Dear HR Colleagues and Visiting Professionals:
As I begin my tenure as chapter president, I could not be more proud of the accomplishments of Philly SHRM and the Human Resource profession as a whole. During this past year of very turbulent times, we were called upon to evolve into the strategic player that we have been preparing for over the past decade or longer.
As our Philly SHRM board prepares to launch into another year of excellent programming for the Delaware Valley Region, I would like to share with you what I know for sure during these uncertain times.
First, you must celebrate your successes. Here are a few from our chapter:
What did we accomplish in the past year?
- Development of the HR Professional was at an all time high for us: When many were concerned about what was next for them, the HR Professional stayed the course and took advantage of the many learning opportunities offered by our chapter: 11 webcasts, 4 professional development series, 5 career management forums, and the launch of a new Emerging HR Leaders group for our colleagues new or recent to the field. Many of our sessions were close to capacity or sold out.
- The HR Professional continued to reach out and connect: Membership into the Society of Human Resource Management continued to grow from our region in the National Chapter and in turn, our membership into the Philly SHRM elevated. Last year our membership increased by over 200 members from college members to the Senior Executive.
- Commitment from Senior HR Professionals and Executives in our community continued to thrive: Our Senior Executive Forum (composed of VP’s, SVP’s, and EVP’s) as well as company leaders continued to show their support for our chapter by partnering on major events, hosting roundtables to help guide the work of the chapter, and mentoring our members when called upon.
Next, you must keep the vision in front of your team. Another board task this summer was creating a new vision statement for Philly SHRM. The vision statement crafted by our board now reads, “Philly SHRM creates opportunities for HR professionals to lead people and lead organizations. We provide resources, tools and skills to inspire new thinking and to successfully navigate the business environment.”
Where are we headed?
So with a new vision, it is time to implement new goals set forth by our board to move the vision forward. Here are a few examples of how we will accomplish this work.
- Expanding our development to include executive leadership tracks. As you can see from last year’s attendance, we have been very successful with early career- to mid-level development. Now we are seeking to engage our senior leaders by providing developmental opportunity and partnering with executive education institutions within our learning module platform over the next 24 months.
- Elevate and leverage our branding. Philly SHRM is well-known in Delaware Valley. Over the next 24 months, we will launch a communications campaign making the Philly SHRM name a brand name within all corporations in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, DE). This strategy will assist with our partnership, membership, and overall chapter branding and sustainability.
- Increase membership that currently stands at 1800 by 300 members to 2,010 by the end of 2010 to include 100 additional Senior Executive members. This goal will assist with the providing depth and breadth within our organizational structure, provide resource opportunities for our membership, enhance the intellectual capital that is readily available within our membership, and give the Senior Executives a platform to integrate their ideas and share best practices with their peers from other Super Mega Chapters from across the country.
In closing, you can see that we have a lot of work on the slate for the next 24 months. We will revisit these goals over time with you because we need YOU to make these a reality. If you are already a member, I say THANK YOU! If you are considering membership, we invite you to peruse the site and reach out to our board members and committee members and ask questions about the value of our chapter – I’m sure you will be encouraged that membership is worth your time and investment. Lastly, please get involved, we need you! The HR profession needs you!
I am honored to be this year’s President of one of the most prestigious chapters in the country – a Super Mega Chapter (defined by membership size) in the terms of SHRM National! I look forward to your comments and suggestions, and welcome you to share them at info@phillyshrm.org.
Regards,
Kelley F. Cornish, MA, CCDP
Director, Talent Management & Diversity & Inclusion
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
President, Philly SHRM |
