Welcome to summer in Maine!  This is my favorite time of year and while it is our shortest season, it gives so many of us that breath of fresh air that we have been waiting for all winter long.  As we wind down in the state on SHRM-related initiatives (for the most part) for July and August, I hope everyone is able to take some time and enjoy it.

Many of you attended the 2015 Maine HR Conference and know that Kristy Gould has been named the 2015 Maine HR Volunteer Leader of the Year and Giovanni Twigge has been named the 2015 Maine HR Leader of the Year.  Both of them have contributed so much to Maine and the HR profession.  Congratulations again to Kristy and Gio!

As can always be expected, the HR Conference team provided us with exceptional learning and networking opportunities again this year.  Bud, Heather and the rest of their team once again outdid themselves.  Congratulations to them for a fabulous 20 years!

Thank you to everyone who took part in our new Lucky Auction at the conference which benefits the SHRM Foundation and the State Council.  We raised over $4,700 and had a lot of fun doing it!  It was great to see so many people take their chances on winning some great items.

MESHRM is currently looking to fill two positions on our Board.  We are in need of a Co-Chair for the Best Places to Work Program and a College Relations Director.  If you have any interest in learning more about these two specific opportunities, please contact me.  As we approach the end of the summer and beginning of fall (trust me, I am not wishing the summer away so hopefully it will feel like a long ways away) we will also be focusing on 2016 goals.  If you have any interest in getting on our contact list for 2016 (and future) volunteer opportunities, please click on this link and complete a short form indicating your interest.  Our Council needs more talented HR Professionals and you do not need to have been a former chapter leader to join us.  These volunteer positions provide so many opportunities - one of which is working among other talented HR professionals like yourself!

With that, I hope you all enjoy the summer!  MESHRM and all of Maine's chapters have exciting events and meetings lined up for the fall and we hope to see you there.

In following SHRM's mission in serving and advancing the HR profession, the next generation of competency based certification has arrived!

The new certifications, SHRM Certified Professional and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP) was built on the BoCK, Body of Competency and Knowledge which provides a full representation of who we are as a profession, and what we have to offer our employers. This new certification will demonstrate for HR professionals who we are, what we do, and why it matters. Simply put -- it's our value proposition!

If you are already currently certified by HRCI, you can earn the appropriate credentials FREE by completing the Pathway. 30,000 HR professionals have already earned their specific designation. You've worked hard for your PHR and/or SPHR and SHRM demonstrates recognition of that by offering this great opportunity. Please don't let it pass by! If you earned either your PHR or SPHR prior to January 31, 2015, you have until December 31, 2015 to take the pathway!

Not certified yet? You can register today to sit for the exam window of May 1 - July 15, 2015. Registration is already open!

For more information about SHRM certification please visit the dedicated website at http://www.shrm.org/certification/pages/default.aspx or please reach out to your local chapter or to the State Council.

FMI on local certification prep courses:

Kaplan University

University of Southern Maine

Join those who have already certified in 2015.  Don't see yourself on this list and have gotten certified?   Email and let us know!

Barbara Lovejoy, SHRM-CP, PHR
MESHRM Certification Director

It is hard to believe it is June already. Time goes by so quickly! MSHHRA had its first quarterly meeting in March with speaker, Christopher Bauer. PhD. CSP. CFS, speaking on HR Ethics. Our next meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2015 and our speaker for this meeting will be Rufus Seames, labor program specialist, from the Maine Department of Labor. He will be speaking about "Unemployment - From an Employer Perspective." The 2nd part of the meeting will be a networking session and will include breaking out into groups to discuss areas of interest. All are encouraged to bring questions, expertise, problems, and good humor! 

 

The Executive Committee will meet in August to begin planning for the Sebasco Bi-Annual Conference scheduled for September 15 and September 16, 2016. Mark your calendars! As much as we look forward to summer, we also anticipate fall around the corner! 

 

On September 17th Lynn Richards, MBA, who coaches, develops and inspires leaders and emerging leaders will provide education onPromoting Individual and Organizational Accountability. Matt Bahl, Director of Compliance and policies at Maine Medical Center/MaineHealth and a self-proclaimed "recovering lawyer," will speak on "As the World of HR Turns" on November 12th. This session will introduce us to key HR aspects via real-life case studies, allowing us to apply our body of knowledge, develop new skills and techniques to apply to "real-life HR case studies", and to develop best-practice frameworks to analyze scenarios, determine risks and recommend next steps. 

 

All meetings are held at the Maine Hospital Association Building, 33 Fuller Road, in Augusta with a business meeting beginning at 12:30 p.m. following education at 1:00 p.m. All meetings have been approved for HRCI and SHRM credits. 

 

If you are not currently a member, we encourage you to join us as a guest to 'look and see' what we are all about. You can also visit our website atwww.mshhra.shrm.org for more information.

Wishing you a fun-filled summer,

Karen Littlefield, MSHHRA President

Over 820 of Maine's HR community embarked upon the Samoset Resort in early May to learn together and to celebrate 20 years of employer programming. Thank you to all that joined us May 5-8 and a HUGE THANK YOU to Maine SHRM, the HR chapters, our lead sponsor Memic and the 82 Business Partners for their investment in this year's program. The convention delivered 24.25 recertification credits for both SHRM and the HR Certification Institute(HRCI), featured SIX nationally acclaimed headliners, presented 36 breakout sessions, and recognized the HR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Kristy Gould, HR Director for the City of Augusta and the HR LEADER OF THE YEAR Giovani Twigge, CHRO for IDEXX. Lastly, we were incredibly INSPIRED by the four amazing Maine high school students who took the Samoset stage and showed us the incredible talent blossoming  in Maine.

 

What's next for 2016?  We're in the planning process RIGHT NOW! Save the dates for a May 10-13, 2016 back at the Samoset Resort. Summer focus groups will be announced VERY SOON. Focus groups will consider what creates a great conference experience for Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials. We'll discuss learning experiences shared by the generations and the unique desires of each. With particular emphasis on the content and delivery for the newest in our midst - the Millennials. Locations and dates: In Southern Maine - Muddy Rudder in Yarmouth, July 29; In the Bangor Region - U Maine Orono, 8/12; In Central Maine - DaVinci's in Lewiston 8/13. RSVP when you get your email invite. Bring your ideas to the table. We create experiences, rather than events. But we can't do that without your energy and ideas. Dive in! Not receiving our emails, join our mailing list by emailing [email protected].  

Sincerely, Conference Curator: Bud Bernstein, SHRM Maine State Council, HR Convention Chair: Heather Bassett, and Strategic HR US