Quarterly News from Kansas SHRM

June 2023

We’re nearly halfway thru 2023 already. Can you believe it? As I was preparing this note I was reflecting on where Kansas SHRM was three years ago. It seems like both forever ago and just yesterday. I was the Secretary/Treasurer at that time and our state council members (and many of you) were working overtime to bring experts onto multiple – 10 actually - Zoom calls focused on how HR could handle the pandemic. The hours spent on those calls, reviewing documents, learning how to really dig into legislation and understand political documents - it was a crazy busy time, but one where our profession really rallied together to support each other. Education, resources, and networking were of mind every minute. Though I sincerely hope we never experience a time like that again, we learned so much and truly proved HR’s value. It was a time of growth, awareness, and so, so many frustrations. But we persevered. And we (and our profession) are better for it.

Fast forward to today and your state council is still hard at work.

Our 2023 State Conference is shaping up to be a dynamic and engaging event with some amazing speakers. I hope you’re registered! With a line-up that includes Wesley Hamilton, Joel Goldberg, and Mary Lucas (to name a few) you’ll want to be there. Have we mentioned recently how many PDC’s can be earned at this event? And if you are a volunteer plan to stop by the membership booth for a spotlight in our volunteer video!
The deadline for submitting nominations for both the Trombold (Kansas HR Professional of the Year) and Rising Star awards close soon! Don’t forget to nominate those that inspire you!
Our Diversity Series has proffered some very insightful and implementation-worthy content. If you weren’t able to attend you can access the recordings online. Previous programs are also posted.
The HR Registered Apprenticeship program is really taking off! We continue to welcome new employers and apprentices. Check out our last newsletter or our website for more about this program.
Our lobbyists, Bright & Carpenter, kept us well-informed on legislative efforts throughout the 2023 legislative session. Cassie Gilmore, our HR RAP Navigator, testified on behalf of Kansas SHRM on House Bill 2292, the apprenticeship tax credit bill. Phil Hayes spoke to House Bill 2333, the unemployment ghosting bill. We’re reviewing applications for our UI & Work Comp Nominating Committee appointments. If you didn’t know before now, Kansas has one of the largest advocacy delegations with SHRM. Stay tuned for more information about Kansas legislative roundtables!
We’ve finalized non-conference sponsorship packages – a huge win to support our vendors beyond and with our events.
Leadership Academy for Chapter and State Council volunteer leaders is underway. If you aren’t a volunteer today, you should talk to someone who is, because you will want to be there November 30^th and December 1^st in Hutchinson!
We are looking for a couple of folks who would like to chair the 2024 State Conference to be held in Wichita September 2024. Contact office@ksshrm.org today if you are interested!
State Council Director-Elect Stacey Moeder and I attended the 2023 SHRM National Conference in Las Vegas with 25,000 other HR professionals. Mitch Albom, former President Bill Clinton,

Before I sign off, if you haven’t heard, SHRM is celebrating 75 years of creating better workplaces. Check out the SHRM website to learn more. At the National conference last week there was an enormous timeline depicting major milestones throughout the years – it was something to behold. Too bad the only pic I got was of the front end of the timeline. Side note: the hallway DJ was fire, but nowhere near as awesome as Janet Jackson who provided a 90-minute performance for conference attendees!

Be sure to check-in with your Chapter volunteer leaders to learn more about what’s going on at the chapter level as well and how it can benefit you in your career. Many have provided updates for this newsletter to give you a taste. And you are always welcome to check-in with the state council.

Yours in service (we’re volunteers!!),

Makala Navarro, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPM

Kansas SHRM State Council Director

SHRM National Conference

The SHRM National Conference was held in Las Vegas from June 11 to June 14.

The event boasted record-breaking attendance with over 25,000 attendees! A few of our fellow Kansas SHRM chapter members made sure to take time to meet up one evening. Looks like a great time!

Make sure to mark your calendar now for next year's conference in Chicago from June 23 to June 26.

Three Chapters Named 2022 Excel Award Winners

Congratulations to the following chapters!

Salina HR Management Association: Gold Level
Wichita Chapter of SHRM: Gold Level
SHRM of Johnson County: Platinum Level

KS SHRM: A 2022 Top Fundraising State Council

KS SHRM was named a Top 10 State Council for fundraising. Fundraising efforts supported programs such as the Health Workplaces, Healthy Work initiative.

Click here to see KS SHRM showcased on the SHRM Recognition page.

Honor Flight Network of Kansas City

KS SHRM leaders, we are excited to announce our Community Outreach to support the Honor Flight Network of Kansas City!

What better way to SOAR into HR by assisting our Veterans as they FLY to DC to pay tribute to those that have served along them.

“The Honor Flight Network™ is a national non-profit organization created to honor veterans of the United States military. We extend our appreciation to America’s veterans for all their sacrifices by flying our heroes to Washington, DC to visit and to reflect at their various memorials. The trip is free of charge for every veteran.”

There are so many ways in which each one of us can contribute to this amazing program. Their next scheduled flight is on September 27, 2023.

They are seeking volunteers in many areas and if you can’t volunteer your time, monetary donations are also welcomed. Please view their Facebook page and website to learn and see more about the program. Click here and here to see what opportunities are available and submit your application.

Don't Miss Out: 2023 KS SHRM Diversity Series

Join Kansas SHRM for a diversity web series to increase cultural awareness and competency in our HR community. A diverse group of speakers will continue to present throughout the coming months on diversity & inclusion. The series will culminate at the KS SHRM State Conference in September with a final in-person keynote.

Make sure to check out the KS SHRM Diversity Series page to view past diversity webinar recordings here.

Interested in volunteering with the 2024 Employment Law & Employee Benefits conference? If so, email KS SHRM at office@ksshrm.com to learn more.

Trombold & Rising Star Awards

Nominations due next Friday, June 30, at 5pm

Kansas HR Professionals,

Please take a moment and nominate an HR Colleague you believe deserves this recognition. The Trombold Award and the Rising Star Award are both incredible ways to recognize the hard work someone is doing. The Awards Committee would like to see a nomination for each award from each chapter but this doesn’t mean an individual can't nominate someone as well. Thank you for your thoughtfulness as we recognize and honor our fellow HR heroes.

Kansas Hires Marketing Firm to Boost Population

As the state's population stagnates and people are packing up for Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and elsewhere, Kansas is determined to lure back the population it's losing with a new marketing campaign.

The Legislature this year approved $2 million for a campaign aimed at bringing ex-pats back to Kansas, which lost about 7,400 people because of domestic migration from 2021 to 2022, according to Census data.

The state has already hired a national firm, Development Counsellors International, with expertise in marketing places to develop a campaign that will be aimed at bringing people back to Kansas for new opportunity.

Read the full article from the Sunflower State Journal here.

Kansas Awards $10 Million in Workforce Grants

The state has awarded $10 million to 26 Kansas businesses to develop training and workforce development projects to keep and lure high-demand and high-paying jobs.

Commerce Secretary/Lt. Gov. David Toland announced the awards this week. His department created the Delivering Kansans and Workforce (DRAW) program earlier this year.

“As Kansas continues to attract transformative economic development projects it is vital our state’s talent pipeline receives the right training to build out the skillsets needed to enjoy successful careers in these targeted sectors. The DRAW program is laser-focused on the state’s most critical positions,” he said.

The $10 million grant program was part of the Kelly/Toland administration’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) task force. The State Finance Council approved the grants.

Fifty applicants requested a total of $24 million in grants, and the 26 chosen used the program’s $10 million in funding. The program saw support from GOP legislative leaders, with Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, saying, “It is a priority for the Legislature that these vacant high-demand, high-wage jobs are filled by Kansans whenever possible.”

The grant recipients will use the funds for construction of on-site training facilities, machinery and equipment, and salaries directly related to training for high-demand, high-paying jobs for Kansans and out-of-state applicants to move to Kansas.

KS SHRM HR Career Center

Chapter Updates

SEKRA

Join the Southeast Kansas Human Resource Association at the 12th Annual Emporia Area Business Conference on July 10th. This event offers 6 SHRM-CP credits for $30 (early bird registration before 7/1).

Click here to view the conference site and register.

SHRMJC

Do you live in or around Johnson County Kansas, and work or partner in Human Resources? Check us out! SHRMJC offers a variety of professional resources, networking, and certification opportunities. From monthly chapter programs featuring HR expert presentations (offering recertification credits), new member engagement opportunities, biz mixers, round tables, and more, SHRMJC offers a plethora of ways to connect, engage, and stay up to date with Human Resource topics and trends!

Click here for a summary of our membership benefits.

Interested in checking it out? Here are some upcoming events:

June 28, 2023

Roundtable: HR Internship Programs

Time: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

July 11, 2023

Roundtable: Multi-State HR - Navigating the Complex

Time: 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM

July 20, 2023

Program: Let's Make HR Reports and Analytics More Fun!

Time: 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

July 27, 2023

I See You: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summer Conference

Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

August 2, 2023

New Member Coffee Connect

Time: 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM

August 17, 2023

Program: The Compensation Conversation - Inflation, Trends & Strategy

Time: 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

SHRMJC Outstanding Volunteer of the Quarter

Congratulations are in order! Allison Schimelpfenig, MBA, SHRM-CP was awarded SHRMJC’s Outstanding Volunteer of the Quarter. Allison is a stellar HR professional and works as a Corporate Recruiter at Walsworth, on top of being a committed and hardworking SHRMJC member. Thank you for being such a valued member of our chapter, and for all the work you do for SHRMJC. You are a star!

I SEE YOU

DEI Conference

July 27

Ball Event Center – Olathe, KS

Attend this exclusive one-day event and take your DEI+ efforts and initiatives to the next level! SHRMJC is partnering with Baker University and KVC Health Systems to offer this conference.

Packed with keynote and breakout sessions and panel discussion, this conference covers the hot and emerging DEI topics, challenges, and best practices relevant to DEI and HR professionals today.

Grow your network, form meaningful connections, identify and share best practices, and leave this conference with the tools and techniques you can immediately put into action to build a better tomorrow.

SHRM of Southwest Kansas

SHRM of Southwest Kansas is excited to announce our 2023 Business Leadership Conference to be held October 19th at Garden City Community College, Endowment Room, Garden City, KS.

This year’s conference will feature Keynote Speaker, Kit Welchin. Visit his website for more details, welchin.com. We will also, have our very own from KS SHRM, Natalie Bright to give us an update on Kansas Advocacy, Tim Davis, Managing Partner with Constancy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP., update on Employment Law and Garden City Community College’s DE&I Committee will present on the DE&I topic.

If you would like more information, please contact Tresia Crawford, SHRM of SWKS, Treasurer and Committee Chair at tcrawford@gpcu.org.

SHRM Topeka

SHRM Topeka held a Happy Hour event on March 15th. It was a fun evening of networking, food, and drinks!

SHRM Topeka hosted a fantastic DEI SHRMinar on May 18th.

We had a panel of local leaders participate in a DEI panel discussion, a presentation on LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity in the Workplace, and Ability Awareness Training & Activities.

Mark your calendar for these exciting events.

Save the Date for the Leadership

SHRMinar on August 17, 2023.

Coach and Speaker Lindsay Roberts and People Centric Consutling Group's Matt Griswold will be presenting on topics including the power of resilience, emotional intelligence, understanding communication styles, and how the stories we tell ourselves affect our relationships at work. Learn more here.

DisruptHR is returning to Topeka.

Mark your calendar for the evening of October 19, 2023, for an event that is designed to energize, inform, and empower people in the HR field.

Follow updates and learn about Disrupt at https://disrupthr.co/city/topeka/

SHRM Topeka is celebrating our 40 year anniversary.

Save the Date for our Member Appreciation Event on the evening of Thursday, November 9, 2023.

Chapter Websites

Our Kansas Chapters are hosting incredible events all across the state! Many are happening virtually with the COVID challenges we are facing. You can click here or on the Affiliate Chapters tab to find any one of our chapters to be directed to their website to find upcoming events.