President's Message

• 
  

  December 2011

  We Want You!

  by Jennifer C. Loftus, MBA, SPHR-CA, GPHR

  
  

  It's hard to believe that 2011 will be over in a few days. 2011 was a year filled with new experiences, some of which we might prefer to forget! We witnessed quite a bit of history, including, and certainly not limited to:
  
  * The Japanese earthquake and tsunami
  * The capture of Osama bin Laden
  *The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton
  *July's burning heatwave
  *The East Coast earthquake that rocked New York City
  *Hurricane Irene and her fury
  *Steve Jobs' passing
  *The October snowstorm

   

  While the major news stories focused on natural disasters and economic uncertainty, this year had many high points! HR/NY continued to be a source of positive energy and community for all of us. We earned the prestigious Platinum SHAPE award - the only SHRM chapter in New York State to do so, and one of only 18 SHRM chapters to do so nationwide. We launched our new partnership with WorldatWork, to provide you with additional learning opportunities and PHR / SPHR / GPHR recertification credits. We developed a relationship with The Marcus Buckingham Group, to give you an additional member benefit and savings on products and services you need to excel in your HR role.

   

  Programming and special events were plentiful this year! Did you enjoy programs from our HR Fundamentals, Speaker Select, or Strategic Programming Series? Did you have a life-changing evening at the ICF-NYC / HR/NY Laser Coaching Night? We had the opportunity to build our networks at the annual New York City HR association networking Mega-Mixer and our Networking SIG's Bowl-tini event.

   

  But the year's not over yet! Later this month I hope to see you with several hundred of your HR/NY colleagues at our 7th Annual Holiday Party and Meet the Committees Event.

   

  These are only a few of the many new and exciting initiatives that happened within the HR/NY community during this calendar year. How were we able to accomplish everything? HR/NY is successful because of our strong volunteer base. With an organization as large as ours, there is always room for more helping hands! This coming year, I hope that you will be able to give of your time and talents - whether a little or a lot - to help HR/NY flourish in 2012. New volunteers mean new ideas and new energy, a perfect complement to the strong leadership provided by our long-term volunteers.

   

  At this year's holiday party, you'll have the opportunity to meet with many of our committees and Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and find one or several good fits for you! I am also happy to talk with you one on one, and explore with you the areas where we are most in need of volunteer help. Don't be shy - please come up and say hello! We want you to get involved! .

   

  I hope that becoming more active with your local SHRM chapter is one of your new year's resolutions. Get a jump start on that goal during December 15th's big party, and feel good about giving back to your profession.

   

  Thank you for your continued support of HR/NY, in both the good and the challenging times.

   

  You are an important part of the HR/NY community.

   

  Wishing you and those dear to you all the beauty, joy, and peace of the season!

   

  
  

  Jennifer C. Loftus, SPHR-CA, GPHR

  President, HR/NY

  National Director, Astron Solutions

  jcloftus@astronsolutions.com