SHRM Chapters and Councils From 12 States Win Pinnacle

ALEXANDRIA, VA--(Marketwired - Nov 21, 2014) - The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) presented 12 affiliates today with its Pinnacle Award -- the highest honor given to SHRM state councils and chapters for highly notable contributions to the human resource profession.

Created in 1991, the award is the highest achievement SHRM state councils and chapters can attain, and it honors programs that exceed the standard activities of SHRM affiliates in enhancing the creation of effective HR management.

Affiliates from Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington were presented with the Pinnacle Award during SHRM's annual Volunteer Leaders' Summit, which ends Saturday, Nov. 22.

An additional award was given this year to SHRM Long Island, for the most innovative initiative submitted this year.

"This year's Pinnacle Award winners have demonstrated exceptional leadership through their innovative programs," said Henry G. (Hank) Jackson, president and CEO of SHRM. "Their projects also offer practical solutions to business challenges facing companies today, from E-Verify and Affordable Care Act compliance to military veterans' transitions to the civilian workforce."

Winning programs selected from nearly 67 applications received a $1,000 prize, given by ADP Inc., which has sponsored the award for over 20 years.

"ADP is proud to sponsor this prestigious award and to join SHRM in recognizing the recipients," said Kelly Shanley, senior director of global events marketing at ADP. "These organizations have demonstrated excellence through initiatives that not only advance the HR profession but also have a positive impact on their communities."

The 2014 SHRM Pinnacle Award winners are:

• Northern Alabama SHRM - "Empowerment through Employment Job Fair and Training"
• Arkansas SHRM State Council (ARSHRM) - "ARSHRM Collaborates with DHS Superstar Dave Basham to Present Three Wildly Successful Form 1-9/E-Verify Webinars"
• SHRM Western Connecticut - "Local HR Resource Directory"
• Sarasota-Manatee HR Association (Fla.) - "Taking Certification to Another Level"
• Human Resource Association of the Midlands (Neb.) - "Excel with a Mentor"
• Nevada State SHRM Council - "Nevada SHRM Young Professionals"
• SHRM Long Island (N.Y.) - "SHRM-LI's Virtual Resource Assistant Program"
• North Carolina SHRM State Council - "N.C. SHRM State Food Drive"
• DallasHR (Texas) - "Executive Breakfast Series"
• Northern Utah Human Resource Association  - "Investing in Our Future: Committed to Next Generation"
• Shenandoah Valley SHRM (Va.) - "Virginia Legal Forum"
• Apple Valley HR Association (Wenatchee, Wash.) (AVHRA)  - "AVHRA Board/Chapter Reengagement - Look at Us Now!"

2014 PINNACLE AWARD WINNER PROFILES

Northern Alabama SHRM - "Empowerment through Employment Job Fair and Training" Northern Alabama SHRM created an "Empowerment through Employment Job Fair and Training" event as a way to educate HR professionals about a new regulation from the U.S. Department of Labor on the employment of people with disabilities. The regulation, which requires federal contractors to employ people with disabilities as 7 percent of their workforce, has a significant impact on Huntsville, Ala., where federal contractors make up a large part of the business community. The one-day program provided a half-day job fair for job seekers with disabilities followed by a half-day training program for HR representatives to learn the ins and outs of this new regulation.

Arkansas SHRM State Council (ARSHRM) - "ARSHRM Collaborates with DHS Superstar Dave Basham to Present Three Wildly Successful Form 1-9/E-Verify Webinars" ARSHRM saw a need to create Form I-9/E-Verify training for its members after revisions were made to the E-Verify system. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided training materials, and ARSHRM submitted webinars for certification and marketed the webinars. Over 400 HR professionals attended the program.

SHRM Western Connecticut - "Local HR Resource Directory" SHRM Western Connecticut created an HR Resource Directory, which includes a list of vendors and a go-to booklet. The goal was for all members to learn about the SHRM Western Connecticut chapter, board members, employment laws and available HR programs.

Sarasota-Manatee HR Association (Fla.) - "Taking Certification to Another Level" To support its mission of providing professional development, the Sarasota-Manatee HR Association sought to offer the best HR certification classes within its community. The chapter created a certification chair and committee, worked with board members to set realistic goals, and shared the news throughout the HR community in its effort to create an HR certification class. The chapter received positive feedback from members who took the class and has heard from professionals interested in taking the class in the future.

Human Resource Association of the Midlands (Neb.) - "Excel with a Mentor" The Human Resource Association of the Midlands' "Excel with a Mentor" program provides a civilian work-life preview for veterans separating or retiring from active military duty. The program connects military veterans with HR professionals who serve as mentors for six months of networking and job-search advice. This program was developed in conjunction with Offutt Air Force Base, Mutual of Omaha and HR professionals from companies such as Nebraska Furniture Mart, C&A Industries and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska.

Nevada State SHRM Council - "Nevada SHRM Young Professionals" The "Nevada SHRM Young Professionals" program was created in 2013 to develop HR students and encourage SHRM student members to become professional members. The program focused on providing networking, social and educational opportunities to support young professionals in their development and career goals.

SHRM Long Island (N.Y.) - "SHRM-LI's Virtual Resource Assistant Program" The chapter created "SHRM-LI's Virtual Human Resource Assistant Program" to provide a virtual internship that would introduce high school students to human resource careers while building workforce readiness skills. For the program, students, teachers and SHRM-LI member volunteers collaborated to complete 10 instructional tasks and a marketing brochure for human resource careers. During the first year, 180 students from six high schools participated in the program.

North Carolina SHRM State Council - "N.C. SHRM State Food Drive" The North Carolina SHRM State Council promoted an all-state food drive and allocated council money to North Carolina chapters that hosted a food drive in the month of June. The friendly competition promoted interaction between chapters as they vied to donate the most pounds of food per active chapter member. Eighty-nine percent of chapters participated in the event, collecting nearly 15,000 pounds of food and almost $5,000 in cash donations.

DallasHR (Texas) - "Executive Breakfast Series" DallasHR leadership created the "Executive Breakfast Series" for its 200 executive members to provide them with strategic education and networking opportunities. The goal was to support executive members' need to hear directly from their peers about best practices for handling critical situations. Seven Executive Breakfasts have been held to date.

Northern Utah Human Resource Association - "Investing in Our Future: Committed to Next Generation" The Northern Utah Human Resource Association has committed to help guide the next generation of HR professionals and to help them preserve the exceptional status of the chapter.

Shenandoah Valley SHRM (Va.) - "Virginia Legal Forum"   Because Virginia has a high percentage of at-large members not affiliated with a local chapter, Shenandoah Valley SHRM developed the "Virginia Legal Forum" so at-large members could see the value of local chapter membership. Through a survey, the chapter found that social media and the Affordable Care Act were two subjects that at-large members wanted to learn more about. The chapter created the "Virginia Legal Forum," which focused on these topics. One hundred HR professionals attended the first event and provided positive feedback.

Apple Valley HR Association (Wenatchee, Wash.) (AVHRA) - "AVHRA Board/Chapter Reengagement - Look at Us Now!" Apple Valley nearly lost its chapter in 2006 because of board disengagement. However, the chapter organized a retreat in which it planned how to improve the chapter, revitalize its board and members, and spotlight the chapter in the community. Since that time, the chapter has hosted a member appreciation event, provided free programs to board members and created a $10,000 scholarship fund, among other things.

Media: For more information or to request an interview, contact Vanessa Gray at 703-535-6072 and Vanessa.Gray@shrm.org or Kate Kennedy of SHRM Public Affairs at 703-535-6260 and Kate.Kennedy@shrm.org .

About the Society for Human Resource Management Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org and follow us on Twitter @SHRMPress.

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