I must admit, when I was first approached about becoming the next state conference director for HR Florida I was absolutely flattered by the request and terrified at what seemed like such a daunting task. After much deliberation and the phrase “commit or quit” that became my HR team’s mantra in 2010, I committed! My decision was not made lightly, after all this is a non-paying job in addition to the paying one and a family.
My decision to commit was a little selfish; I wanted to be apart of something bigger than just me. I’ve always enjoyed giving back to the profession that I love and recognized taking on this role as my biggest opportunity yet! There’s a long list of great leaders that have made the HR Florida State Conference & Expo what it is today and I am honored to be able to carry on the excellence. I would not have taken on such a task if it wasn’t for my predecessor and the phenomenal volunteer team that makes this great conference happen year after year.
The first three months of my tenure proved that I was up against a huge learning curve and a LOT of work during what I understood to be the “quiet” period – ha ha, I think the joke was on me. At the start of December I started doubting my ability to really pull this off. Many key initiatives that were to be completed by the end of December didn’t seem that they were going to happen at all – now what was I going to do? Little did I know, that while debating the answer to this question a flurry of activity was taking place.
Within the last three weeks there has been so much conference activity it has been difficult keep up – from sponsors to keynote speakers to master series programs to volunteers and everything in between. Who knew so much would come to life just before the holidays as people are busy at work with year end activities and planning for the new year?!
I can’t wait to share all of the great opportunities in store for the 2011 State Conference over the coming months. You will be introduced to our keynote speakers Tony Hsieh, Lisa Ling and Daniel Pink. In addition, you will learn about the various sessions and master series programs that are planned to provide high level educational opportunities for HR professionals. We will also be focusing on launching sessions for HR professionals in executive roles.
2011 is going to be another banner year for HR practitioners and with that said, it will be essential to stay on top of your game. Continue to grow in your roles and expand your professional development. If you can only choose one conference to attend this year why not choose the HR Florida State Conference & Expo? This conference will provide you with tremendous learning and networking opportunities at the best price. If you have attended the conference before we welcome you back. If you’ve never attended before we invite you to check it out.
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