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Interested in Volunteering for HRA-NCA? Actively seeking volunteers for enhancing HRA-NCA's Web site in 2005. Contact Rob Swatland, Vice President,
Communications or Eric Conroy,
Chair, Volunteers, if you are interested in volunteering in any other
capacity.
The HRA-NCA
2004 Compensation Survey Report is available for purchase now. This
is a resource you need for your job!
Professional Development Series Announced for 2005:
Advancing Your Career - Secure and Maintain Your Seat at The Executive
Table
Special Pricing on All Four Seminars!
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This is
the e-mail newsletter of the Human Resource Association of the
National Capital Area (HRA-NCA), a proud affiliated chapter of the
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). HRA-NCA serves HR
professionals throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area
with a monthly HR Speaker Series, many other professional development
opportunities and the area's best compensation survey.
Don't miss the DC SHRM
Conference on January 28th!
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· HR Today - Facing the Challenges of
Tomorrow, NOW!
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Start off
2005 with the right knowledge and contacts to advance your career. Join
250 of your HR colleagues at the DC SHRM Conference! Whether you need PHR/SPHR
recertification credits, wish to enhance your skills to face the
challenges of the new year, or want to meet new professional contacts,
you should not miss this conference.
The
conference kick-off features Mark Gorkin,
the "Stress Doc," psychotherapist, international speaker
and author. Attend a full day of learning with hands-on workshops,
panels and presentations by HR practitioners and consultants. Choose from
15 educational sessions, covering important need-to-know topics.
- Managing Legal Issues - 5 informative
sessions!
- HR Competencies - 5 dynamic sessions!
- Professional and Personal
Growth and Development - 5 exciting sessions!
Learn about new HR products and services during our Vendor
Expo while networking with your colleagues during lunch and an
afternoon reception. And, you may win one of many door prizes,
including a trip to the SHRM Conference in San Diego in June 2005!
Many
thanks to our conference sponsors:
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Complete
details about the conference, educational sessions and registration...
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· Interested in PHR/SPHR Certification?
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Here's another New Year's
Resolution: attain PHR/SPHR certification. HRA-NCA can help you. Join the
certification exam preparation class beginning on February 18, 2005. This excellent class in several
sessions will be taught by Paul Shibelski, SPHR, our area's best instructor in certification
preparation. You will learn a great deal about Human Resources, prepare
for the self- exam administered by HRCI, AND you'll have fun and meet
some great new friends in class. Plan to take a big step for your career!
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Certification
Preparation Information and Registration...
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· Diversity is Destiny...
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The Future is Now: Changing
Demographics of the Workforce, February 9, 2005.
As the global market has expanded,
the world has become smaller! Particularly in the Washington DC area, we are faced with the opportunity
to meld ever- evolving diverse population groups into our corporate
cultures - and the responsibility of every human resource professional is
to embrace his or her role as a change agent. The February 9th HRA-NCA
Speaker Presentation welcomes Debbie Smith of the Walter Kaitz Foundation and Michele Synegal
of Management Dynamics to discuss this important topic. Join us for
dinner and this interesting presentation. Send your questions and
observations in advance!
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February 9th
Program Information and Registration...
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· The Power of Change
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In September 2004, HRA-NCA launched
a "Change for Change" fundraising campaign to support the SHRM
Foundation. As part of our campaign, we collected change (and dollar
bills too) from attendees at our monthly chapter meetings. So far, we've
collected $150 and plan to continue this effort in 2005. To those of you who made a donation, thank you! And for those yet
to donate ... or wish to donate more, be sure to bring your spare change
(and dollar bills) to the next chapter meeting!
The SHRM Foundation supports HR
professionals and advances the HR profession through leading edge
research, publications and educational activities. It relies heavily on
contributions to fund its many initiatives and innovative efforts.
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Learn more
about the SHRM Foundation...
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· Happy New Plan Year!!
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As we ring in 2005, remember that
January 1 marks the effective date for two important changes in employee
benefits law. First, new COBRA
regulations impose two additional notice requirements on COBRA
administrators. Go to www.dol.gov/ebsa
to get the new safe-harbor notice and election
forms that group health plans may adapt to fulfill the initial notice and
qualifying event notice requirements. The new COBRA rules also clarify
when and how notices are to be given.
Second,
virtually all existing nonqualified deferred compensation plans (and many
other arrangements, such as severance and bonus plans), will need to be
changed to comply with a sweeping new law (Code section 409A) enacted in
October by the American Jobs Creation Act. IRS Notice 2005-1 (issued 12/20/04) provides transition rules.
Because the new rules are generally effective for amounts deferred after 12/31/04 and the penalties for
noncompliance can be substantial, employers must act quickly. For more
information, contact Norma Sharara,
VP-Legislative.
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· Resources for you - the HR Professional
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Make the Resources page of the
HRA-NCA Web site one of your "favorites." HRA-NCA provides a
listing of online resources, seminars and other professional development
opportunities for HR professionals. New information is posted weekly.
E-mail HRA-NCA if you have
something that you think would be of interest to members. New this week
is information about Worldwide ERC®, providing leadership, advocacy,
education and networking to global workforce mobility professionals and
stakeholders through specialized training, credentialing, meeting events
and information exchange.
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HR Resource
Information...
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· HRA-NCA Member News
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You may look up these and other
members' information in the HRA-NCA online membership directory, using
various search categories. Log in through the "Member Login" on
the HRA-NCA Web site home page. Keep your membership record up-to- date
so we don't lose touch!
New Positions and Certifications
- Deborah Carr, Human Resources Specialist,
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- Ike Relacion, Manager,
Human Resources, Virginia North Division, Richmond American Homes
- Diane Trent, SPHR, CCP, Manager, Compensation,
Navy Federal Credit Union
- Candice Walker, PHR, CHRM, Human Resources
Manager, WCTC
Welcome to New
Members
- James Brinkley, Administrative Officer, Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- Charles Carr, SPHR, Senior Manager, CSC
- Richard Cotton
- Amy Dufrane, Director
of Human Resources and Administration, Optical Society of America
- Rae Fawcett, SPHR, CCP, Vice President, Human
Capital, Carey International, Inc.
- Josh LeFebvre,
Consultant, Deloitte Consulting
- Rosanna Toledo, Human Resources Administrator,
National Council of La Raza
- Thomas Troike,
Assistant Vice President, Mercer H&B
- Debbie-Jo Zarnick,
Assistant Director, The Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Inc.
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Access the
HRA-NCA "Members Only" Web site...
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· Thank You to Our Sponsors
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HRA-NCA invites organizations to
sponsor our newsletter - or any of the following: chapter meetings, the
January 28th conference, the Web site, etc. Interested? Contact Bob Corlett, HRA-NCA's Vice President, Marketing and Community
Relations, or access
our information on the Web site. Information on sponsoring the conference, is
also available on our Web site. For this issue, we sincerely thank
the following sponsor.
 Smart HR provides clients
with a world-class benefits management and HR support program -- a
solution unmatched in the marketplace. Experience our refreshing
approach, unique free services and superior customer support. Smart HR
has redefined benefits management. See
what you are missing!
 SSi Consulting is the Mid-
Atlantic leader in Human Resources Management Software Consulting. Do HR
administration tasks keep you from engaging in top-level strategic
planning? You may need a system to support your crucial HR and/or payroll
functions. Implementing ABRA Suite can reduce HR costs through more
efficient management of projects and data, while providing more robust
reports to management. And, with ABRA Workforce Connections, tedious data
entry, manual paperwork, and disconnected departments are a thing of the
past with online Employee Self Service and Benefits Enrollment. Call
1-800-886-3369 x4618 or visit www.ssiconsulti
ng.com for product information and upcoming events!
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Information
about sponsoring HRA-NCA...
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