News and Announcements

This page contains an archive of MAHRA news and announcements.

For the program and event schedule, please visit the calendar page.

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June 2008
As many of you have heard, C.R. Sparks will be closing and relocating. Because there is no information on when and where they will relocate, MAHRA had to choose another venue for our meetings. This will start with our first meeting in January. We will be meeting Banquet room at The Derryfield Country Club. The Derryfield is located at 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, NH 03104. Click here for directions.

We hope our meetings will continue to be enjoyable and comfortable for everyone. We look forward to seeing everyone in January to experience our new meeting location.

We will be holding our annual SHRM foundation Auction in December so stay tuned for more information on that.

Just as a reminder please remember to bring cash or check to the meeting in order to pay for your attendance. It is additional work for volunteers to create bills and mail them. Also if you register for a meeting and don’t attend we still need to collect payment as meals have been prepared for you. Thanks so much in advance for you help with this.

New programming for our next program year will be posted as soon as it is complete so keep checking back.

Have a wonderful summer!!!!

May 2008
Renewals for your MAHRA membership will be mailed out soon. Make sure to watch for yours. The cost will remain $60 and you can still prepay your meeting fees for next year. All the details will be in the letter along with a chapter designation form. Please take time to read this information and send it back as soon as possible.

The time to vote in a new slate of board members is also here. This will happen at the June meeting along with our financials being on each table for those of you who would like to view them.

Most of you know that CR Sparks will be closing at the end of the year so the board has been actively seeking a new venue for January through June of 2009. More information to come on this.

Sponsorship of MAHRA is a great way to gain visibility to our members. There are meeting sponsors, and there is a Newsletter sponsor. Our sponsorship chair has a detailed list of what each opportunity entails. Please contact them if you are interested in sponsoring for the next program year.

February 2008
Time has come to update announcements!!!  MAHRA continues its goal of bringing you programming you can use.

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with Ted Gorski from Get your Edge, followed in January by Jim Reidy and “Are you Smarter than The Investigator?”, and most recently we had Deb Titus from Dale Carnegie talk to us about Inspiring your Managers to Engage their Employees.  If you missed any of these meetings the powerpoints and presentations can be found on this site.

Sponsors have been great and generous.  We now have an opportunity to sponsor the monthly newsletters as well as the meetings.  Contact Alice Cordella for more information.

We are seeking programming and presenters for next program year so if you have suggestions or know of anyone, contact Diane Denoncourt at ddenoncourt@trivantus.com.

Job postings have been posted!  Thanks for posting on our site.  If you are in transition make sure you bookmark the site as it is a great resource for you.

If you have a change in your membership don’t forget to email Jim at
J.whitmore@snhu.edu.  This includes changes in demographics or employment.

The Granite State Human Resources Conference is scheduled for May 6th. You can register at www.gshrconference.org.

Tip:  If you need to log into the members only area…. Log in is your first initial and last name.  IE:  asmith for Ann Smith.  Passwords are assigned so if you don’t know yours contact koconnell@ameritas.com and she can assist.

Until next time….. keep your fingers crossed for spring.

September 2007
It was a pleasure to see the turnout of about 260 people at our September Joint Meeting in Concord with Pam Vaccaro.  We hope that everyone took away a few good time management tips. 

Thank you to all who have renewed their memberships with MAHRA if you still have not, please contact Jim Whitmore through this website to renew or call him at 603-644-3126.

We are extending a warm welcome to Alison Kivikoski as our new president and she brings with her an abundance of knowledge and passion for the HR profession.

NH State Leadership Conference will be held on December 6, 2007 and more information is forthcoming. 

Don’t forget to register for our next meeting as online registration helps us plan accordingly for the meeting.

We will be enhancing our website so keep logging on to watch for the new updates.

July 2007
We hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer. The board has been working behind the scenes for our new program year and joint September meeting. Don’t forget to save the date and register now right from this very front page.

Membership renewals went out in July and if you did not receive one you can contact Jim Whitmore at 603-644-3126 who will be the membership chair for the upcoming year. We certainly hope you see the value in renewing your membership. The price has remained the same at $60.00 for another year.

A huge thank you goes to Pat Donahue who worked diligently to provide us with a wonderful program year as our MAHRA President. Her work was greatly appreciated and we hope to see her at our monthly meetings.

SHRM unveiled a new logo and it is now on our websites front page and will be showing up in all the chapter material soon….

May 2007 Updater
On May 8th we had record attendance at the Granite State HR Conference. There were 460 attendees. Many people stopped by the MAHRA table and inquired about membership. Please send applications into our membership chair at your convenience. Thank you to all who participated, to the speakers and sponsors. It was a great event.

Our congratulations go out to Therese Gesel-Towne who was named the new HR Hero. Jim Reidy provided an excellent and amusing slide show on what it means to be the HR Hero.

Our monthly breakfast meeting will be June 5th so please register for that event. We will be hosting our silent auction in June to benefit the SHRM Foundation. For more info on donations please contact Jim Whitmore at j.whitmore at snhu.edu or Theresa Preston at tpreston at kellercompanies.com.

Current Items for bid include: 4 Red Sox Tickets, a handmade wooden sailboat, a luxury box for a Fisher Cats game, a luggage bag, a $75 gift certificate to CR Sparks or the Chop House, and a round of golf.

Happy bidding!!!

Our April 2007 Sponsor
We would like to thank Paul Wilson from Wilson Employment for sponsoring our most recent breakfast meeting. You can find out more about what Paul does he can be found at www.wilsonemployment.com. The meeting was attended by 72 participants on the topic of integrated succession planning. We also thank Claude Marchessault for his presentation.

We hope to see you at The 9th Annual NH State Conference on May 8, 2007. This will be in place of a MAHRA meeting so please register for the event.

There were 3 winners for the free admission to the conference and 2 winners of gift cards to Borders.

Reminder that June 5th will be our silent auction. If you would like to donate or learn more please contact Terri Preston or Jim Whitmore.

Our March 2007 Sponsor
Thank you to Jackie Brough for her program in March about How to be the Best Company in NH.  There were 41members in attendance for our dinner meeting.  Thank you for participating. 

Our sponsor was Hillcrest Terrace and they are on the web at www.hillcrestterrace.com.  Thanks for your sponsorship.

Don’t forget to register for April 3rd breakfast meeting.  We look forward to seeing everyone.  MAHRA will be raffling off one admission to the Granite State Conference at the meeting so don’t forget your business cards.

REMINDER:  We will be hosting our silent auction in June to benefit the SHRM Foundation.  For more info on donations please contact Jim Whitmore at j.whitmore@snhu.edu or Theresa Preston at tpreston@kellercompanies.com.

Our February 2007 Sponsor
Thank you to John Wilson for his program in February dealing with Legal Obligations of Employing a Foreign Professional. We had 48 members attend the meeting and we are happy that you came.

Our sponsor was Kara McLaughlin from The Survey Group and they are on the web at www.thesurveygroup.com. Thanks for your support Kara!

Don’t forget to register for the March 6th dinner meeting and we look forward to seeing everyone. MAHRA will be raffling off one admission to the Granite State Conference in March and one in April so don’t forget your business cards.

We will also be hosting our silent auction in June to benefit the SHRM Foundation. For more info on donations please contact Jim Whitmore at j.whitmore@snhu.edu or Theresa Preston at tpreston@kellercompanies.com.

Our January Sponsor
1/17/2007

Thank you to Jim Reidy of Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green for our January program of “Deal or No Deal”. A good and informative time was had by all. We had a turnout of 76 members for the meeting. It was wonderful to see you all.

Our sponsor was Melissa Murphy from Lee Hecht Harrison and they can be found at www.lhh.com. Thank you to Melissa for your support.

New members to welcome include Janet Cote and Kathleen Walsh. We hope you find your time with us to be beneficial and supportive.

Don’t forget to register for the February 6th meeting and we look forward to seeing everyone.

Our December Sponsor
12/19/2006

We would like to thank Deb Tuttle from Key Partners for sponsoring our December meeting and for the wonderful umbrellas to keep us covered! Their website is www.keypartnersinc.com. Once again we had over 50 attendees and odds were great on the gift certificates and baskets that were raffled! We would like to thank those who donated items of need to Upreach Therapeutic Riding Center. The list of donations was very long but if you would like a copy please see our next newsletter.

Welcome new members
12/19/2006

New Members to welcome include: Caroline Bergeron, Marc Filipowicz, Tracey Hall, Chris Hagen and Lori Lanzillo. We are happy to have you as part of our membership.

Thank You Tom Harte
11/16/2006

We would like to thank Tom Harte from Landmark Benefits for sponsoring our most recent breakfast meeting. You can find out more about Landmark Benefits at www.landmarkbenefits.com. The meeting was attended by 55 participants to learn about hiring and accommodating persons with disabilities. We also thank Alan Muir and Sarah Helm for their insights and presentation. We hope to see you at our dinner meeting in December. Don’t forget to register.


Welcome new members
10/26/2006

Tammy Eccard
Melissa Milione


Thanks to Snowden Associates for their Sponsorship!
10/26/2006

We would like to thank Len Rishkofski from Snowden Associates for sponsoring our last meeting. You can find out more about Snowden Associates at www.snowdenassociates.com. The meeting was a great success with 57 attending to hear Cynthia Flynn from the Department of Labor. We hope to see you all in November!

REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS!

10/20/2006

Dear MAHRA Members,
 
An organization is only as strong as its members!
 
Manchester Area Human Resources Association (MAHRA) is proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the years.  Board members work to bring you relevant programming on topics that you, our members, have requested and try to create networking and mentoring opportunities.  

WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE!!  One of our current goals is to continue to enhance our value to our members.  Won’t you consider helping MAHRA by joining one of our committees?  We could use your ideas, creativity and energy on the following committees:
 
-         Programming Committee (up to 5 members needed to work with VP of Monthly Programs, Debra Tuttle)
-         Sponsorship Committee (2 or 3 members needed to work with Sponsor Chair, Diane Denoncourt)
-         Communications/Web Committee (3 or 4 members needed to work with Communications/Web Chair, Kara O’Connell)
 
The time commitment could be up to one meeting a month (usually less).  Please contact Pat Donahue, MAHRA President, at pdonahue@nhhfa.org or feel free to call her with questions at (603) 310-9206.  You will be contacted directly by the committee chair person to confirm your willingness to volunteer and schedule your first meeting!

No experience needed – only a willingness to help MAHRA continue its work.
Contact us now to sign-up!
Sponsors for the September Joint Meeting

09/21/2006

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Thank you for the support and representation at the September Joint HRA-GC & MAHRA Meeting.

Recognized Sponsors:

Concord Monitor
Express Personnel Services
Landmark Benefits
New Hampshire Housing
Resource Management Consultants

 

Mentors

06/16/2006

The benefit of being a member of MAHRA allows for the opportunity to get assistance from a seasoned professional in the field of Human Resources. If you would like to connect with an HR Mentor please visit the Professional Development section of the website to find a listing of mentors available.

HERO Award

06/01/2006

CONGRATULATIONS JIM REIDY

Jim Reidy was presented with the 2006 HR Hero Award at the Granite State Human Resources Conference in May. Jim is a MAHRA member and works at the law firm of Sheehan,Phinney, Bass & Green.

 

Welcome New Members to MAHRA

01/01/2006

WELCOME to the following new members of MAHRA:

Alice Cordella, Saint Anselm College

Heidi Ebol, Pannaway Technologies

Mike Klyop, United Healthcare

Barbara Sterling, Windward Petroleum, Inc.

JANUARY SPONSOR

December 2005

A special Thank You to Lee Hecht-Harrison for sponsoring our upcoming January MAHRA event.

Lee Hecht-Harrison offers a full range of career services to help organizations manage their most valuable resource...their workforce.

Located at 835 Hanover Street in Manchester or for more information visit the website of Lee Hecht-Harrison.

www.LHH.com

Welcome New Members to MAHRA

December 2005

WELCOME to the following new members of MAHRA:

Diane Denoncourt with Lifetime Benefits Group

Gerry Fernandez with Reardon Associates

Amy Ouellette with MicroMetrics, Inc.

Holiday Celebration for December

11/1/2005

Business Clothing Drive : Support Jobs for NH Graduates Program

The NH State Council volunteers are collecting business clothing to help students enrolled in this program. The program serves youth between the ages of 16-21 who are continuing their education and learning office skills or a trade. Bring your donations to the December 13th MAHRA meeting at CR Sparks.

Our goal is to help these students by providing them with professional attire to wear at interviews and when they become employees. We Need: Suits, pants, blouses, blazers, skirts, dress coats, jewelry and accessories for both male and females.

For questions please contact Carolyn Raitt Craitt@adelphia.net or Mara Olisky MOlisky@cscnh.org

HR State Council of NH & MAHRA

08/09/2005

To: Manchester Area Human Resources Association Members

From: Claire-Hélène Horne, SPHR- MAHRA President

Subject: Jobs for NH Graduates – Mentors Needed

The HR State Council of New Hampshire and MAHRA are piloting an initiative to assist Jobs for NH Graduates (JNHG), an affiliate of Jobs for America’s Graduates. Some of the highlights of JNHG are captured below:

• The organization began in the 1980’s through the State of NH and is funded through federal dollars, as well as foundation and grants.
• This program serves at risk youth 14 to 21 years of age; the program focuses on drop out recovery (getting kids back in school or their GED), keeping kids in school that are on the verge of dropping out, and assisting kids with their future plans (i.e. a job after graduation and/or college).
• There are 37 core competencies that the program focuses on.
• Every student belongs to a Career Association and teachers are the advisors of this association, which is in addition to the students regular schedule and must be nominated to the program and meet the guidelines established.
• JNHG follows the students for up to 12 months from their completion of the program to determine their job status and to assess how they are doing.
• Currently there are 625 students in the program (this includes “follow up students”).
• This program is supported by the New Hampshire Technical System, with, facilities to host the drop out recovery program, computer access, rooms for special events, certificate programs, such as, Office & Technical Skills Certificate, Auto Tech, Building, Baking, Prep Cooking, Manufacturing 1, and Childcare (which is still in development).

Currently JNHG is seeking mentors for both the in school program at Manchester West High School (MWHS) and the drop out recovery program at NH Community Technical College. MWHS currently has thirty seniors with twenty being in need of mentors. Mentors would have the choice of working with individuals or a group of individuals. A book of activities is available for mentors to use or mentors can design their own activities. Fridays are best for MWHS students and are available to meet during or after school hours. The drop our recovery program works with out of school youths ages 16-21 who have withdrawn from high school. Jobs for NH Graduates offer one year of training, and one year of follow-up. The expectation is that the students pass the GED, complete employability skills training and enter occupational skills training in a number of certificate programs. Mentors would have the choice of working with individuals or up to five students.

Students in the program have high barriers and really do not have any positive role models in their lives. JNHG needs people who would be a positive role model in the lives of these students. JNHG is seeking individuals who are willing to make a one year commitment to mentor students two hours a month on school premises. Please pass this message to co-workers, friends and family members who might have an interest in such a great cause.

If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact one of the following individuals:

Michelle Fullam Barbara Gardner
Youth Specialist In-School Youth Specialist
Jobs for New Hampshire Graduates Jobs for New Hampshire Graduates
NH Community Technical College Manchester West High School
1066 Front Street 9 Notre Dame Avenue
Manchester, NH 03102 Manchester, NH 03102
800-924-3445 x348 (603) 647-7779
603-668-6706 x348
Email: mfullam@nhctc.edu Email: bgardner@mansd.org

As always, thank you for your consideration.

SHRM Newsfeed

Website Scavenger Hunt Raffle Winner

12/14/04

CONGRATULATIONS TO JAMIE LACOURCIERE

At the December 8, 2004 MAHRA meeting, the winner of the Website Scavenger Hunt raffle was drawn. Jamie Lacourciere from Pike Industries was the lucky winner of a paid registration to the 2005 SHRM Annual Conference in San Diego.

Please join us in congratulating Jamie. Enjoy the conference!!!

We would also like to extend our thanks to all of our members who participated in the Website Scavenger Hunt.

Dr. Joseph Mancusi to Speak at February MAHRA Meeting

7/23/2004

The MAHRA Board of Dircetors is pleased to announce that we have secured Dr. Joseph Mancusi to speak at the February 1, 2005 MAHRA meeting. Dr. Mancusi has spoken at 35 national SHRM conferences and his services are sought throughout the world.

To take full advantange of this wonderful opportunity, the February meeting will be expanded to a half day program, with Dr. Mancusi's presentation divided into two segments.

We are excited to be able to offer our members a speaker the caliber of Dr. Mancusi and hope you are able to join us at these programs. Please feel free to invite other leaders in your organization to join us as well.

About Dr. Joseph Mancusi

Dr. Joseph L. Mancusi is one of America's most outstanding motivational speakers and leadership trainers. He founded the Center for Organizational Excellence, Inc. in 1985. Dr. Mancusi has taught tens-of-thousands of CEOs, salespeople, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees at every level to enrich their lives, live out their visions, and strengthen their organizations. He is a highly-rated instructor at the Center for Financial Studies, the Institute for Management Studies, the American Management Association, the Canadian Management Centre, and the Young Presidents' Organization.

Audiences in all 50 states, New Zealand, the U.S.S.R., France, England, Argentina, and Canada have been enlightened, educated, and entertained by Dr. Mancusi's distinctive style. He has conducted over 1,600 keynote addresses, workshops, seminars, consultations, and training programs including six appearances at the White House. He has been honored by a presidential commendation for his work in the President's Commission on Executive Exchange.

Often sought after for his expertise, he has been featured on the NBC Today Show, CBS News, CNBC Live, and CNN. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, United Press International (UPI), USA Today, The Washington Post, and numerous other publications have presented his findings on workplace and personal success.

Dr. Mancusi's vast experience includes directing the largest psychology program in the world. He was responsible for over 1,400 doctoral psychologists in 171 hospitals for the Department of Veteran's Affairs in Washington, D.C. He was elected president of the President's Executive Exchange Alumni Association.

Dr. Mancusi earned his Ph.D. from Duke University in clinical psychology. He has held faculty appointments in graduate and medical schools in the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

http://www.mancusi.net

2004-2005 Board of Directors Approved at June 1, 2004 Meeting

6/1/2004

At the June 1, 2004 MAHRA meeting, the Board of Directors slate for 2004-2005 was voted on and approved. The new board will take office on July 1, 2004 and will be comprised of the following individuals:

MARTHA ROY, PHR: President

CLAIRE-HELENE HORNE, SPHR: Vice President-President Elect

CHIP WEATHERBEE, PHR: Vice President-Monthly Programs

PAMELA ROY, PHR: Secretary

DEBORAH MAHONEY, SPHR: Treasurer

JAMES WHITMORE: Immediate Past President

DAVID HARRINGTON, SPHR: Chair, Communications & Web Committee

MARK HOBSON: Chair, Public Relations Committee

ALISON KIVIKOSKI: Chair, Membership Committee

DIANE DICICCO: Chair, Diversity Programs

VIRGINIA CHANDLER, SPHR: Treasurer Elect

NICK DRINKER: School to Work Liaison

JAMES REIDY, ESQ.: Legislative Representative

LINDA D'AGOSTINO-DUDKA: Co-chair, Programs & Granite State HR Conference Liaison

PATRICIA DONAHUE: Sponser Liaison

MAHRA Receives SHRM Superior Merit Designation

5/3/04

MAHRA is pleased to announce that we have recently been named as a Superior Merit Chapter for 2003 by the Society for Human Resource Management. To attain the Superior Merit designation, SHRM-affiliated chapters must earn points for fulfilling requirements in the areas of chapter operations, professional development of members, support for the HR profession and partnership with the Society. This is the fifth consecutive year that MAHRA has received the Superior Merit designation.

 

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