January 2004 Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE
News from Dulles Chapter of SHRM and other timely HR information
Join Us On February 18 for "Navigating Through Difficult Conversations"
Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update
Chapter Discussion Group
Profit From State Conference
Community Assistance
Board Meeting Minutes
Upcoming Member Survey
SHRM Board Extends Privileges To Unemployed Members
Legislative Update
HR Leadership Awards of Greater Washington
Tax Credit Available For Retraining Workers
Book Review #7: Authentic Leadership
Book Review #8 Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em - Getting Good People to Stay
"Addressing the Human Capital Crisis in the Federal Government"
"Workplace Breakfast Series: Critical Issues In Employment Law"
Diversity Article
Mark Your Calendar
Check Out Previous Newsletters
Join Us On February 18 for "Navigating Through Difficult Conversations"
December 3
For Details on the Program: Click Here
Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update
During our December holiday party, Dulles SHRM members contributed $80.00 for the Embry
Rucker Shelter. Contributions were used to purchase four Target gift certificates. Director Anita
Bonic extends her sincere appreciation for your generosity.
Chapter Discussion Group
“Maximizing Technology in Recruiting”
Thursday, February 5
Whether you work for a “high-tech” company or “non-tech” company, finding the best talent is
crucial to success of any organization. Sourcing talent has become a specialized art that has
forced many “non-technical” HR professionals to learn new computer skills. Come and share with
your peers and colleagues innovative recruiting ideas and discuss current and future technologies
to help insure recruiting success. Bob Bladel, Vice President, Monster will join the Group as
facilitator.
In preparation for this session, please reflect on the following questions:







What technology tools do you (or your people/counterparts) use to source/manage
candidates?
Which technology tools have you (or your people/counterparts) found to be the most
useful?
What percentage of the technology tools that you (or your people/counterparts) have
available are actually used?
How do you stay current on the latest technology or techniques?
What websites do you find effective?
What networking tools do you use?
What one technological enhancement would you most like to see?
Dulles SHRM’s monthly Discussion Groups are an excellent tool for learning about the latest
trends and workplace practices across a variety of hot HR topics. Discussion Groups meet
monthly and anyone is invited. There is no charge for attending. Just be sure to call ahead so we
expect you.
To register, please contact Nancy Puccini at Puccini@isccomm.idede.itg.is.irs.gov or call (703)
876-4440. Confirmation is needed at least 24 hours ahead to notify AOL security. Participants
should wait in the lobby for an escort to the conference room.
Date: Thursday, February 5
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Place: AOL, Creative Center Three (CC3), Room 31B:A01, 22110 Pacific Blvd., Dulles, VA 20166
Phone: (703) 876-4440 (Nancy Puccini)
(703) 265-7520 (Cindy Loison direct line)
(703) 265-2500 (AOL main line)
Directions: Follow the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) west toward Dulles Airport to the Route 28
North exit. Take Route 28 North toward Sterling. After approximately 3 miles, take a left onto
Waxpool Road. You will see the building on the left. Take a left at the traffic light onto Pacific
Blvd. Enter at the guard gate on your left (CC3) and the guard will direct you.
Profit From State Conference
In anticipation of pre-Conference expenses for the 2003 Virginia State Conference, the Dulles
SHRM Board voted to loan $1,000 to the Conference last fall with the provision that Dulles SHRM
would participate in any profit sharing after all Conference expenses were paid. Much to the
surprise of past-President Judy Perrault and the Board, the Dulles SHRM portion of profits was
$16,248.74. This amount represents payback of the Chapter’s loan amount, attendance by our
members, and especially volunteer hours donated by Chapter members prior to and during the
Conference.
Our very special thanks to Chapter members Cornelia Gamlem, Alice Waagen, and Maggie
Chan, three volunteers who contributed extraordinary efforts to the unprecedented success of the
Conference.
Community Assistance
During 2004, Dulles Chapter Diversity/Workforce Education Director Evelyn Kaiser will introduce
members to community organizations that bring together skilled employees and Northern Virginia
employers who need staff. Presenters for January are Maria Burton and Bill Browning of Training
Futures, an award-winning 22-week office skills training program that brings together low income
adults who yearn for higher paying careers with employers who need technology-savvy office
administrative staff. SHRM members can connect with TF to recruit new hires for entry-level
office administration, and employers can benefit by hiring free interns for two weeks to reduce
administrative backlogs.
To learn more, contact Maria Burton at mburton@nvfs.org or (703) 448-1630. See “Achieve Your
Company’s Staffing Goals While Making Dreams Come True,” the last article in this newsletter,
for a case study.
Board Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the Board meetings are available on our web site - please take a few minutes
to review them in full. Click Here to View.
Upcoming Member Survey
Chapter member Mary Saily, President of HumanR, has volunteered to conduct a member survey
for the Dulles chapter. The purpose of the survey is to determine topics of importance to
members, including challenges anticipated for the future and areas where Dulles SHRM can
provide support through dinner meetings, Chapter Discussion Groups, and other activities. The
survey will be conducted electronically via e-mail. Look for it in the weeks ahead. We encourage
all members to participate.
SHRM Board Extends Privileges To Unemployed Members
During its November meeting at the Leadership Conference, the SHRM board of directors
amended the reserve member policy to provide active SHRM members who are unemployed at
the time of their membership renewal a one-time opportunity to extend membership for up to a
year with no dues. During that time, SHRM member benefits would continue with the exception of
the right to hold office or vote. Members will be expected to notify SHRM if they become
employed during the year.
Legislative Update
By Mary Lynn Billitteri, Legislative Liaison
Kick off the new year by voicing your opinion on policies affecting the HR profession. Armed with
information from the Annual legislative Update, plan to be an active participant in shaping policy
this year.
Here’s how:



It’s easy to communicate with your representatives in Congress through the SHRM
website. Click on www.shrm.org/government/hrvoice and follow the instructions for
sending an e-mail letter to your senator or representative.
Coming up: The 21st Annual Employment Law and Legislative Conference will be held in
D.C. at the Capital Hilton, March 8-10. Click on www.shrm.org/conferences/leg for more
information.
Join us for the Capitol Hill trip in late March/early April. We plan a one-day trip to D.C. to
have briefings on legislative issues and visit our Virginia legislators. Visit the chapter
website (www.dullesshrm.org ) for more information and to indicate your interest.
National SHRM government affairs staff tracks letter writing activity by SHRM members. The
number of unique users is measured (instead of the number of letters) and participation is
encouraged. The good news: For 2003, we had a total of 5,683 unique writers compared to 1,200
in 2002. As a chapter with 100% national membership, let’s show our support. SHRM would like
to have at least 10,000 of the 176,000 members have their voice heard on important legislative
issues in January.
HR Leadership Awards of Greater Washington
Tuesday, June 8, 2004, Ritz-Carlton
The HR Leadership Awards of Greater Washington will be held on Tuesday, June 8, at the
spectacular Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Please consider nominating a colleague or client or
yourself for outstanding contributions to an organization and/or the HR profession. Feel free to
share this information with others and encourage participation. Let’s create a BUZZ…
The HR Leadership Awards have been created to recognize exemplary leadership and
contributions in the human resources profession in the Washington area. You or your
organization may participate in several ways:



Nominate human resources professionals for the awards. Nominations opened on
January 5 and will close on March 15.
Be a sponsor of the 2004 awards. Limited opportunities are still available.
Attend the Awards Gala on Tuesday, June 8. The evening program includes socializing
and celebration beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner and program at 7 p.m.
Gala keynote speaker will be Darrell Green, former All-Pro Washington Redskin and founder of
the Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation. At the Gala, six awards will be presented for human
resources professional excellence in large commercial, small commercial, Government, and nonprofit organizations as well as an award for ethics and one for community service/corporate social
responsibility.
Visit the Leadership Awards website at www.hrleadership.org for additional information.
Tax Credit Available For Retraining Workers
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
Looking for added incentive to upgrade the skills of your employees? Virginia’s Worker Retraining
Tax Credit allows an employer to claim a tax credit for the costs of providing worker retraining to
qualified employees. Eligible worker retraining includes:
1. Noncredit courses provided by any of Virginia’s community colleges (www.vccs.edu) or a
private school, and
2. Credit or noncredit worker retraining courses undertaken through an apprenticeship
agreement approved by the Virginia Apprenticeship Council.
The credit is 30% of all training costs incurred through a community college, or an annual credit of
up to $100 per student if training through a private school. The credit is allowable against
individual income tax, estate and trust tax, corporate income tax, bank franchise tax, and taxes
imposed upon insurance companies and utility companies. The credit is nonrefundable, but
excess credit may be carried forward for the next three taxable years.
To download a copy of the application and instructions, visit the website of the Virginia
Department of Taxation at www.tax.state.va.us/web_pdfs/busForms/currentyear/wrc_pkt.pdf.
Questions may be directed to the Virginia Department of Business Assistance at
wfs@dba.state.va.us or (804) 371-8120.
"Addressing the Human Capital Crisis in the Federal Government:
A Knowledge Mangement Perspective"
Wednesday, January 28, George Mason University, Arlington Campus
With the strategic management of human capital taking high precedence in the President’s
Management Agenda, a knowledge bleed effect occurring in the Federal Government, and
establishing the new position of the Chief Human Capital Officer, the Federal Government
recognizes the importance of addressing strategic human capital concerns in the coming years.
One of the key pillars that should underpin an organization’s human capital strategy is knowledge
management.
The presentation will discuss how knowledge management can play an active part in an
organization’s human capital strategy.
Guest speaker Dr. Jay Liebowitz, knowledge management author (39 titles) and professor at
Johns Hopkins University, has served as Knowledge Management Officer at NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center.
Date: Wednesday, January 28
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (hors d’oeuvres will be served)
Place: George Mason University, Arlington Campus
3401 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington Original Building, Room 329
Arlington, VA
Cost: KMPro members: $20; Non-members: $25
Contact: For additional information and to pay online, click on www.kmpro.org/dcchapterpg.cfm or
RSVP to dcevents@kmpro.org. For questions, contact Denise Lee at (301) 585-1030
"Workplace Breakfast Series: Critical Issues In Employment Law"
Jackson Lewis LLP, the nation’s leading law firm representing management exclusively in
employment and labor matters, is pleased to announce the inaugural Workplace Law Breakfast
Series: Critical Issues in Employment Law to the greater D.C. metropolitan area.
The workshop series began this month. Four interactive workshops remain in the series:



Supreme Court Review: Recent Workplace Law Decisions (February 3, 2004)
Untangling the Web of the ADA, FMLA, and Workers’ Compensation (March 23, 2004)
Approaches to Creating an Effective and Committed Human Resources Team (April 27,
2004)
Workshops are held at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The
registration fee is $50 for each remaining session, which includes continental breakfast and
program materials. Join for one workshop or the remaining workshops in the series. Each
workshop has been approved for 1.5 HRCI recertification credits, and Virginia CLE Credit is
pending.
To register, call or e-mail Brenda Hansen, Office Administrator at 703-821-4307 or
hansenb@jacksonlewis.com.
Diversity Article
Achieve Your Company's Staffing Goals While Making Dreams Come True
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
“Living poor in America slowly beats your dreams down. I came to Training Futures to lift my
dreams back up,” said one recent Training Futures enrollee when she started the 22-week office
skills training program. For seven years, NVFS Training Futures (TF) has matched the dreams of
low-income neighbors in Northern Virginia with employers who need technology-savvy entry-level
office administration employees. Program graduates and employers have achieved stunning
success from Training Futures, as documented in its new case study report “Trickle Up: A Case
Study on Community Benefits of Workforce Development.”
This case study documents the impact of Training Futures graduates’ success, which trickles
back to benefit taxpayers, the regional economy, and local employers. Below are a few examples
of how this program benefits the community.
1. Training Futures graduates reported that their earnings increased by 75%. Instead of
annual incomes of $16,000 before TF, they now earn an average of $28,000.
2. Nearly 400 employed Training Futures graduates from the past 6 years will earn $4.6
million more for their families in 2003 than they would have earned if they had remained
in the same low-wage jobs prior to Training Futures.
3. These same successful graduates will contribute an estimated $1.6 million back to public
agencies in 2003 from increased payroll, income, and real estate and sales tax revenues
that trickle back into public coffers.
4. Local merchants will realize an estimated $1.6 million in additional product sales in 2003
purchased by TF grads with increased consumer spending power.
5. Companies that sponsor two-week internships for Training Futures participants receive
free administrative assistance worth $65,000 per year for the region.
Over the past 4 years, Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C. has hired more TF
graduates - two dozen - than any other employer. Oblon is a 400-person, internationallyrenowned intellectual property law firm based in Alexandria, VA.
Mary Ellen Brennen, manager of Oblon Spivak’s human resources team, conducted an analysis
published in the case study. This analysis showed that Training Futures graduates had a 25%
lower turnover rate than for overall administrative staff, performed strongly with 78% of those
eligible receiving promotions, and saved the company money compared with other recruiting
sources. “Training Futures graduates really care about the quality of their work,” she said. “At
Training Futures, they learned to pay attention to details and so they make fewer mistakes, and
they bring a positive, can-do approach to their jobs that helps lift their work teams.” Training
Futures graduates have demonstrated strong performance in jobs such as administrative
assistant, receptionist, accounting clerk, file clerk, and customer service.
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming SHRM Conferences and Seminars
2004 Conferences




March 8-10 - Employment Law and Legislative Conference, Capital Hilton, Washington,
D.C
March 22-24 - SHRM Global Forum, Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort, Bal Harbour,
FL
April 19-21 - Employment Management Association, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel,
Washington, D.C.
June 27-30 - SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition, Ernest N. Morial Convention
Center, New Orleans, LA
2004 Chapter Dinner Meetings












February 18 - “Navigating Through Difficult Conversations” with Jennell Evans, Strategic
Interactions
March 17 - “Managing the Workplace in Response to the New Threats of the 21st
Century” with Ari Karen, Krupin O’Brien
April 21 - “Strategic Manpower Planning - Build or Buy?” with Michael Hager, Hager
Strategic
May 19 - “Latitude in Attitude” with Allie Bowling
June 16 - “Changing Trends in Health Care Benefits” with George Lane, Marsh
July 21 - TBD
August 18 - “Succession Planning” with Karen Stacy, Freddie Mac
September 22 - TBD
October 20 - TBD
November 17 - TBD
December 8 - Annual Holiday Party
December 15 - Transition Board Meeting
That’s all for this month unless you have any ideas or suggestions? This is your chapter - let us
know what’s on your mind!
Cindy Loison
President
Dulles SHRM
cloisonhr@aol.com