SHRM National Conference or Won't See You in Chicago

I really wanted to attend the SHRM National Conference this year. A chance to attend excellent breakout sessions, sit through great (sometimes) keynotes, go to Chicago, and catch up with old friends and new acquaintances. I envy the HR Punk Rocker, Laurie Ruettimann who got press credentials and will get to sit through that boring, stuffy conference looking for Lionel Ritchie. I wanted to discuss current Labor Relations issues with Kris Dunn, and see what the job prospects are like for HR Wench.


But alas, it is not to be. I won't get to say hello to any of my former colleagues from Danisco. Projects take preference. I have to settle for a cheaper, in-state conference here in the Sunshine State. (We won't get much wind in August, unless there is a tornado.!)


Still, as conferences go, this looks very very promising. Here is where it is located, and some of things that interest me.


This year’s event will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek located in the heart of Central Florida. This modern hotel leaves no stone unturned in providing guests comfort and the ultimate in business convenience. (Does this mean we are sleeping on bedrock?)


Headlining this keynote ensemble is acclaimed actor, producer, and leading social activist Danny Glover. A commanding presence on screen, stage, and television for more than 25 years, Glover is best known for his work in feature films including Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple”, Peter Weir’s “Witness”, and, of course, the “Lethal Weapon” series.

Danny Glover is as passionate about his community activism as his acting and has gained wide respect for his philanthropic efforts – particularly in the areas of economic justice advocacy and access to health care and education programs in the United States and Africa. Glover has also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program, focusing on issues of poverty, disease, and economic development in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In recognition of his lifetime dedication to public service, he was honored with the 2003 NAACP Chairman’s Award and the 2006 Director’s Guild of American Honors.

Hear the engaging story of how 36-year-old Mike Abrashoff, the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific Fleet, was selected to become Commander of U.S.S. Benfold. The challenges were staggering with exceptionally low morale and remarkably high turnover. Few thought that this ship could improve, but Commander Abrashoff only became more resolved. Mike’s book, It's Your Ship, is a captivating tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today’s uncertain business seas.


Rounding out the lineup is SHRM Board of Directors Chair Janet Parker, SPHR. A practitioner, Parker is executive vice president of human resources at Regions Financial Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama and has responsibility for providing strategic HR direction. In addition, she provides leadership to the bank's Management Associate program. A SHRM member for 19 years, Parker has held a variety of local and regional volunteer leadership positions. She has also testified before the Senate Finance Committee and was the 1997 recipient of the SHRM Capital Award that recognized outstanding contributions to the SHRM governmental relations initiatives.

Strategy Immersion Workshop

In today's competitive business environment, the ultimate success or failure of organizations hinges on the effectiveness of their business strategy. Organizational "thought leaders" can help ensure competitive success by developing a strategic mindset - a mindset focused on leveraging organizational strengths and exploring opportunities for growth. This Strategy Immersion Workshop is designed to help you develop a strategic mindset by broadening your capacity to think, plan and act strategically within your organization. Attendees will receive an array of concepts, an HR Impact Model, and practical, easy to apply tools including the HR Priority Assessment and HR Business Plan Outline. You will come away with things you can use immediately to create strategies that effectively use your organization's resources to maximize competitive advantage. Presenter: Dr. Robert K. Prescott, SPHR, Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College


Chris Jordan - Running the Numbers: Portraits of Mass Consumption

Chris Jordan is an internationally acclaimed photographic artist and a sought-after activist speaker on the subject of mass culture. Chris’s work is exhibited widely in the US and Europe, and has been featured in magazines, newspapers, weblogs, documentary films and television programs all over the globe. Chris has also appeared on a variety of national television programs.

Running the Numbers depicts the staggering statistics that define contemporary America, in huge intricately detailed panels as large as thirty feet wide. These huge works invite the viewer to walk up close and see every detail as a metaphor for the role of the individual in our hypermodern society. Zooming from the enormous to the detailed, from the collective to the individual, Jordan’s commentary inspires reflection on the complex roles we all play, and the responsibilities we all hold, in the stewardship of our planet and each other. Reflecting without judgment on the deeper causes and meanings of these mass phenomena, Jordan examines his personal behaviors as a consumer, noting the ironies and hypocrisies in his own life as examples of the difficult issues we all face as consumers.



30th Anniversary Celebration featuring Morris Day and the Time

If you missed him at the 2008 Grammy Awards, now is your chance to see him live!

Morris Day burst onto the music scene with the group's self-titled album, The Time. Soon after the world was introduced to the prolific Minneapolis music marvel, the group went on to record three more albums, including Ice Cream Castle, which included the mega-hit "Jungle Love". Morris Day then launched his solo career, releasing three albums: The Color of Success, Daydreaming, and Guaranteed. In 1984, Morris Day and the Time were cast to star opposite Prince in the hit movie “Purple Rain”.

In his new album, Day combines classic old school sounds with new music featuring hot new artists. He delivers energetic vocals and witty lyrics, complimented by his trademark smooth-as-silk dance moves, all wrapped up in flashy, dapper fashions!