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I’ve always been interested in the way other people speak and write. I’m a big fan of books, articles, and podcasts that dissect a topic and present new insights. Like a song that repeats itself in your head, I find myself holding onto the new idea until I can connect it to another concept. Such is my orientation to HRMAC that in my conversations with the Board of Directors, our volunteers, and members, I am quickly learning about our history and the important role HRMAC plays in your professional life.

I am thrilled to join HRMAC at this exciting time and to collaborate with the Board on designing a new strategy to expand our impact in the Chicago human resources community.

I attribute a lot of this energy to your leadership. As you are hopefully aware, the Board has made some critical decisions this year that position HRMAC to realize our mission of “Lead, Connect, Grow.”

Since joining HRMAC in mid-October, I have immersed myself in all types of conversations to gain insights and perspectives necessary to build our future. There are many important inputs to a process as big and important as strategic planning. This fall, the HRMAC team engaged in a series of focus groups with a cross-section of our members whose insights will inform Board-level discussions over the winter as to the opportunities and challenges facing HRMAC. This work is made possible by the vision set by the Board in 2016 and will continue to be built upon well into 2018.

As a reminder, this work is anchored in five initiatives:

  1. Clarify who HRMAC serves and what our members need from HRMAC to be successful
  2. Evaluate, modify, and, as necessary, design programs and services to meet members’ needs
  3. Consider the role of technology in communicating member value and engagement
  4. Develop a multi-year financial plan that aligns our resources to our strategy
  5. Empower our Board, committee leaders, and volunteers to think creatively about our programming and challenge the status quo

Granted, I have a lot more to learn as I get to know you and other members of the HRMAC community. You can count on me to ask questions and connect your insights to our important work. In the coming months, I look forward to meeting you at one or more of our upcoming events. We have an impressive roster of programs and speakers who will challenge your strategic thinking about the role of human resources now and in the future. Join us for the conversations that are making a difference for Chicago employees and companies!