District 1 Spotlight
HR Florida District 1 encompasses four counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton; and two chapters: Greater Pensacola SHRM (GPSHRM) and SHRM Emerald Coast Chapter (SHRMECC). Both chapters are very active and deeply involved in their surrounding communities.
In 2023, the Greater Pensacola Society for Human Resource Management (GPSHRM) remained highly engaged in various activities and programs, fostering professional development, community involvement, and membership initiatives. The organization actively collaborated with key Chambers of Commerce, including the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce, and Minority Chamber of Commerce.
The year featured an array of programs designed to address contemporary HR challenges. Notable among them were initiatives such as the “4 Pillars of Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace,” “Natural Disasters – Are you ready HR?,” “Effective Workplace Investigations,” “The Power of Reflection – Cultivating an attitude of inclusion through self-examination,” “Secure 2.0 updates,” and “Helping Veterans Transition Careers: The Why & How!” with a Veteran Panel. Additionally, GPSHRM focused on “Fostering Team Cohesiveness” to enhance workplace dynamics.
A highlight of the legal conference hosted by GPSHRM was its significant turnout, attracting over 130 attendees and 25 vendors. The organization also actively participated in the CareerSource Escarosa Veterans Project, providing valuable insights on addressing military moves, employment hopping, and employment preparation for spouses reentering the workforce after extended absences.
The organization demonstrated its commitment to community engagement by attending various events, including a Career Fair with CareerSource Escarosa, Mental Health First Aid class with CDAC Behavioral Healthcare, NW Florida Employer Focus Group meetings, the University of West Florida Women in Leadership Conference, local Chamber of Commerce monthly networking events, the Equity Project Alliance, The Bias Inside Us, NAMI Ending the Silence 5K Run/Walk, and UWF’s 10th Annual Employee Relations Symposium: Think A.H.E.A.D!
GPSHRM continued its award-winning streak, receiving the Platinum Excel Award for 2022 and earning a Chapter Excellence Award from HR Florida. Stephanie Norment was honored with the HR Florida Presidents award.
In terms of charitable contributions, GPSHRM donated $2,200 to the SHRM Foundation and $3,700 to the Pensacola NAMI, showcasing its commitment to social responsibility.
To enhance membership engagement, GPSHRM initiated quarterly New Member Q&A sessions and after-hours networking events. These initiatives aimed to provide a platform for new members to integrate into the GPSHRM community and foster professional connections.
In summary, 2023 was a year marked by active engagement, impactful programs, community involvement, and recognition for the Greater Pensacola SHRM, reinforcing its position as a leading force in the HR landscape.
SHRM ECC began this year in the process of transitioning to the SHRM Dual Member Release program. This transition is still ongoing. In programming, the chapter recently presented the very popular annual expanded Legal Update which was well received by the chapter membership.
In 2023 SHRM ECC continued to shine as the chapter was awarded the SHRM EXCEL Silver Award for chapter operations.
The chapter ended the year on a high as it hosted its annual holiday party in December in which they not only had a great time networking and enjoying a night out, but they also used this occasion to hold raffles to raise donations to support a local Okaloosa County charity.
SHRM ECC continued its partnership with the Panhandle Job Fair Foundation, CareerSource Okaloosa Walton, and the Hurlburt Air Force Base Airman and Family Readiness Center by co-hosting the PJC Spring Job Fair, one of the best and largest such events in the region. The job fair, featuring a LinkedIn Class and professional head shots for attendees, not only matched job seekers with hiring managers and recruiters resulting in several on the spot hires; it also generated funds to support the Okaloosa County Public School Foundation’s Take Stock in Children Scholarship program, which provides a unique opportunity for deserving low-income youth/students to escape the cycle of poverty through education.
SHRM ECC also renewed its support of the Career Source Okaloosa Walton Suit Up to Move Up Initiative donating items to the lending closet, which provides suitable interview clothing for job seekers who might not otherwise have them. Once again, the SHRM ECC Scholarship Endowment at Northwest Florida State College was used to make an annual tuition and books scholarship award to a deserving student attending the school and pursuing a degree in Human Resources.
In addition to providing military community resume reviews and interview preparation sessions throughout the year, SHRM ECC also continued its Human Resources Mentorship Initiative. The chapter also provided support for the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Summer Youth Employment Program by providing assistance to students preparing their first ever resumes.
In summary, the District 1 chapters, Greater Pensacola SHRM, and the SHRM Emerald Coast Chapter, continue to thrive. All their meetings this year have been in-person, and all have been awarded SHRM and HRCI recertification credits. They both continually strive to provide excellent programming and serve the needs of their members, as well as being exceptional partners to the communities they operate in. They are great local standard bearers for SHRM and the HR Florida State Council.
Director, District 1 Alonzo Smith, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is a retired Senior Executive with over 30 years of Human Resource Management experience working in both for profit and non-profit, public and private sector organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technical Management and a Master of Arts Degree with a dual major in Management and Human Relations. He is SHRM SCP and HRCI SPHR certified. He is a certified Strategic Planning Facilitator, Teambuilding Facilitator and was an ASQC Certified Quality Manager. He was an Adjunct Management Professor at Central Texas College and Los Angeles Metropolitan College and previously taught the HRCI PHR and SPHR Certification Courses at the University of West Florida and has been published in the HR Florida Review Magazine.
Al has held numerous Board of Directors positions for the SHRM Emerald Coast Chapter and served as the chapter president in 2014 and 2019. In 2021 the HR Florida State Council named him Volunteer of the Year. He currently serves as the HR Florida State Council District Director for District 1. Passionate about Veterans, their family members and care givers, Al is a SHRM Foundation/USAA Foundation Veterans at Work Ambassador/Military Community Employment Advocate.
In other community activities, he served two terms as Board Chair for the Homelessness and Housing Alliance of Okaloosa and Walton Counties. He also did a multi-year stint on the United Way of Okaloosa and Walton County Funds Distribution and Community Impact Committees. He additionally served as Executive Director of the Yolanda D Thomas Scholarship Endowment, where he led efforts to raise over $500,000.00 to establish endowed scholarships for disadvantaged students attending Northwest Florida State College. Thanks to his efforts, the YDT Endowment also partnered with the SHRM Emerald Coast Chapter to fund the SHRM ECC Endowed Scholarship that is awarded annually to a Northwest Florida State College student majoring in Human Resources. He is the Education Chair and a Board Member for the Panhandle Job Fair Foundation. Having previously served on the Board of Directors for Career Source of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, he currently sits on the CSOW Business and Education and Career and Youth Committees.