day – for themselves and for us.
Some tips to get you started:
- Ask your current workforce to help you find dynamic, inspiring and creative people to hire. Make sure they know that everyone is welcome as long as they have the skills.
- Contact your local disability service agency for recruiting assistance.
- Establish a policy that includes persons with disabilities in your inclusive language.
- Support young persons with disabilities by offering them job-shadowing days.
- Remember, at any given time we ourselves could become subject to a disability – it’s not life-ending, it’s just life.
Michelle Carrera, president of Thomas Carrera Consulting in Hampton, consults on workforce issues with the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and Virginia Ship Repair Association. She can be reached by e-mail at mcarrera@thomascarrera.com.
That’s all for this month unless you have any ideas or suggestions? This is your chapter - let us know what’s on your mind!
Mary Saily
President
Dulles SHRM
msaily@humanr.com
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