Greetings!  -  I hope that you are having a great summer season; with this extreme heat, hopefully you are staying cool. 

Our last breakfast meeting for this year was great.  CW Miller gave a wonderful, interactive and engaging presentation on Leadership and the Process of Change.  I want to personally thank CW for being an active member in our chapter and for his willingness to present his programs to our group.

Our August meeting is also being presented by one of our own - Brian Vandiver will provide us with an overview of the Arkansas Drug Free Workplace Act.  Included in his presentation will be best practices for maintaining a drug free work place as well as ideas on how to write a substance abuse policy. 

Just a quick reminder that our 7^th Annual Managers' Seminar is now nipping at our heels.  If you have not yet registered yourself or your managers, please do so.  Although our early-bird discount is no longer available, the cost for the seminar is still very reasonable.  We have had some great volunteers put this together and it is sure to be worth the low cost for this type of training.  The entire seminar has been accredited for recertification hours.

Each of you has received a nomination form for next years WCASHRM board.  The actual deadline for returning this form was July 31^st, however, we are extending this until August 20^th.  Please consider nominating someone whom you feel would benefit our chapter.  Perhaps that person is YOU!  Self nominations are strongly encouraged.  I can honestly say that being on the board is a very rewarding experience.

Remember that as a Chapter, we also had some goals and initiatives that we were implementing this year.  One of those was a "Back To School" drive.  Please try to bring some school supplies with you when you come to the meeting.  All donated items will be given to the local schools.  They will distribute the supplies to those in need.

The other initiative that was suggested was to make donations to the "Professional Clothes Closet"  This program, in conjunction with the Arkansas Workforce Center provides free professional clothing to individuals for job interviews.  Please bring your clean, gently worn clothes to be donated to Abilities Unlimited for this project.

Finally, mark your calendar for the ELLA Conference.  You should have received a flyer in the mail regarding this conference which will be held on September 29^th and 30^th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock.  This is another great place to get your HRCI credits.

See you on August 31^st!

Marina

NOTE: Meeting to be held in the Fordyce Room at National Park Medical Center.

Brian Vandiver will give an overview of the Arkansas Drug Free Workplace Act along with best practices for Human Resources professionals to maintain a drug free workplace.  This will include information on writing a substance abuse policy, pre-employment testing, and how to educate employees.

Brian Vandiver holds a bachelors degree from Hendrix College and a J.D. from UALR.  He is an attorney with Mitchell Williams Law Firm and was recently named one of the "40 Under 40" by Arkansas Business.  Brian specializes in Employment Law and has been in practice since 2003. 

This meeting has been approved for ONE HOUR of GENERAL HRCI credit.

 "The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit."

Register Now!

Employers' Health Coalition is a group of large self insured employers addressing healthcare related issues. Created and directed by self insured employers, today they exist to bring the best value to their members by addressing both cost and quality of healthcare in our state.

The EHC will sponsor their Annual Conference, Breaking Down Barriers: Healthy Employees = Healthy Bottom Line, on September 21-23, 2010 in Hot Springs. Cost is $75 for SHRM members. Scholarships are available for SHRM members. For further information, please call us at 479-201-8510 or email Vicki Barone at vbarone@ehcark.org. 

The cost for member companies is $60 if paid via check. $70 if paid via credit card or for non-member companies.

Topics include: Motivating Your Employees; Dealing with Issues and Complaints; Documentation; How To Do More With Less; Avoiding Unionization as a Manager, Discipline & Termination: The Movie; Conflict Resolution. Concurrent Session Content Schedule Download HERE and Detailed program content is available HERE.

To register, go here to print the form. We need registrants, vendors and sponsors! For more information, email seminar@wcashrm.org. This seminar promises to be one of the best as managers will leave there with tools they can implement immediately.  

Get Involved on the WCASHRM Board!

We're accepting nominations for the WCASHRM Board, and Self-nomination is encouraged. Members in current positions may be suggested for the same or other positions (as long as they are not term limited under the chapter by-laws). Any questions about the positions, please contact Marina Mueller at Marina.Mueller@jqh.com or Leslie Jo Tucker at ltucker@summitbankdirect.com. Please return this form to Marina Mueller or Leslie Jo Tucker by August 20, 2010.

Speaking as a SHRM volunteer, I can say that being involved on the WCASHRM board was truly life changing - It made me a better HR Professional, and allowed me to extend my networking, and leadership capabilities. So, nominate yourself -- don't wait to be asked - get involved. (Tara Mauk Arthur)

WCASHRM is collecting Back to School supplies to donate to students who are unable to buy their own! Please drop off to Marina Mueller at the Embassy Suites hotel or bring to the next meeting.

Join the WCASHRM Team "HR Chicks" as we walk/run for the cure of breast cancer. If you're interested in being on our team, contact Tara Mauk Arthur at tara.arthur@sflic.net. Cost is $30. Team registration deadline is August 31.

Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure
Saturday, October 16th, 2010
8 AM
Downtown, Little Rock, Arkansas
(intersection of Broadway & 2nd Street)

All funds from the Komen Race for the Cure go to research, education, screening and treatment programs.

For more information about the race, visit: http://www.komenarkansas.org/komen-race-for-the-cure/

We are very excited about our Ninth Annual Employment Law and Legislative Affairs (ELLA) conference, at the Embassy Suites of Little Rock, September 29^th and September 30th. You will have an opportunity to ask State Representatives questions about state legislation that affects both employers and employees of Arkansas. We will also have a mock union campaign on the second day, where you will witness first hand tactics used by union organizers! We will also have top-notch employment law concurrent sessions, and some fantastic guest speakers that include current legislators, labor attorneys and some of the top HR professionals in the state.  This conference is a must for Human Resource Professionals. It is important in this election year that we are heard by legislators and that we listen to them. Our strong rapport with legislators will help provide guidance on the creation, development and enforcement of new, current and pending legislation concerning employers and employees. We are also pleased to inform you that this year's conference is eligible for HRCI and CLE credit!  

We want to encourage everyone to sign up for the conference before the early bird registration ends September 1. Click here for the registration form.

$10K Meisinger Fellowship for Graduate Study in HR - Application Deadline EXTENDED to September 30, 2010.

There's still time to apply for the $10,000 Meisinger Fellowship for Graduate Study in HR.  Check out www.shrm.org/meisinger.

2010 SHRM Foundation Student Scholarship Program -

Application Deadline October 15, 2010

More than $50,000 will be awarded in education and certification scholarships.  25 scholarships available.

http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/scholarships/Pages/default.aspx