June 2008 Program
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Registration: 11:30 a.m.
Networking: 11:30 a.m. - Noon
Lunch: Noon
Program immediately following lunch
“2008 Employment Law Update”
Presented by Jeffrey A. Van Doren & James K. Cowan, Jr.
Attorneys with LeClairRyan

Our membership survey last Fall revealed that the number one topic on which members requested more programs was legal issues. We are pleased to respond to that request with an exciting new program in which attorneys from LeClairRyan will provide an update on important developments in the employment law field, including:

• The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which amended the FMLA to permit family members to take leave to care for a member of the armed services.
• The Department of Labor’s new proposed regulations on the FMLA.
• Recent National Labor Relations Board cases that clarified rules regarding employee use of e-mail and the impact of certain other work rules.
• The potential impact of the 2008 Elections on the labor relations climate in the U.S.
• New cases from the U.S. Supreme Court and courts in Virginia in the discrimination arena.
• Continuing threats from Wage & Hours claims, often resulting in huge verdicts or settlements.
• A push by government at all levels to require employers to register and use the “E-Verify” system to verify the work authorization status of their employees.

About our Speakers:

Jeffrey A. Van Doren is a Partner in the Employment and Labor practice group at LeClairRyan, where he specializes in immigration and labor law matters. He represents both public and private employers in securing nonimmigrant (temporary) and immigrant (permanent) visas on behalf of employers and employees. He also advises U. S. employers on compliance with the I-9 “employer sanctions” provisions of federal law. In the labor area, Jeff has extensive experience representing management on traditional labor matters including union avoidance and decertification, developing strike plans, collective bargaining, contract compliance, and arbitration. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

James K. Cowan, Jr. is a Partner with LeClairRyan resident in the Blacksburg office. His practice focuses on Labor and Employment counsel and litigation. He represents a number of employers in the region, ranging from high-tech start-ups to large manufacturers. In addition to counseling and representing public and private employers on a full range of labor and employment law matters, Mr. Cowan specializes in Executive Order 11246 compliance including preparation of affirmative action plans and responding to OFCCP audits. Mr. Cowan is a frequent speaker and corporate trainer for companies on sexual harassment, employment discrimination, FMLA and ADA compliance, the FLSA, diversity and affirmative action, and conducting workplace investigations. Jim is a graduate of Towson University and earned his law degree from Washington & Lee University.

Please make reservations by utilizing the on-line event reservation form or e-mailing Joy Hanson atjhanson@rkehousing.org. Please include "RVSHRM RSVP" in the subject line. Registration Deadline is Thursday, June 19, 2008.

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING MEETING RESERVATIONS***

All reservations for the monthly meeting are required to be made by the Friday before the meeting. The Hotel Roanoke wants our final count on Friday and is not lenient with late additions. We can not accept any reservations past the Friday deadline. It is at the discretion of the individual to arrive on meeting day without a reservation and wait to possibly take the spot of a “no show.”

Thank you for your cooperation.

Is it June already?

In January, I warned you that contrary to the Beatles song, time is not on your side.  Guess what?  Summer is upon us – sweltering heat, children are eager to get out of school, graduations approaching.  Some members will face major life changes (an empty nest or the horror of writing a large check for college tuition).  Summer means many things to many people.  It’s a time for relaxing, visiting with family, tending flowers, or just enjoying some time in the sun.

June is also a great time to check your goals.  Give yourself an hour (or a day) to check in on where you are with the annual goals you set earlier this year.  Give yourself the gift of time to refocus your efforts toward goal achievement.  You will not regret the investment in you and your career!

Regards,

HOTEL ROANOKE,
May 27, 2008
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.                                   

The following Board Members were in attendance:
Johna Campbell, Sandy Hamilton, Jaime Clark, Becky Reynolds, Barbara Phelps, Phil Peters, Jeff VanDoren, and Lauren Siegel.           

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

Jeff VanDoren presented the revised by-laws.  After discussion and a few suggested corrections, it was decided that the revised by-laws would be submitted to National SHRM for approval.  Once National SHRM has approved the by-laws, the by-laws will be submitted to the membership for approval.  One-fourth of the membership must approve the by-laws (either by vote, proxy, etc.)           

Motion was made by Becky Reynolds and seconded by Phil Peters to approve the minutes of the April 27, 2008, Board Meeting.   The motion was passed.           

Phil Peters reported on the Debra Didawich Memorial Scholarship.  A draft of the application was submitted for review.  It was decided that the metric for accomplishment is 15-20 members seeking certification and 80% who actually obtain certification.  Professional, public service and community activities of our Chapter include:
            Tap Job Fair
            Junior Achievement
            Workforce Readiness Activities
            Communication of other professional learning activities to our membership
            Donations made to SHRM Foundation
            Tap Clothing Drive
            CTE Group           

Johna Campbell announced that Tammy Brown, President of the Virginia Western Community College Student Chapter, will be awarded a $500 scholarship at today’s meeting.           

Johna Campbell also announced that one additional meeting for strategic planning will be conducted before the mission and vision statements and the three large categories of strategic initiatives are presented to the Board and membership.           

Jeff VanDoren suggested that RVSHRM co-sponsor in September a Department of Labor seminar with David Camper of Dixon, Hubbard & Feinour.  We would like to see certification credits be offered for this seminar.  The regular September meeting will feature a workshop on strategic planning.           

Becky Reynolds reported that the August meeting will be a special event for membership.           

Barbara Phelps reported that she and Donna Tatum have been working on ways for the Chapter to raise money and awareness for the SHRM Foundation.  They will attempt to raffle off larger donated items, and the newsletter will feature scholarship awareness.There being no future business, the meeting was adjourned.                                   

Respectfully submitted,                                   

Sandy Hamilton
Secretary       

Check back next month.

The SHRM 50/50 raffle raised $76.00.  Debbie Yancey, Jeff Strom and Tammy Brown with Virginia Western Community College Student Chapter had the winning ticket and split $38.00.

Thank you for your participation.

The SHRM Foundation has committed a total of $100,000 annually for scholarships to be awarded to national SHRM members pursuing a degree in human resources or SPHR, GRHR, PHR or California certification.  In addition, chapters and state councils are eligible to compete for the scholarship monies to fund programs that promote SPHR, GPHR, PHR or California certification.  (Note:  National SHRM members include professional, general or associate members.  Student members and local-only members of chapter are not eligible for this scholarship program).

To learn more about the Foundation visit www.shrm.org/foundation.

Congratulations to Beth Francis, Sr. Director of
Human Resources for Carilion Clinic in earning her SPHR.

Special Interest Groups

A survey completed by the membership last year indicated much interest in providing an opportunity for groups to meet when and wherever it was convenient for them to discuss topics of interest and concern with other members of RVSHRM.

So, we listened and from the list of topics indicated on the survey, have compiled the following Special Interest Groups.  Please contact the facilitators listed to receive notification of the next meetings.

Large Corporation Networking (top level HR within a large corporate structure)
Facilitator:  Kathy Claytor at Kathy.claytor@deltadentalva.com

Training & Development
Facilitator:  Charlotte Mason at cmason@advantageresgroup.com

Benefits & Compensation
Facilitator:  Donald j. Potter, Jr. at djp@benefitstrategies.com

Staffing & Turnover
Facilitator: Jaime Clark at Jaime.clark@roanoke.com

Diversity
Facilitator:  Dan Semones at dsemones@vw.vccs.edu

Wellness
Facilitator:  Becky Reynolds at rebecca815@aol.com

Interest in Networking w/professionals in similar fields (by phone or e-mail)
Facilitator:  Gail Van Duursen at gvd@careersva.com

Please let me know if you have a topic of interest for a Special Interest Group. You can contact me at donna.tatum@expresspros.com or 540-389-8979.

Academic and Certification Scholarships for SHRM Members

100 scholarships totaling $100,000 will be awarded to SHRM members in 2008. The awards program is designed to assist working SHRM members in meeting their professional development goals. Individuals may apply for either a $1375 education scholarship or a $750 certification scholarship. The Southeast Region has a total of $20,000 to distribute which guarantees that there will be 20 scholarship winners (12
certification awards and 8 academic awards). These scholarships are made possible by tax-deductible contributions to the SHRM Foundation.

Application Deadline: July 15, 2008

Eligibility: National SHRM professional, general and associate members pursuing a college degree or working towards PHR, SPHR or GPHR are eligible to apply. SHRM student members are not eligible for these awards.

How to Apply: Visit www.shrm.org/foundation and click on *Scholarships & Awards* to print out an application or learn more about the Regional Scholarship Program.