September 2026

Valley Society for Human Resource Management (VSHRM) serves the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond, supporting HR professionals through education, networking, and leadership development. We’re your local resource for HR knowledge, community, and growth. Learn more and get involved at https://vshrm.shrm.org/ 

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MEETING & REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Please register by Thursday, September 3! Registrations received after this date are subject to an additional $10 late fee.

This meeting is part of the 2026-2027 Fast Pass! Purchase yours today and SAVE

BIG on Valley SHRM's meetings!

Valley SHRM is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification activities.

President's Message

We’re kicking off a new VSHRM program year with fresh energy and exciting opportunities ahead. As Labor Day approaches, it’s also a good time to recognize the people who keep our workplaces and communities moving—and the role HR plays in helping both people and organizations succeed.

I’m excited about what we have planned for 2026–2027. Our program year begins with “Compensation in the AI Era: Building Fair, Competitive, and Data-Driven Pay Systems”, presented by Kevin Marrs, Vice President of the American Society of Employers. ASE is also VSHRM’s Silver Resource Partner and sponsor of our September meeting. Their support helps make our programming possible and strengthens the resources we provide to members and the broader HR community. For complete information about the Tuesday, September 8 meeting, including the presentation, speaker, location and virtual attendance options, please see the meeting information in this newsletter.

We are also offering the 2026–2027 VSHRM Fast Pass, a convenient way to cover the full program year at a significant savings. One purchase is $325 for members or $395 for non-members, covering all 9 monthly meetings plus both half-day seminars, in-person or virtual. You'll still register for the meetings you plan to attend, but your program fees will already be paid.

The best part? The savings are essentially like getting one half-day seminar and two monthly meetings FREE — plus a full year of professional development, practical ideas, connections and the opportunity to earn 15+ recertification credits.

A quick note about registration: We recently switched to a new payment system. To receive the VSHRM member rate when registering for programs, you’ll need to enter the member discount code that was emailed to you. If you’re a VSHRM member and didn’t receive the code or can’t locate it, please reach out to us by email or text and we’ll be happy to help.

SHRM + Valley SHRM = Your Complete Membership. As we continue through our first year as a SHRM membership-required chapter, there may still be some confusion about whether you are a VSHRM member.

You do not need to be a SHRM or VSHRM member to attend our meetings. Everyone is welcome. Membership simply provides additional benefits, including discounted meeting rates, along with access to national SHRM resources and local opportunities to learn, earn recertification credits, build relationships and connect with other HR professionals.

• If you are already a SHRM member, simply visit the VSHRM page, log in as a SHRM member and verify that VSHRM is listed as your local chapter. If VSHRM is not listed, follow the prompts to add our chapter to your SHRM membership.

• If you are not currently a SHRM member and would like to join, create a new SHRM membership and be sure to select VSHRM as your local chapter during the membership process.

Whether you’ve been involved with VSHRM for years or are just getting to know us, I hope you’ll make VSHRM part of your professional year. Attend a meeting, meet someone new, get involved and take advantage of all our chapter has to offer.

I look forward to seeing you on September 8 and throughout the year. Have a wonderful Labor Day!

If you have questions or need assistance with anything VSHRM, please reach out to us by email or text.

Wendy Yelsik, PHR, SHRM-CP

Human Resources Director | Fabiano Brothers, Inc.

President, Valley SHRM

📱 (989) 621-4819

🔗 LinkedIn

Our Resource Partners make so much of what we do possible. Their generosity supports our programming, strengthens our chapter, and connects our members to expertise and solutions that matter in the HR profession. We're grateful for their continued investment in Valley SHRM and in the HR community we serve together.

Please join us in thanking our 2026 Resource Partners:

• Gold — Brown & Brown
• Silver — ASE (American Society of Employers) and Marsh McLennan Agency
• Bronze — Jovie Nannies + Sitters and Wildfire Credit Union

We encourage you to learn more about each partner and the value they bring to our members.

Interested in becoming a Resource Partner? Please contact Ricardo Resio!

One Pass. Every Meeting. BIG SAVINGS!

2026–2027 Program Year | September 2026 through August 2027

On Sale until October 15! 

SHRM+VSHRM MEMBER FAST PASS — $325

Regularly $395. Members receive a $70 discount off the Event Pass rate.

Save $178 vs. paying per event — like getting 1 half-day seminar plus 2 monthly meetings free.

NON-MEMBER EVENT PASS — $395

Open to everyone — no membership required.

Save $213 vs. paying per event — like getting 1 half-day seminar plus 2 monthly meetings free.

EVERY PASS INCLUDES:

• 9 Monthly Meetings — attend in person or virtually
• 2 Half-Day Seminars
• 15+ SHRM and HRCI recertification credits
• $178 in savings
• NEW: Bring one non-member guest to one regular monthly meeting at no charge

Need the VSHRM member discount code? Text VSHRM at 833-848-2401 for assistance.

Welcome to the VSHRM Dual Membership Community!

This year marked an exciting milestone for our chapter with our move to dual membership (DMR) — bringing VSHRM and SHRM national membership together under one connected community.

We're pleased to recognize the members who have joined us under the SHRM DMR program:

Angelica Aguilar, Amy Ames, Jeffrey Bodrie, Dean Evans, Alicia Fonzi, Rhonda Griggs, Phillip Hale, Lauren Hompstead, Abby Kuch, Courtney Loomis, Ann Lopez, Christa Louks, Tonia Nutt, Kari Peckham, Cara Petoskey, Rachael Phipps, Heather Resmer, Daniel Rinke, Samantha Roth, Lynette Ryan, Alicia Shivers, and April Yennior.

We're grateful to have each of you as part of our growing community of HR professionals — representing employers of all sizes across the Great Lakes Bay Region. The move to dual membership connects us more closely with SHRM while keeping the local relationships and learning that make VSHRM special. Together, we're building a stronger, more connected chapter than ever before.

We encourage everyone to join us at an upcoming meeting, get involved, and reach out anytime with questions. Thank you for being part of VSHRM.

Celebrating Our Renewing Members

Just as we're welcoming new members, we're also celebrating those who are renewing — and the process is working just as we hoped.

To make the transition to DMR as smooth as possible, VSHRM gave every member a dues holiday — waiving chapter dues from January 1 until each member's SHRM membership came up for renewal. It was our way of easing into the new structure without asking anyone to pay twice or renew before their time.

Since then, we've been thrilled to see that renewal is becoming a natural part of the process. More than 65 members have renewed their VSHRM membership under DMR — a wonderful show of commitment to our chapter and to the HR community across the Great Lakes Bay Region.

If your SHRM renewal date is still ahead of you, there's nothing you need to do just yet — your dues holiday continues until then, and renewing will be simple when the time comes. And if you have questions about your renewal or membership status, we're always happy to help at membership@vshrm.org or through the Contact Us page on our website.

Thank you for renewing, for growing with us, and for being part of what makes VSHRM special. Here's to a strong year ahead — together.

Is your membership expiring soon? Renew today at https://affiliate.shrm.org/vshrm/en

Congratulations to the second winner of our VSHRM Year-End Experience Survey gift card drawing!

Abbie Kuch - Congratulations! 🏆

The survey is still open, and we want to hear from you. If you have not yet participated, please complete the survey today for your chance to win a $25 gift card. Your feedback will help VSHRM improve the programs, resources, and experiences we provide to our members.

Congratulations to the August Monthly Meeting Survey gift card drawing!

Kari Peckham - Congratulations! 🏆

A special thank-you to Reward Builder for generously supporting our survey! For every 25 completed surveys, Reward Builder is donating one $25 gift card—up to five gift cards total. That means the more responses we receive, the more winners we can celebrate!

IRS updates FAQs on qualified overtime deduction

IR-2026-88, Aug. 6, 2026

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today updated frequently asked questions about the deductions for qualified overtime compensation.

The frequently asked questions are incorporated into this news release by reference.

The updated FAQs are available in Fact Sheet FS-2026-13 and revise FS-2026-01, issued in January 2026.

VSHRM Offers Text Updates!

Stay in the loop with the latest VSHRM news, events, and reminders—right on your phone!

Send VSHRM to 1-833-848-2401 to sign up for our text messages.

We’re excited to keep you connected—fast, easy, and direct!

After signing up, you’ll receive an automated message from VSHRM confirming your subscription!

VSHRM FINANCIALS

Submitted by Patty Alfano, VSHRM Treasurer

Program Year - September 2025 through August 2026