PHRA Event Calendar

PHRA Monthly Luncheon

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Next Meeting:
Tuesday, April 6, 2010

11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Chase Building, 30th Floor
6th & Tyler, Amarillo, Texas

Lynn Thornton is the Director of Administrative Services/Human Resources at Amarillo College. He has been with AC for six years and has thirteen years experience in the human resources field. Lynn manages a nine-member HR/payroll team which supports 1,000 fulltime employees. He earned his MA in Human Resource Management and BS in Management from Wayland Baptist University. Lynn’s certifications include: Certified Public Manager, Texas Tech University; Certified Professional, IPMA-HR; Associate in Risk Management, Insurance Institute of America; and Advanced Safety Certificate, National Safety Council. He is a former treasurer and president of PHRA, a member of SHRM, is currently serving on the board of the Amarillo Chapter of Texas Association of Sports Officials, and is a former board member of Texas Municipal Human Resources Association. Lynn is teaching "Performance Appraisals: Strategies for Success" at Amarillo College as one of five courses in an HR certificate program.

All employees need to know where they stand concerning their job performances. A performance appraisal is one of the most important ways an organization can ensure the continued best performance practices of its employees and promote their future development. Most supervisors and managers face the task with dread. They are uncomfortable discussing behavior changes, giving constructive feedback, and enumerating ways for an employee to improve. They would rather avoid the subject all together. We will learn the multiple components of performance appraisals, including: Coaching and Counseling, Establishing Standards of Performance, Preparing for Performance Appraisal Meetings, The Written Review, Conducting the Performance Appraisal Meeting and Special Topics in Performance Appraisal. We will gain the skills to assess past performance, set achievable objectives, prepare a written performance review, and ensure a successful meeting. We will learn how to make the process deliver maximum value to both the organization and the employees.

PHRA Past Programs-2010

JANUARY
If you missed the first meeting of 2010, you missed a good one! After the installation of officers for 2010, we enjoyed Speed Networking. During this meeting, we had multiple tables and we each got to give a three minute "commercial" to our table about where we work, what we do, etc. This was a fantastic opportunity to pass out business cards, make great contacts and meet new people.

Thanks for a great networking program! We look forward to doing more of these!

FEBRUARY
Our speaker for February was our very own Brad Howard. Brad's topic was Legal Documentation: What Employers Should Do In 2010 To Protect Themselves. He gave us a refresher course on legal documentation for employers. We learned how to document disciplinary actions, employment decisions, terminations, and investigations to avoid litigation. Brad's topic provided wonderful information and was approved for one general recertification credit hour.

Thanks again for a wonderful presentation!

MARCH
Our speaker for March was Pat Crawford, Employer Education Coordinator for the
Texas Department of Insurance/Division of Workers’ Compensation. Her presentation was titled: Reducing Workers Compensation Costs and Managing the Related Issues: A Session for HR Managers. Pat explaind that the longer an injured employee is away from work, the higher the employer’s workers’ compensation costs are and the worse the impact of the injury is on their employee. Her presentation was very upbeat and interesting.

Thanks to Pat for coming all the way from Austin to give the presentation!

PHRA Past Programs-2009
JANUARY
Installation of officers.

FEBRUARY
Our speaker for the February meeting was Karl Kimsey of West Texas A&M University. Karl discussed the wide array of services that WTAMU has to offer to employers, alumni and students.

MARCH
Our very own Bradley W. Howard gave a very informative presentation entititled, "In The Midst Of The Storm, What Employers Should Do To Protect Themselves in 2009."

Bradley W. Howard grew up in Amarillo, Texas, and received his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1988). He earned his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1991). Brad is board certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Mr. Howard has litigated and successfully tried numerous employment lawsuits in Texas and New Mexico, including cases regarding the Fair Labor Standards Act, racial discrimination, gender discrimination, breach of employment agreements, non-competition clauses, the Americans with Disabilities Act, sexual harassment, and most every other employment law.

Mr. Howard handles employment litigation in courts throughout Texas and New Mexico for major corporations, professional service firms, and mid-sized businesses. He also advises employers on employment matters, handles governmental audits for employers, and conducts employer training on hiring, firing, disciplinary proceedings, and numerous governmental compliance issues.

APRIL
Presenter Alice Dendinger, SPHR, Certified Mediator, presented "Do They Trust You?," which touched on the following subjects: Without employee's trust in the HR Department or the HR leadership, every great HR initiative or project introduced is destined for second guessing and unnecessary scrutiny. Do you have the trust of your employees and management? Do employees trust your HR team? We also learned about the 6 C's of a Trustworthy Leader and how to obtain a Trust Test and other tools to increase trust in your workplace.

The afternoon workshop was titled, "Building Trust in Your Organization and You." Topics discussed in the afternoon included: Trust goes beyond being honest or telling the truth. Lack of trust in HR and management can impact the bottom line directly and indirectly. Trust hinges on employee perceptions, which constantly change in response to organizational decisions and day to day behavior. What are the factors that contribute to high trust? How can trust be lost and regained? During the afternoon workshop, attendees obtained several tools to increase organizational and personal trust. You may contact Alice at (512) 835-1343 or alice@gotoalice.com. Her website is www.gotoalice.com.

MAY ANNUAL SEMINAR
Panhandle Human Resources Association proudly presented our annual seminar Survivor HR, How to Keep Your Employees on Your Island.This seminar targeted managers and supervisors and provided a program that will increased the personal and professional value of all employees.

Our first speaker was Jason Dias, president of Eloquent Online. Jason will provided attendees with information to help businesses change with history, not get changed by it.
He presented information about:
*How Gen Y and the Millenials will likely react to their first bear market.
*How to stress your style more than your stuff.
*How to find and keep the best people using the new and here-to-stay world of social media.
*How to create a 21^st Century experience for your brand.

Our second speaker was Lon Williams. Mr. Williams is the Legislative Director, Texas State Council (SHRM Affiliate) and counsels management concerning employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, equal employment opportunity, occupational safety and health, wage and hour, and related issues in the employment relationship. Mr. Williams spoke on the following topics:
*The Updated FMLA regulations
*New Cobra Regulations
*Fair Labor Standards Act
*The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and its impact on Human Resources
*Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

JUNE
For our June meeting, we enjoyed Amazing Face Reading by Mac Fulfer. Mac is an international speaker who has spoken on this form of communication for more than two decades.

Face reading demonstrates how reading the very structure of the face and its accompanying features reveals the thinking style of its owner. Face reading can also identify the problem-solving preferences, stress level, degree of openness, intimacy requirements and even the basic truthfulness of a person. Your face is a living record of your life and, like your personality, it is shaped by both inherited factors and your response to life experiences.

Whether selling, hiring, negotiating, speaking, or interacting, the ability to discern another's attitude and mind-set is a skill we all desperately need. Being a truly gifted communicator is not solely defined by mastery of a verbal style or well-rehearsed techniques; it also requires the ability to immediately read and acknowledge your audience. The availability of the face gives the reader an opportunity to accurately interpret and respond to every interaction.

JULY
For our July meeting, we listened to "SHRM Membership Does Have Its Privileges" by Dawn Moore, SPHR. We learned how to gain insight into the depth of knowledge and resources available through local, state and national membership in SHRM and its affiliates. Dawn ensured that we are getting our monies worth and maximize our benefits.

AUGUST
For our August meeting, we learned about Social Networking by Ray Wilson, owner of cat-man-du.
You hear people talk about social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; but what are they How do they affect marketing, IT and HR? Ray Wilson taught what these sites are, defined the unique terms and culture of each and listed the pros and cons of using social networking in the workplace.

SEPTEMBER
Our speaker for our September meeting was our very own Brad Howard. Brad's topic, "What Every Employer Should Know About Twitter, MySpace, and Other Social Networking Sites: An Analysis of the Legal Risk and Reward For Employers in This New Age of Communication," provided many wonderful tips from the Human Resources side of these poplular social networking sites. Thanks for another great program, Brad!

OCTOBER MINI SEMINAR
"Creating a Culture for Success"

We had two great speakers for our Mini Seminar: Jody Holland, President of MuRF Systems and Lance Lunsford, Marketing Director for UMC in Lubbock.

Jody has taken more than 30,000 people through developmental programs for increased effectiveness in the workplace. Jody provided attendees with information on how to create an internal, positive culture, therefore helping us all to create companies by identifying and retaining great people.

Lance spoke about motivating the 3 S's - stagnant, slacker and star workers. Lance is a former city editor of a major West Texas newspaper and for the past four years has owned and operated a web-based company helping organizations revamp their outreach and enabling them to target the next generation of consumers.

Thanks for another great Mini Seminar!

NOVEMBER
Our speaker for November was Lee Ann Shaw. Lee Ann spoke to us about Conflict Resolution.

As HR professionals, it is our responsibility to work closely with our organizational leaders to create a work environment that enables employees to thrive. Disagreements and bickering can quickly escalate into interpersonal conflict and become out-of-control in seconds. Intervention must be immediate! Lee Ann taught us how to turn hostilities into positive outcomes. Thanks, Lee Ann!

DECEMBER

For our December meeting, we learned lots of helpful facts about 401K by Jeff Maynard with Pinnacle Financial Group. Thanks for the helpful information. It was very informative!