If you are ready to take the next step in advancing your HR career, join us as we prepare to take the PHR/SPHR exam.  

To assist you in your preparation NHRA St. Louis offers a complimentary benefit for our members, the NHRA PHR/SPHR Study Group. Non-NHRA members may join for a fee. 

This is a structured support system and educational setting for those members who are interested in pursuing PHR and SPHR certification. Exams can be taken any date of the year.

This group will meet once a week on Thursday evenings starting September 4, 2025 from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm CST. 

This is an excellent forum for HR certification exam prep support, learning and motivation - all facilitated by seasoned HR professionals. 

Register below to join us! 

Are you ready to take your HR career to the Next Level? 

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Mentoring Program, designed to empower HR professionals through invaluable connections and insights. 

Whether you're an experienced mentor or a driven mentee, this program offers a unique opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed together. 

Who is eligible?

All active NHRA members are eligible to participate as a mentor or mentee. 

Program Kick-off in October: 

• Meet your Match and other members 
• Monthly Engagement Activities
• Commit 4 - 6 hours per month over the 6-month program (this includes monthly activities, but actual time commitment may vary by the mentor/mentee match)

Monthly meetings in The Bracket Room at the Holiday Inn, dinner included. 

Register now to become a mentor or mentee! 

Once we receive your registration, we will send a quick survey to ensure that we match you with the perfect mentor. 

JOIN US IN-PERSON or VIRTUALLY!

MIND THE GAP: WHEN VALUES AND BEHAVIORS DON'T MATCH

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Human Resource Management Certificate Program

Join our mailing list to stay informed about National Human Resources Association events and programs.

In today’s fast-paced environment, many HR professionals find themselves juggling endless tasks with limited time and energy. This interactive session explores practical tools and strategies drawn from Getting Things Done, the Eisenhower Matrix, and other proven methods to boost focus, prioritize effectively, and manage time with intention. We’ll also unpack a smart, situational approach to delegation—helping you determine what to delegate, to whom, and how. You’ll leave feeling energized and equipped with actionable tools to reclaim your time and lead more effectively.

Key Takeaways:
• Identify high and low energy work and learn how they can balance that work.
• Describe core principles of productivity tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and Pomodoro Technique.
• Recognize how to match delegation level to task complexity, individual readiness, and your own confidence.

Ali Carson, MBA, ACC, is a two-time #1 international best-selling author, experienced coach, and dynamic facilitator with two decades of experience in human resources, leadership development, and team effectiveness.  

As the Founder and CEO of Movere Coaching, LLC, Ali helps high-achieving professionals and organizations unlock their strengths, lead with authenticity, and create thriving workplaces. She is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, a Results-Certified Brain-Based Coach, and holds the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the ICF.  She brings tools founded in neuroscience to her strengths-based approach to create impactful coaching and learning experiences for her clients.  Before launching Movere Coaching, she held senior talent development roles in both the healthcare and legal industries.  

Outside of work, Ali is a wife, mother to two teenagers, and sister. She enjoys exploring nature through camping trips in the family RV, filled with hiking, paddleboarding, and discovering great local restaurants.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Major Sponsor:

Major Sponsor: 

Contributing Sponsor: 

Join us for our 28th Annual Benefit Auction!

Thursday, November 13th, 2025, 6:00PM at Midvale Country Club

The National Human Resources Association has focused on the development of human resources management professionals for more than 70 years. Our local Rochester Affiliate is dedicated to giving back to our community by supporting local nonprofits that work to advance employment opportunities in the Rochester region.

We are pleased to be working with Taproot Collective to support their Youth Employment Program.

What does Taproot do?: Taproot's mission is to support community gardens through programs, materials, and policy, and to use urban agriculture as the setting for high quality youth workforce development. They use a youth-led model to offer summer and school-year employment to low-income Monroe County youth ages 14+. Taproot builds long-term relationships with their youth and helps them develop skills in leadership, communication, food systems, landscaping, and carpentry that will prepare them for careers and education in a variety of fields.

Are you interested in Sponsoring this fantastic event?

Garden Sponsor $2,500

• Exclusive opportunity to speak at the event – limited to one/industry
• Dedicated social media post
• Company name and logo on event materials and social media blasts
• Option to donate company swag for gift bags
• 8 tickets to the auction

Harvest Sponsor $1,250

• Company name and logo on event materials and social media blasts
• Option to donate company swag for gift bags
• 4 tickets to the auction

Cultivator Sponsor $500

• Company name and logo on event materials and social media blasts
• 2 tickets to the auction

Seedling Sponsor $350

• Company name and logo on signage at the auction and social media blasts

Don’t forget about Tax Deductions! (check with your accounting professional)

To learn more or secure your sponsorship, contact Janine Corea (corea@hrworks-inc.com) or Jamie Frank (frank@hrworks-inc.com).

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Garden Level:

Harvest Level:

Cultivator Level:

Seedling Level:

 

Presented by Best Buddies, i4cp, and NHRA
Join us on Thursday, November 13th for an evening of connection, conversation, and collaboration at the Partners in Purpose Summit. This special event will feature a fireside-style panel discussion, “Partners in Purpose,” where leaders from Best Buddies, i4cp, and NHRA will share how their organizations have partnered to drive meaningful impact, highlighting the incredible work accomplished together.
We are thrilled to announce that Nancy O’Dell has been tapped to moderate the discussion, bringing her signature insight and energy to the conversation.
Event Schedule:
• Registration & Welcome Reception | 5:30 – 7:00 PM
• Fireside Panel: “Partners in Purpose” | 7:00 – 8:15 PM
• Networking & Connections | 8:15 – 9:00 PM
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain new perspectives, hear inspiring stories, and expand your network with like-minded professionals committed to purpose-driven work.
Register Here

Whether you’re a department of one or part of a larger HR team, influence is your greatest leadership tool. This Coffee Circle will help you uncover how to build credibility, trust, and visibility within your organization - not through titles, but through relationships, communication, and confidence.

We’ll discuss how to get buy-in, navigate resistance, and position HR as a true strategic partner. You’ll also hear from peers who’ve learned to make their voices heard and their work valued.

Leave with one actionable shift to strengthen your influence and amplify your impact as an HR leader.

Unlike many webinars, the Coffee Circle is a conversational, personal experience tailored to build community and connection. It is a unique part of the benefits NHRA offers to its members, and reflects the value of coming together as professionals and people. 

Space is limited to ensure a meaningful, small-group experience. If you register, please plan to attend so we can offer every available seat to those eager to participate.


Elina Kokorotsis, Founder, In The Worx 

Elina Kokorotsis is an HR4HR coach, educator, and culture builder with over 18 years of experience helping individuals, teams, and organizations navigate change with clarity, focus, and heart.

As the Founder of In The Worx, Elina helps HR professionals build the skills of the future. Her work blends strategy with practicality and empathy through initiatives like the the HR4HR transition framework, the Shi[f]t Happens Community, and the Big A$$ Calendar planning tools, all designed to help HR professionals reclaim time, strengthen culture, and lead with intention.

Elina is currently the license holder for DisruptHR ROC and serves as Director of Culture & Development at Acentra Health, where she leads the L&D and employee engagement functions.  Whether she’s facilitating strategy sessions, building communities, or coaching leaders through transitions, Elina’s mission remains the same: to help people and organizations move forward, while their life is #intheworx

Discover How To Turn Employee 
Passion into Community Change

Join us for NHRA-OC’s Fall Social Connections on November 18! This dynamic session will feature Kim Jones, VP of HR at Toshiba America Business Solutions, Sam Bobila, Chief Development Officer at Orangewood Foundation, and Maegan Lujan, Director of Solutions Marketing and Chair of Orangewood’s Business Advisory Council. Together, they’ll share how Toshiba’s corporate social responsibility journey evolved from grassroots employee engagement to a powerful, structured partnership with Orangewood Foundation that is creating lasting community impact. Attendees will learn how to turn purpose into action. Our speakers will break down how Toshiba built a culture where employee values meet community needs, and how HR leaders can transform informal volunteer efforts into meaningful, scalable programs. People walk away with practical tips for partnering with nonprofits, boosting engagement, and even a CSR playbook that shows exactly how they made it happen.

AGENDA

Tickets No Charge Member HR Practitioners $40 Non-Member HR Practitioners $100 Member Service Providers $300 Non-Member Service Providers

EVENT Sponsors Annual Sponsors

(click logo for more info)

Corporate Sponsors

                       

         

Join us on November 20th from 4:00 - 6:00PM for our Book Club!

All participants will be mailed a FREE copy of the selected book upon registration. We will meet in-person to discuss our thoughts on the book on November 20th at Rising Storm Brewing at the Mill, from 4:00 - 6:00PM. The first drink is on us! Additional food and beverages will be available to purchase.

Our book selection for this session is The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. This event is reserved for NHRA members only, and we ask that you provide your address at registration so that we can send you a copy of the book we'll be discussing. 

Book Synopsis:

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

What makes a meeting meaningful? How do we move beyond “checking the box” to create gatherings that spark connection, clarity, and purpose?

In The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, Priya Parker challenges us to rethink the way we convene—whether it’s a team offsite, onboarding session, leadership retreat, or everyday meeting. Drawing from her work as a strategic facilitator for organizations like the World Economic Forum and MoMA, Parker offers a fresh, practical framework for designing gatherings that are intentional, inclusive, and transformative.

This book is especially relevant for HR professionals, people leaders, and anyone shaping workplace culture. It explores:

·  How to define a bold purpose for every gathering

·  Why thoughtful exclusion can lead to deeper inclusion

·  The role of active hosting in shaping group dynamics

·   How to open and close meetings with intention and impact

Join us as we unpack Parker’s insights and explore how to apply them to our own work—whether we’re building trust across teams, facilitating strategic alignment, or simply trying to make meetings matter more. We are excited to meet in-person! Discussion prompts will be sent 1 week prior to the event.

Pro-ROC & RochesterWorks Launch the 2025 Annual Job Fair

Rochester, NY – The Professional Recruiters of Rochester (Pro-ROC), in partnership with RochesterWorks and the Rochester chapter of the National Human Resources Association (NHRA), is excited to host the Annual Job Fair on Thursday, December 4^th, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607).

In 2024, this event welcomed over 300 job seekers across a wide variety of industries; from production, customer support, and patient care to engineering, administration, nursing, and management. The 2025 fair will build on that success, offering even more ways for employers and job seekers to connect.

Why Employers Should Participate

• High Visibility: Limited tables are available, secure yours now to highlight your brand and showcase your career opportunities.
• Diverse Candidate Pool: Meet job seekers with skills and backgrounds across industries and levels.

On-Site Extras (Free for All Attendees!)

• Professional Headshots: Complimentary headshots for both job seekers and employer representatives.
• Freecycle Boutique: Advancing sustainable fashion through professional attire, $1,000+ in boutique workwear available for job seekers and vendors to free-shop during the event!
• Career Coaching Corner: Personalized resume reviews, interview practice, and career guidance with experienced talent acquisition professionals.
• Free admission to the Art Gallery: Free entry after 11:00 AM on 12/4!

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship includes brand exposure across multiple channels; event materials, email blasts, the NHRA website, and Pro-ROC & NHRA social media.

Interested in sponsoring? Contact Matt Blakeslee (matt.blakeslee@aleragroup.com) or Miranda Leo (miranda.leo@inserotalent.com).

Event Questions? Reach out to prorocnhra@gmail.com.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Stay Ahead of Employment Law Changes: Join Our 2026 Legal Update

California has long been, and remains, one of the most challenging states in the country for employers. With a myriad of new laws and case developments, 2025 promises to continue California’s reputation as a complicated labyrinth for employment law compliance.

Join NHRA Orange County and featured speakers Maria Stearns and Brandon Sylvia from Rutan & Tucker, LLP for the 2026 Legal Update to hear about important employment law changes. They will summarize new employment laws for 2025, discuss significant cases from 2025 and their anticipated impact on employers.

Attendees will learn about the new and evolving laws and regulations governing workplaces and compliant practices, and gain insight into identifying potential problem areas for further analysis and risk mitigation.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Event Sponsor Annual Sponsors

Join us for an evening of festive networking with fellow HR professionals. Enjoy delicious appetizers, drink tickets, and exciting raffle prizes throughout the night. It’s our way of showing appreciation for all you do and providing a space to connect and celebrate. Plus, it's a great opportunity to network.

Appetizers and 1-drink ticket will be provided with Registration.

We hope to see you there!

 

Change is inevitable. Your employee’s adaptiveness to change isn’t. You want to build resilient teams that embrace disruption instead of running from it. Using the backdrop of disruptive technology (like AI), this workshop tackles  the timeless need of helping teams adapt and collaborate amidst uncertainty. Participants will work through their hesitance and learn technology best practices. Each participant will leave the session understanding the blockers to adoption that they experience and how to forge ahead into new tech.

Kate McClung from Bond, Schoeneck and King will share Artificial Intelligence (AI) legal compliance best practices during the last 30 minutes of the program.

Program Objectives

• Participants will identify their unique Tech Type and analyze how their comfort level, mindset, and approach to technology influence communication, collaboration, and overall effectiveness within their teams.
• Determine one specific action or focus area that leverages their Tech Type strengths to improve team efficiency, engagement, or innovation.
• Gain insight into common behavioral and organizational barriers to tech adoption, and develop strategies to overcome resistance and foster a culture of learning and digital readiness.
• Explore emerging regulations and best practices related to AI in HR (e.g., data privacy, bias mitigation, and transparency), ensuring their use of technology complies with employment law and ethical standards.
• Be able to identify key risk areas in AI.

Program Agenda:

• 7:30am-8:00am: Networking, Breakfast
• 8:00am-8:05am: Welcome, Opening Remarks- NHRA President, Rochester Affiliate
• 8:05am-9:00am: Mastering Tech Adoption, Andrew Biernat from Andrew Biernat Consulting
• and Facilitation
• 9:00am-9:25am: Artificial Intelligence Legal Update, Kate McClung from Bond Schroeneck,
• & King
• 9:25am-9:30am: Closing Remarks/Wrap Up- NHRA President, Rochester Affiliate

Meet our Presenters:

Andrew Biernat

Andrew Biernat is a strategic business consultant and team dynamics specialist who equips leadership teams and managers with practical frameworks to transform workplace engagement and enable cross-functional collaboration. Drawing on his diverse business background across sales, marketing, account management, and project management, he helps teams identify hidden talent patterns and redesign work processes to align with natural strengths. Leaders appreciate his business-minded approach to people development, while individual contributors value the immediate applicability of his methods that improve both job satisfaction and team effectiveness.

Kate McClung

Kate McClung is the Deputy Co-Chair of the Labor and Employment group and the Co-Chair of the Class and Collective Action practice at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC.  She regularly advises employers on a wide variety of labor and employment law matters, including addressing employee absences, accommodation requests, wage issues, employee performance issues, discrimination/harassment concerns, and whistleblower complaints. Kate provides training on many employment topics, including harassment, compliance with drug/alcohol policies, and supervisory best practices.  Kate also handles class and collective actions, as well as individual litigation, in state and federal courts and administrative claims before state and federal government agencies.

JOIN US IN-PERSON!

 Giving Back Gala!

Celebrating Community, Creating Change

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS & SPONSORS:

Human Resource Management Certificate Program

Join our mailing list to stay informed about National Human Resources Association events and programs.

Register in advance to secure your spot where Dr. Alex Cobb will be presenting. 

Elephants in the room. Bottlenecks to efficiency and progress. Breaking through the status quo of the organization to enact change. We have all felt the frustration of seeing the need for change, seeing opportunities for growth, and yet encountering hurdle after hurdle to improvement. This session will tackle one of the most important – and also most dangerous – actions HR leaders can undertake: addressing your organization’s toughest challenges and decisions. The session will introduce steps to take that increase the likelihood of success and reduce the danger associated with any change initiative.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Major Sponsor:

Contributing Sponsor: 

AI Augmented Leadership

How AI can create capacity for what leaders do best: building trust, engaging teams, and solving complex problems.

(NOTE: This event will be offered both in-person and online. Please select the ticket type that reflects how you will attend.)

More information to come.

Kim Jones

More information to come.

Additional Event Details

7:20 AM Registration & Networking

7:30 -9:00 AM Program and Q&A

Cancellation & Credit Policy:

Please note that all program registrations are non-refundable. However, if you are unable to attend, we are happy to offer a credit toward a future program of equal or lesser value, provided that the request is submitted prior to the scheduled event date. Credit requests made after the program date will not be honored. 

This event is pending for 1.25 credit hours for both HRCI & SHRM credits.

     

(click logo for more info)

Corporate Sponsors

                       

         

 

Register  in advance to secure your spot where Laura Scheidhauer will be presenting. 

Event details to come.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Major Sponsor:

Contributing Sponsor: 

Exemplary Empowering Leadership for HR with the Practices to shine 

(NOTE: This event will be offered both in-person and online. Please select the ticket type that reflects how you will attend.)

More information to come.

Sonja Montiel

More information to come.

Additional Event Details

7:20 AM Registration & Networking

7:30 -9:00 AM Program and Q&A

Cancellation & Credit Policy:

Please note that all program registrations are non-refundable. However, if you are unable to attend, we are happy to offer a credit toward a future program of equal or lesser value, provided that the request is submitted prior to the scheduled event date. Credit requests made after the program date will not be honored. 

This event is pending for 1.25 credit hours for both HRCI & SHRM credits.

     

 

Register in advance to secure your spot where attorneys from McMahon Berger will be presenting. 

Event details to come.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Major Sponsor:

Contributing Sponsor: 

(click logo for more info)

Corporate Sponsors

                       

         

Everything you wanted to know about Workers’ Compensation – BUT were afraid to ask 

(NOTE: This event will be offered both in-person and online. Please select the ticket type that reflects how you will attend.)

More information to come.

Brian Watnick

More information to come.

Additional Event Details

7:20 AM Registration & Networking

7:30 -9:00 AM Program and Q&A

Cancellation & Credit Policy:

Please note that all program registrations are non-refundable. However, if you are unable to attend, we are happy to offer a credit toward a future program of equal or lesser value, provided that the request is submitted prior to the scheduled event date. Credit requests made after the program date will not be honored. 

This event is pending for 1.25 credit hours for both HRCI & SHRM credits.