President’s Pen
by Andrea Davis Cranfill, SPHR

Professional and personal development is probably a focus for most of our organizations, but we sometimes put our own learning and skill development on the back burner. HRACI is committed to providing opportunities to elevate the skills of all of us as human resource professionals.

Elevate the skills of human resource professionals while expanding and diversifying professional development and networking opportunities.

HRACI’s strategic plan aligns with the SHRM’s mission: serving the HR professional (STP) and advancing the HR profession (ATP). One of our strategies in support of both STP and ATP is developing the skills of HR professionals. Whether you are new to the HR profession or are a senior leader in your organization, we are working to provide you with opportunities for professional development and networking.

• Provide programs that have been designated worthy of recertification credit. We are proud to have so many of our members certified as PHR/SPHR and want to help you obtain the recertification credits needed to maintain your certification and to stay up to date with the rapidly changing HR profession. The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) awards recertification credit on an hour-for-hour basis for time spent in the educational activity. To qualify for recertification credits, all events must be HR-related and tied to the HR body of knowledge as defined by the HRCI. While all of HRACI’s programs will not qualify for recertification credit, we are excited that at least half of our programs this year provide you with the credit you need to maintain your certification.
• Provide members with more comprehensive legislative affairs information. The Legislative Affairs committee is working to develop easy-to-access resources to allow you to become more aware and involved in legislative issues. Some of these resources include a list of state representatives, a list of key committee chairs/members, methods of communication, and links to important legislative websites.
• Enhance Special Interest Group (SIG) opportunities.
  • In case you didn’t know, HRACI is proud to support EMA Indiana (Employment Management Association). EMA Indiana membership is an additional benefit with no extra cost for all HRACI members. If you are responsible for or are interested in employment management issues, please visit http://www.emaindiana.org
  • Many of your have shown an interest in establishing other special interest groups within HRACI, and we are pleased to announce that we are forming a group for Consultants. If you are interested in getting involved in helping to form this group or are interested in membership, please contact Brian Cox at bcox@lilly.com
• Offer more networking events. While our monthly educational meetings are a great way to network with peers, HRACI is planning additional programs such as before and after work networking events. These will include both social-oriented events as well as networking focused on current issues or topics.

We are already planning even more professional development and networking opportunities for 2006, so keep looking for more great things to come.

Andrea Davis Cranfill, SPHR

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The Volunteer Leader of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding leadership, motivation, and organizational skills to the development of the Indiana State Council, the local chapter, or other SHRM programs.

Wendy Coyle, HR Manager with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, earned the Volunteer Leader of the Year Award for her efforts with HRACI committees and community events. She serves on the College & Community Relations Committee as well as the Communications Committee for HRACI. Wendy is usually the first person to make herself available when there is a need for a volunteer. She has volunteered countless hours in working with displaced workers on interviewing and resume skills development through the Business and Professional Exchange organization (BPO). Wendy mentors college students with their career goals and job searches. She volunteered her time to work with the IUPUI Kelly School of Business students and has trained students at Indiana State University in Networking and Business Etiquette – much of which she does after work hours. In addition to her volunteer work with HRACI, Wendy also volunteers with other organizations working to improve the opportunities for minority groups and college students in the Central Indiana community.

The Award for Professional Excellence recognizes successful efforts in applying creative management concepts to improve performance, advance the profession, and promote the understanding of the Human Resources Profession.

Cindy Grismore earned the Award for Professional Excellence because of her leadership as the Director of Human Resources with Wishard Health Services. Cindy was promoted to the Director position during a very chaotic time in the organization and has been instrumental in championing the balance of organizational needs with the needs of the employees. Cindy implemented many organizational changes including moving the organization from vacation/sick time programming to a Paid Time Off (PTO) program. She also handled the difficult task of developing and conducting a reduction in force that was both equitable and humane for those employees affected by the RIF. Cindy is described as supportive, diplomatic, and strategic in her focus. She is committed to the mission and vision, and never loses sight of the value of the human capital in the organization.

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WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it will not sanction employers for hiring victims of Hurricane Katrina who, at this time, are unable to provide documentation normally required under Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act. DHS will not bring sanction actions against employers for hiring individuals evacuated or displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina otherwise eligible for employment but who currently lack personal documents.

U.S. employers are responsible for completing and retaining Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Forms for individuals they hire for employment. This form requires employers to verify employment eligibility and establish identity through original documents presented by the employee. For victims of Hurricane Katrina, many individuals lack these documents as a result of being evacuated from their homes, loss or damage to personal items and records, and ongoing displacement in shelters and temporary housing. Additionally, as a result of the widespread damage and destruction to government facilities in the area affected by the hurricane, it can be expected that many victims will be unable to apply and receive new documents in the period of time required by the employment verification rules.

Therefore, the Department of Homeland Security will refrain from initiating employer sanction enforcement actions for the next 45 days for civil violations, under Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, with regard to individuals who are currently unable to provide identity and eligibility documents as a result of the hurricane. Employers will still need to complete the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form as much as possible but should note at this time that the documentation normally required is not available due to the events involving Hurricane Katrina. At the end of 45 days, the Department of Homeland Security will review this policy and make further recommendations.

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Ana Aguiar joined HRACI while an intern at HR Dimensions. Ana has since graduated from IUPUI but while she was a student she found HRACI membership provided her networking opportunities. The monthly meetings she attended were an opportunity for her to talk with HR professionals directly and hear from speakers about HR best practices.

Lee Madis, a current IUPUI student, finds local meetings to be informative with presentations that are valuable for students. This semester he is taking a compensation class and is looking forward to the upcoming HRACI half-day seminar on that topic.

Janet Nusbaum became an HRACI student member over a year ago while attending IUPUI. She joined for the networking opportunities and to talk to those in HR. She also attended last year’s SHRM state conference in Indianapolis and thought is was very valuable to be able to attend as an HRACI member.

If you know of any students or upcoming graduates that may be interested in HRACI membership, let them know more information is available on our web site at www.hraci.com/HRACImembership.htm or by phone at 317-841-3236.

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If you are a new member who has not had the opportunity to attend a member orientation, there are two more planned for the remainder of the year. Orientation sessions for new members will take place before the October and November monthly meetings. So mark your calendar for either October 20th or November 17th from 11:00 to 11:30 to learn more about HRACI as a new member.

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The SHRM Foundation promotes the use of "research-based knowledge". What does that mean for you? It means enhanced credibility. Imagine proposing a new program to senior management and being able to cite solid research to demonstrate the benefits of your proposed change. The Foundation is funding practical research every year to help you do just that. Current research projects focus on critical areas such as Technology & HR, HR Measurement, Global HR, and The Changing Role of the HR Professional. Research results will help provide research-based answers to questions such as: How should an organizational mentoring program be structured for maximum effectiveness? How do HR leaders make a strategic impact on their organizations? To review SHRM Foundation research findings, visit www.shrm.org/foundation.

The SHRM Foundation: Investing in Your Future as an HR Leader

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HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMAL “GET-TOGETHER”

What: Human Resource and related folks meet, talk, and enjoy a drink or two.

Why: Just a place and time for HR and other types to “get away” for a bit. No planned agenda or presentations, just casual discussion, advise, war stories, or just relax and network. I’m sure many who are getting ready to take the certification tests can commiserate there!

Who: You and any guest(s) you want to bring along!

When: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2005, 6:00 PM at FRIDAY’S AT THE COURTYARD DOWNTOWN, 501 W. Washington St. Ask for the HR group. (Location will change each time we meet) Call me if you have any questions. See you there!

Contact Greg Medcalf, 317-788-6890, ext. 257 with any questions.

As we move into September, the Board must make preparations for the 2006 planning discussions that will take place in the fall. Beginning with a member census, the Board would like to collect information on our current members that will be used in the planning process. We hope to continue to grow our offerings and strive to meet the needs of our members in 2006 and forward. We believe this information will ensure that the needs and interests of our members are met. For example, by knowing how many of our members work in small organizations with limited HR resources, we can determine if programs are needed to target the special professional needs of those individuals. The information requested in the questionnaire will remain internal to HRACI and only available to members of the Board. We appreciate you taking just a few quick moments to provide us with this information. If you have any concerns regarding the information or its’ use, please contact me directly.

Just follow this link to take the survey.

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Vince Ryan
Stacy Kuhn
Katern Raplee
Vern D. Horstman
Amanda Danforth
Katrina Holmes-Armstead
Jeffrey Rode
Bridget Kuzma
Davod Carter
Elizabath A. Piron