Spring is a busy time for HRA-NCA. So many opportunities for you to participate as a member. Let’s start with an important democratic activity. Have you voted for the officer slate for the 2007-2008 officers of HRA-NCA yet? An outstanding slate of possible volunteer leaders was presented by the nominating committee for your review. It only takes the time of a reply to an email to cast your vote. If you did not retain the email with the ballot you can log on to our website at www.hra-nca.org and exercise your voting opportunity. Our voting period is the month of April and as of this enewsletter we have had approximately 50 of our members recorded as voted. Now it is your turn to be added to this list!

The Strategic Business Awards Gala is fast approaching-Thursday April 26th. The Capitol Hilton is the stage for this spectacular event. We look forward to having you in the room for the awards and dinner celebration. The registration sign up can be found on the HRA-NCA website and numbers are due to the catering department soon so please don’t delay. Log on or call Teri at 703-451-0222 to register today.

Do you have a son or daughter in college? Are you a member of SHRM? Scholarship money is available. The SHRM Sons & Daughters Scholarship program has 24 scholarships of $1,500 each which are awarded annually to help finance higher education for the children of SHRM members. Each award is for either the first or second year of study at a four-year college or university. The application deadline is May 15, 2007.
More information, including the scholarship application form, is available on the SHRM website at http://www.shrm.org/ sons&daughters/.

Carolyn Cuppernull
President

One of the most difficult career decisions an employee ever has to make is when -- and how -- to leave an organization. Tom Morris, President of Morris Associates, Inc. will highlight lessons learned about this based on more than 25 years of working with people who have reached this point. He will also share examples from his own career when he has done this, including his decision to leave a very successful position as a senior vice president with a major outplacement firm to start his own business.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Simpson at (202) 220-0767 or via email at ssimpson@fmi.org.

Celebrate successful HR strategy and the efforts of your peers at the HRA-NCA 2007 Strategic Business Awards to be held April 26, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. The award ceremony will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel.

Awards will be presented for Effective Workforce Planning, Successful Worklife Strategies, and Excellence in Community Service. In addition James C. Dinegar, President & CEO of the Greater Washington Board of trade will be presenting as our Keynote Speaker.

Hope to see you there!

As our Program Committee begins planning for the 2007-8 program year, we would appreciate your input on potential speaker topics.

Please download the survey and mark the topics of most interest to you and add any specific issues you would like addressed.

Please also add the names of any excellent speakers you have heard that would be beneficial to present at one of our chapter meetings or professional development seminars.

Are you anxious about taking the PHR/SPHR exam? Would you like to check your knowledge before you take the PHR/SPHR certification exam? HRA-NCA is offering a one-day exam preparation seminar. This seminar will provide participants with the necessary tools for the certification examination. The next testing window is May 1, 2007 – June 30, 2007.

Paul Shibelski, SPHR, will lead this highly informative session. Even if you're not planning on taking the exam, this will be an excellent review of the current "Body of Knowledge" approved by HRCI.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be served.

May 18, 2007
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $75.00

HRA-NCA and other area SHRM chapters have partnered with Helios HR to present the 2007 Helios Apollo Awards. These awards recognize Washington-area organizations that promote employee growth and development as an integral part of their organization culture. The application deadline is Thursday, April 26, 2007. Finalists and award recipients will be celebrated on June 8, 2007.

Like to meet others who share your interests, need your skills, and want to know what you have to offer? This is the BEST HR professionals networking event of the year!

Come and meet your contemporaries. Find out what HR professional organizations can do for you and your organization—all while having fun, enjoying elegant refreshments, and listening to management guru Bill Daniels share great ways to achieve organizational change.

A doctoral student at Capella University and also SHRM Member from Kansas, Kim Scanlan, currently pursuing a PhD in Organization and Management with an emphasis in Human Resource Management is conducting a research study entitled “University Human Resource Management Curriculums and Human Resource Competencies: A Comparative Study.”

Kim is looking for individuals who have obtained either a Masters in Human Resource Management or a MBA with HR specialization/concentration. If you are a graduate of either of these types of programs you are invited to participate in this study.

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!

HRA-NCA Welcomes These New Members

HRA-NCA invites organizations to sponsor our newsletter - or any of the following: monthly speaker presentations, our Web site, special events, etc. Interested? Contact Tricia Riviere, HRA-NCA's PR & Sponsorship Chair, or access our information on the Web site.