Community Spotlight – District 9 Update
By: Carol Lang, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, District 9 Director
District 9 consists of three South Florida chapters: Palm Beach County SHRM, HR Martin County, and Staffing Management Association of South Florida. I am so excited to brag on them!
Palm Beach County SHRM is a mega chapter, with over 550 members. Their mission is “to promote organizational excellence through the advancement of the human resources profession in partnership with our business community.” The chapter leadership has achieved their mission this year, presenting a variety of events to meet the needs of their diverse members. Both “in person” and virtual monthly meetings were offered to ensure members will have access to professional development opportunities. In addition, a complimentary, virtual “Ask the HR Pro” webinar was made available to all interested parties, touching on such timely topics such as multi-generational workplaces and becoming a “catalyst for civility.” There was plenty of time for fun, as the chapter hosted a number of social networking events throughout the year. Another regular, free virtual event is the Diversity Book Club, which met 6 times to discuss books focusing on diversity and inclusion. And to top it off, the chapter’s 2-day annual conference in May, which included Johnny C. Taylor as the headline speaker, was a huge success. It is no wonder, of course, that Palm Beach County SHRM was the recipient of a platinum Excel Award. Congratulations to President Katie Kato & her team!
Based out of Stuart, Florida, HR Martin County is a small chapter, with 86 members. Their mission is “to provide ongoing professional development, resources, networking and support for its members and the community.” HR Martin holds monthly lunch meetings that are very well attended. In addition to these monthly meetings. HR Martin also presented a full day Legal Conference in May and a Management Training Workshop. Over the last few years, thanks to the work of immediate past president, Jan Foselli, and current president, Jeff Devine, the chapter has recovered nicely from some post-Covid challenges. Membership has increased by 37% over the last two years, and while the chapter may be small, they have one of the higher percentages of certified members in the state of Florida! HR Martin successfully transitioned to Dual Membership Release (DMR) status this year and is on track for continued growth in 2025.
The Staffing Management Association (SMA) of South Florida, based in west Broward County, is a special interest chapter, focused on recruiting, staffing and retention. Their mission is “to provide our members with a focal point resource for information and education on recruitment and retention practices.” There are currently over 80 members. There have been some challenges in re-invigorating the chapter post-Covid; the current president, Noya Hastings-Ritchie, has been working toward engaging potential volunteers. SMA offered some innovative programming in the past – a monthly podcast and a virtual book club were several programs that will hopefully be reintroduced in the coming months.
I am humbled to represent these chapters as their District Director, and proud to share their efforts and accomplishments. Go District 9!
Carol is a seasoned Human Resources professional with more than 18 years’ experience providing HR strategy, direction, and support for non-profit and government organizations. Adept at building HR departments from the ground up and at transforming disorganized HR organizations into well-functioning, cost-efficient, effective and legally compliant entities.