2022 Volunteer of the Year

The HR Florida State Council is successful because of the hard work, commitment and support of its volunteer leaders. Volunteer leaders are chapter presidents and board members who make up the HR Florida State Council.  The Volunteer of the Year is an annual award that recognizes a volunteer who actively supports, promotes, and develops the human resource profession through volunteerism. The winner is selected by the Executive Committee and affirmed by local chapter presidents.

Tom Topping has been a District Director for District 7 for nearly five years, which covers HR Tampa, Suncoast HRMA, and Sarasota-Manatee HRA chapters. He served as the chapter president of Suncoast HRMA in 2017, when he was awarded the HR Florida State Council President’s Award for the significant impact he had on the performance of the chapter by leading with a combination of compassion, creativity and innovation.

In his role as a District Director, he has taken that creativity and innovation to an even higher level.  As part of the Leadership Conference Planning Committee, Tom has worked tirelessly to bring our volunteers the absolute best programming. Currently, he is spearheading the program development for our 2022 Leadership Conference and coordinating with the other District Directors to bring the most relevant topics, speakers and formatting to our leadership event. He was instrumental in securing a nationally renowned speaker who will enhance the learning experience for all attendees.

In 2022, Tom took ownership of the newest District Director initiative – the quarterly Leadership Lab webinar series. This virtual event builds on concepts vital to overall chapter success and gives volunteer leaders opportunity for professional development and networking with their peers. Each lab focuses on a specific topic and Tom has brought in outside speakers, facilitated panel presentations, and round table discussions. Tom’s efforts have made this a popular event that chapter leaders look forward to attending and often suggest topics for future labs.

Tom exhibits all of the characteristics of a valued volunteer and works diligently to make the HR Florida State Council the best SHRM state council.  His commitment, passion, and leadership as a district director makes him the natural choice as the Volunteer of the Year.