NHRMA | Agenda / Pre-Conference Descriptions

Leadership Workshop for Chapter and State Council Board Members
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
There is No Fee to attend, but pre-registration is required.

Are you currently serving as a volunteer leader on a SHRM Chapter or State Council board in Alaska, Oregon or Washington? If so, we have a pre-conference development opportunity just for you. Each year NHRMA provides a pre-conference leadership session to help you learn more about the role of your State Council, NHRMA and SHRM

and how we all work collectively to support you. In addition, you will have a chance to share best practices with other chapter board members on a variety of roles and topics. You will also receive tools and information to develop and build on your leadership skills. All Chapter volunteer leaders are welcome so grab someone from your board and plan to attend...you will not be disappointed. This is also a great networking opportunity.

Tuesday, September 16

Pre-Conference Intensive Workshops
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Pre-registration and advance payment is required for the following 4-hour Intensive Workshops (PC1 – PC4). Continental Breakfast included.
PC1 – PC4 have been pre-approved for 3.75 Recertification Credit Hours each.

PC1)
Policy Writing Can Be Fun
Track: Strategic Contribution

Presenter:
Corbett Gordon, JD, Senior Counsel, Fisher & Phillips, LLC, Portland, OR

The opportunity to write or revise your company's policies can be exciting. This presentation will show you why policy writing is a delight -- not a drag. Participants will learn the strategic advantages of various handbook/policy provisions, practice writing policies, and will be exposed to state law provisions that relate to must-have policies where one size does not fit all. The presentation will be lively and participants will take away sample policies as well as a wealth of state-specific information.

Corbett, founder of the Portland office of the national firm Fisher & Phillips, LLP, has represented management in labor and employment matters since 1982. Corbett was an adjunct professor at Willamette University College of Law, Salem, OR, for many years. She is experienced in defending employers before juries; advising them in all aspects of labor and employment matters; and working with them on union-related issues, including contract enforcement and collective bargaining. Corbett is listed in Chambers USA, Employment: Defendant since 2003, The Best Lawyers in America since 2001, Best Lawyers in Oregon, Oregon Super Lawyers, and one of 25 top female lawyers in Oregon. She is a Harvard Law graduate and a frequent speaker both regionally and nationally on labor, employment, and human relations topics.

PC2)
Effective Supervisory Practices
Track: Leadership Training

Presenter:
Jennifer Bouman-Steagall, JD, Attorney, Bullard Smith Jernstedt Wilson, Portland, OR

As a leader in your organization, you are expected to maximize the productivity of your employees. It seems simple enough, but time and again, managers and human resource professionals find themselves babysitting their employees and managing the drama in the workplace rather than the business at hand. There is no doubt that the increasingly diverse nature of today's workforce presents unique challenges for managers and human resource professionals, but successful managers learn early on that keys to success include clear expectations, consistent documentation, and open communication with employees. Through humor, real-life examples and practical suggestions, this seminar will provide you with realistic strategies and empower you to become a more effective manager without becoming the target of employee frustration or resentment. You will learn about setting boundaries and workplace rules, positive coaching methods, documentation, discipline, performance evaluations, terminations, and overcoming the hurdles of transitioning from peer to supervisor. The time has come to take back control of your workforce so you spend less time babysitting poor performers and more time managing productive employees.

Jennifer Bouman-Steagall graduated from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1998. She has been counseling employers on a wide range of employment law issues for over nine years in Oregon and Washington. Her litigation work includes all forms of discrimination; sexual harassment; federal and state family leave laws; federal and state wage and hour laws; enforcement of non-compete contracts; and wrongful termination. Jennifer also has considerable experience providing general employment advice to clients, drafting and revising employee handbooks and job descriptions, providing training to both management and non-management employees, and giving presentations on a variety of subjects pertaining to employment law. She is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington federal and state courts as well as before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Jennifer is also a member of the Labor & Employment Executive Committee for the Oregon State Bar.

PC3)
The Bermuda Triangle: ADA/FMLA/Workers' Compensation
Track: Best Practices

Presenter:
Ralph C. Pond, JD, Partner, Benedict Garratt Pond & Pierce, PLLC, Seattle, WA

This popular presentation targets the "Bermuda Triangle" of employment law: the intersection of disability law, state and federal family and medical leave and workers' compensation law. This intersection is illustrated by three problem scenarios: (1) The Case of the Lethargic Lawyer; (2) Maxing Out and (3) Bad Back Bill. After presentation of the three problem scenarios, the program includes a review of federal and state law in these areas, including recent changes to Washington disability law and amendments to the FMLA. Then, "Convergence Zone": Returning the Injured Worker to Work is addressed. The program concludes with analysis of the three problem scenarios, to test the participants' knowledge of this challenging area. The learning objectives for this session include mastery of the complex issues raised by return-to-work scenarios invoking the protection of these three statutes. Participants take away an enhanced ability to correctly respond to those challenging issues.

Ralph joined Benedict Garratt Pond & Pierce, PLLC in 2006 after nearly 25 years with Lane Powell PC, where he served for many years as chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Ralph’s practice covers all aspects of employer counseling and representing both management and aggrieved employees in trial and appeal of employment discrimination, labor, wrongful discharge, ERISA, non-compete, FMLA, wage/hour, Sarbanes/Oxley and OSHA/WISHA matters. He is the featured expert in the nationally recognized LearnKey interactive training program entitled “The ADA and Disability Law.” Ralph is a 1981 cum laude graduate of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He is a regular seminar speaker on employment law topics.

PC4)
H.I.R.E. Attitude: New Tools for New Times
Track: Personal Growth/Credibility

Presenter:
Pamela C. Bezona, President and Chief Success Officer, Performance eSource, Bothell, WA

These days we focus on competencies when recruiting and hiring. Most organizations select candidates for their skills and end up firing them for bad attitudes. Here’s the reality check: Where do HR professionals spend a majority of their time? Helping colleagues deal with ineffective employee behaviors not “fixing” technical competencies. Great employees demonstrate accountability, self-motivation, flexibility and being team players. H.I.R.E. Attitude will teach you how to recruit and retain employees with the behaviors necessary for success in your company. Most candidates today research and are coached on how to “ace” behavior based questions. In its current format, BBI reveals WHAT the candidate did. It does not uncover HOW the candidate behaves. This practical, interactive workshop will teach participants how to find the right person with the right behaviors for the right job. Attendee’s will apply these four principles to their current interview process:

Pamela is the president and founder of Performance eSource a company that provides web-based software tools, training and coaching to help organizations become more effective at managing their most valuable asset – people. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University and spent 10 years in secondary education within the public sector. She began her second career with Costco Wholesale while attending Graduate school at Seattle University. Pamela ended her 24-year tenure with Costco as the Employee Development Manager designing and delivering operationally sound training programs. She received her certification in Human Resource Management from the University of Washington. Pamela is a certified Executive Coach with accreditation from the College of Executive Coaching. Pamela has been invited to participate in the People to People Citizen Ambassador, US-China Executive HR Exchange traveling to Beijing in November 2008.

Tuesday, September 16

Pre-Conference Intensive Workshops
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Pre-registration and advance payment is required for the following 2-hour Intensive Workshops (PC5 and PC6).
PC5 and PC6 have been pre-approved for 2.0 Recertification Credit Hours each.

PC5)
Building Your First Compensation Program, a "How To" Guide
Track: Strategic Contribution

Presenter:
Doug Sayed, SPHR, Principal, Applied HR Strategies, Inc., Kirkland, WA

This presentation provides strategic and hands-on information concerning the development of a company's formal compensation philosophy/strategy and first formal base compensation program. Included are strategic perspectives (HR and compensation strategy), as well as tactical approaches in developing your first program, often from scratch.

Doug Sayed is founder and principal consultant for Applied HR Strategies, Inc. (AHRS) a Human Resources and compensation consulting firm based in Kirkland, WA. Prior to starting AHRS in 1999, Doug spent 15 years doing HR and compensation work at the professional and managerial level. Doug is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) with over 20 years of human resources and compensation experience. He earned a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from The Ohio State University and has also earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation. Doug is an instructor and technical publications reviewer for WorldatWork, the leading association of compensation professionals internationally. He is also a frequent speaker on compensation and HR issues to professional groups and business executives in the Pacific Northwest.

PC6)
Leadership Development, 101
Track: Leadership Training

Presenters:
James Neblett, Department Chair - Human Resources, DBA, SPHR, GPHR, Chapman University, Mc Chord AFB, WA
Deborah Schaff-Johnson, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor - Human Resources, Chapman University, San Diego, CA

Organizational learning involves much more than job skills training. In this presentation, the presenters will talk about the keys to developing a leadership training program that helps bring clarity and depth to leadership, learning and creativity at all organizational levels. The organization's HR Department and training managers must help senior management understand their critical role. This presentation will show participants how they can encourage leaders to bring out the best in themselves and their employees, how to improve employee development, and how to continue to change, maintain change and monitor their progress.

Dr. Neblett was a corporate HR Director with a HR generalist and OD focus with substantial focus on Retail and Telecommunications. He has global experience working with diverse populations. Dr. Schaff-Johnson has over 20 years of coaching experience with various national organizations, has taught at various colleges and universities, and has published numerous articles. She was recently delivering leadership seminars in Beijing. She is currently CEO of Quantum Navigation, a coaching leadership organization.

Tuesday, September 16

Pre-Conference Concurrent Workshops
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
There is No Fee to attend PC7 and PC8 Concurrent Sessions, but pre-registration is required.

PC7)
Discovery in the Electronic Age: What HR Can Do Now and in the Future
Track: Legal

Most average-sized company employees create and store hundreds of thousands of "pages" of electronically stored information at any one time. Learn how HR can help prevent problems and abide by the Federal rules handling the production of and disputes over electronically stored information such as e-mail and other electronic data.

PC8)
Career Management: There's More Than "Up" or "Out"
Track: Personal Growth/Credibility

Presenter:
Theresa M. Kinney, VP Business Development, Lee Hecht Harrison, Bellevue, WA

Career development is a popular employee topic. There are more options than "up" or "out" of the organization. Topics addressed include defining career management, actions available to employees, tangible ways to introduce the concept into your organization and coaching managers to begin their conversations.