Pittsburg establishes human resources chapter

Earlier this year, the South East Kansas Corner was formed to help human resources professionals through networking and professional development.

Soon, that organization will have a national affiliation with the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest human resource management association.

“The SEKC will serve as an important local voice, providing leadership on key business and workplace issues and helping to improve the practice of human resource management within our membership and within the community,” said Connie Etzkin, SEKC president and Pittsburg city human resources director.

SHRM has more than 225,000 members and 575 chapters throughout the United States. Elizabeth S. Knight, SHRM vice president of member and chapter relations, said chapters were a critical link in the society’s structure, providing a local forum for members’s personal and professional development, a networking arena, and a focus for legislative attention to local, state, and national human resource management issues.

“We rely on our chapters to help advance the human resource profession and to lead by example,” Knight said. “They are the core of the organization, living the society’s mission throughout the country.”

The society’s mission is to serve the needs of HR professionals and to advance the profession of human resource management.

The SEKC currently has 27 national members from organizations of various sizes and industries. The SEKC chapter has members representing employers from Fort Scott, Girard, Pittsburg, Columbus and Baxter Springs.  As the newest chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, members will have access to current trends, publications, research, legislation and data bases to assist with broadening their HR knowledge.  In addition, there are opportunities for professional development and networking with fellow HR practitioners.

Etzkin serves as president; Danny Fleener, HR Manager, Pitsco, president-elect; Jerred Bennett, HR Manager, Masonite, is the membership chairman; Connie McCune, vice president of human resources, Mount Carmel Medical Center, is secretary; Michele Sexton, director of budget and human resources services, PSU, is treasurer; Heather Webb, Watco human resources, is the legislative representative.

Etzkin said they had been trying to establish the chapter for months. To become recognized, national SHRM requires them to have at least 25 national members.

“We thought we had enough members, and we still think we do,” Etzkin said. “The national office is in the process of reviewing the list of members. We should find out soon.”

Etzkin said members would then have the advantage of pulling bigger speakers and garnering more exposure. She said the group welcomed anyone who is a practitioner in the human resources field. She said that could be anyone from an office manager who deals with new hire paperwork to the vice president of  human resources in a larger department.

The chapter’s next regular meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. August 20 at Memorial Auditorium.  Tim Davis, labor attorney, will speak on the topic of newly passed legislation regarding union representation.

There will be a nominal charge to cover breakfast to attend. For more information, contact Jerred Bennett at 231-8200 or e-mail at jbennett@masonite.com.

Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134.