February 2008 Program
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Holiday Inn Valley View (formerly the Clarion)
3315 Ordway Drive, Roanoke, VA 24017
Registration: 11:30 a.m.
Networking: 11:30 a.m. - Noon.
Lunch: Noon
Program immediately following lunch
**Please note different location**
“Identity Theft: Employer’s Risk, Liability, & Responsibility”
Presented by Scott Viette
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.

Come see why IDENTITY THEFT—America’s Fastest Growing Crime, ranked as the #2 concern on SHRM’s National Study of Trends—is a REAL threat affecting 1 in 4 U.S. households and ALL employers across the nation regardless of size.
• Why should all Businesses, Corporations, Schools, Government, Financial Institutions, and Health Care be concerned about Identity Theft, FACTA, HIPAA, and GLB?
• What is Identity Theft? How does this devastating crime occur? Why are HR Managers, Executives, and Employers at risk? What proactive measures and “Affirmative Defense” steps should we be taking to protect our company, its employees, and its clients?

Prior to the last 8 years with Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., Mr. Viette worked 5 years with a national utility company as Vice President of Field Operations and Business Development for the US and in various executive management capacities with a division of Sara Lee Corporation for 12 years.

Mr. Viette specializes in Risk Management and is responsible for providing “cutting edge” solutions for a variety of issues facing employers, employees, and their Human Resources Departments. His primary focus is assisting employers in developing and implementing “Affirmative Defense” programs which can be done at no cost to the employer.

Please make reservations by utilizing the on-line event reservation form or e-mailing Joy Hanson at jhanson@iamrrha.org. Please include "RVSHRM RSVP" in the subject line. Registration Deadline is Wednesday, February 20, 2008.

Program sponsors:

Change!

I think that we would all agree that change is difficult for many people. The old Beatle song says, “We all want to change the world”. Whether it is the larger world or our smaller world, we would like to see change. Change first starts with us.

In the January program, Stuart Mease told us “e-mail is for old people”. He challenged us to change our methods of attracting and retaining employees by using “new media”. (Click here to view a copy of Stuart’s presentation in Power Point format.) In an informal survey, I noted that most people are afraid of this change. They say that what they are doing suits them just fine. They say that people do not expect these kinds of actions from them. They worry about the impact of that change. Those phrases scare me in that they are familiar to me. I heard the same phrases earlier in my career – right before I had the unfortunate opportunity to learn about how to flawlessly implement a reorganization as we made room for people who embraced change.

While changing the way we think about new media may be hard work and it may be difficult at first, it is the world we live in today. It won’t be the same in the future as new media will be come old media. (I’m sure some of you remember how amazing the fax machine seemed when it was first introduced!) This change is a constant evolution and what works today will not work tomorrow. To fulfill our role as a strategic partner and leader in the business world, we must dig deep to explore new options, strategies and tactics for everything we do. Embrace change and consider alternative methods of getting to your goal – or consider a new goal! Imagine how the small changes that you make will impact your larger picture this year and in the future.

RVSHRM 2008 Survey

RVSHRM members were quick to respond to the survey sent out in January. We had roughly 40% of the members respond. Here are some highlights from what we learned from the respondents:

• 49% are HRCI certified. Of those who are not certified, about half intend to certify in the next 3 years and about half do not intend to become certified.
• A total of 51% were employed in service, manufacturing, and healthcare industries.
• 49% were in general HR or HR management positions.
• 25% represented organizations that provided products or services to HR professionals.
• Almost 70% of participants would like to be involved in a special interest group (SIG).

Check out the link to view the full survey. I want to thank all those who participated in the survey. To encourage quick participation, we offered a gift card to one of the first 100 participants. Becky Ring with Shenandoah Life is the winner of the 419 West gift card!

TAP Job Fair

RVSHRM will again co-sponsor the TAP Job Fair on April 1st at the Roanoke Civic Center. Click on the link to get more information. Also – I encourage you to plan your spring-cleaning around our “gently used business clothing drive”. We will accept clothing donations at our March meeting to support TAP.

I look forward to seeing you at our February 26th meeting at Holiday Inn Valley View!

Regards,
Johna Campbell
2008 RVSHRM President

January 22, 2008
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

The following Board Members were in attendance:
Barbara Phelps, Johna Campbell, Sandy Hamilton, Michelle Glynn, Debbie Reid, Jaime Clark, Debbie Honaker, Joy Hanson, Sharon Bowers, Phil Peters, Tracy Hale, Becky Reynolds, Jeff VanDoren, and Todd Leeson.

The meeting was called to order by Johna Campbell, 2008 President.

Motion was made by Sharon Bowers and seconded by Barbara Phelps to approve the minutes of the November 27, 2007 meeting. The motion was passed.

It was announced that the 2008 budget will be approved at the next Board Meeting.

Johna Campbell announced that our logo does not confirm to National SHRM standards. Tracy Hale will see that the logo is revised to meet standards.

Motion was made by Sharon Bowers and seconded by Joy Hanson to amend the RVSHRM By-Laws as follows:

“Section 3. Associate Members. Individuals in nonexempt human resource management positions as well as those individuals who do not meet the Professional member category, but who demonstrate a bona fide interest in human resource management and the mission of the Chapter. Associate members may vote and hold office in the Chapter.”

The motion was passed. In addition, the By-Laws will be reviewed by Jeff VanDoren and Todd Leeson and further amendments recommended to reflect the practices of our Chapter.

Johna Campbell presented the results of the 2008 RVSHRM Membership Survey. Melinda Gardner is preparing a summary of the survey, and this survey will be presented to the Board at the Board Planning Meeting.

Becky Reynolds recommended that our database of members be updated to reflect the members’ HR positions and chapter affiliation.

Johna Campbell distributed lists of members interested in special interest groups. We would like for these groups to meet independently. A Board Member will be appointed to contact members of each special interest group to see if they will initiate a group meeting to discuss their special interests. The special interest groups could also be used to develop future program ideas. The special interest groups should report quarterly to the Board the results of their meetings.

Becky Reynolds proposed purchasing name badges for members. The general consensus was that name badges are not practical. It was recommended, however, that new members be presented with some kind of pen, etc.

Johna Campbell presented the possibility that RVSHRM participate in the TMA wage survey. Johna will contact Fred Reese and request that TMA charge RVSHRM members who participate in the survey $450 to obtain a copy of the report.

Michelle Glynn announced that the Virginia Western Student Chapter will present a fashion show at Virginia Western, 3rd Floor, Webber Hall, February 5th, 12:30 p.m. She also announced that Roanoke College is close to obtaining eight members to qualify for their Student Chapter. The potential student chapter members are attending today’s meeting.

Jeff VanDoren has been contacted by David Camper of Dixon, Hubbard and Feinour to help sponsor a Spring Fling. Further discussion will be held at the Board Planning Meeting concerning such an event.

Becky Reynolds announced that bills for local dues will be sent electronically this
week.

The Board Planning Meeting will be rescheduled in the next three weeks.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandy Hamilton
Secretary

February Diversity Calendar

National Black History Month
The successor to Negro History Week which was initiated on February 12, 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a pre-eminent historian and founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Woodson was concerned that the contributions of Black Americans were overlooked or misrepresented and he began lobbying for Negro History Week as early as 1915. He selected February because it included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14) whom he believed had dramatically impacted the lives of Black Americans.
 
5 - Mardi Gras (United States)  or fat Tuesday is a boisterous celebration held annually on Shrove Tuesday, the day before the season of Lent begins in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. The actual date varies from year to year since it depends on the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is the culmination of a long carnival season which begins on January 6, the Twelfth Night of Christmas. The custom was brought to the United States by the French who had paraded a fat ox through Paris. The honor of the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States belongs to Mobile, Alabama which first observed the holiday in 1703. However, the city most associated with Mardi Gras is New Orleans, Louisiana.

6 - Ash Wednesday (Protestant, Roman Catholic) marks the first day of Lent in the Western Christian liturgical year. Lent is a season of spiritual discipline, cleansing, and fasting which occurs in the forty days (excluding Sundays which are not considered part of Lent) before Easter.

7 - Chinese Lunar New Year (China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam)
A festive holiday celebrated for about two weeks. The Lunar New Year is observed by the Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. The event takes place during the first three days of the first lunar month (late January or early February). People dress up in costumes, exchange food and gifts, visit family members, and remember ancestors. They settle all business accounts and forget all grudges.  Each year is symbolized by a different animal.

7 - Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnam) 
Tet Nguyen Dan is a Vietnamese festival beginning on the first day of the first lunar month. It marks the beginning of the lunar new year and the arrival of spring. Tet is the most popular festival in Vietnam and artifacts suggest that it has been celebrated since at least 500 B. C. E. The exact origin is unknown.

24 - Flag Day (Mexico)  Mexican Flag Day also known as "El Dia de la Bandera" is celebrated on February 24th,by Mexicans across the country. This day is commemorated as a unique holiday in admiration of traditional Mexican heritage. The Mexican Americans on this day pay homage to the flag of their native ancestral country-Mexico.

Workforce Readiness Committee

The Workforce Readiness Committee will be volunteering for the INSIGHT Program with Roanoke COUNTY Schools in February. The students who are a part of the INSIGHT program are very strong students academically. Each student is working with a different mentor in a field of interest. The students spend 50 hours with their mentor, and 25 hours in seminars. The purpose of the seminars is to help the students obtain knowledge and skills in areas that will help them "in the real world." The students receive a grade for being a part of INSIGHT. We will be participating in the seminar/mock interviews on Thursday February 28th at 7pm. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Lauren Prada at lauren.prada@adeccona.com or 540-989-1672.

Constitution and By-Laws of the
Roanoke Valley Society for Human Resource Management
Click for a PDF