Community Spotlight – District 8

By Brian Sauls

District 8 is Great! Exciting things continue to happen when great minds come together. In April, SHRM Charlotte County, SHRM Collier County, and SHRM SWFL collaborated as co-sponsors of the Tri-County Conference held at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. This year’s theme was “Catching the Vibe & Riding the Wave of Change in HR.” Attendees were encouraged to wear their beach and tropical-themed attire and were greeted by Polynesian dancers upon arrival. The conference featured five speakers, 228 attendees, and over 30 vendors. After a break due to COVID, the conference made a strong comeback in 2024, marking its 21st joint conference. Attendance increased by 38 people compared to the previous year, and the planning committee is already working to make the 2026 conference even better. Keep up the excellent work, team.

Co-Branding and DMR

All three chapters have embraced SHRM’s co-branding efforts. Charlotte County SHRM is now known as SHRM Charlotte County, and Collier County SHRM is now SHRM Naples as well as with SHRM SWFL officially changing their name. Additionally, all three chapters have completed the transition to the DMR model. Congratulations to everyone involved.

News Around the District

SHRM Charlotte County

SHRM Charlotte County has been honored with the 2024 Platinum SHRM Excel Award for outstanding chapter performance.   In September, Charlotte will host its annual Lead Smart Conference. This year’s theme, ‘Evaluating Strategy Together,’ promises to provide critical insights into the methodology of planning and strategy.  Unfortunately, due to hurricanes in 2024, SHRM Charlotte was unable to host this conference.  Welcome back.

SHRM NAPLES

SHRM Naples earned the 2024 Gold SHRM Excel Award and continues to advance the HR profession. Recently, four members achieved SHRM-CP certification through the chapter’s certification program. The chapter has set a high bar for networking by hosting innovative events, including gatherings at the Naples Botanical Gardens and the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge, where members enjoyed guided tours of this exciting new attraction. Their commitment to community service was demonstrated when 17 members supported the NAMI walk in April by distributing water to participants. On July 18, SHRM Naples held its inaugural Supervisor Summit, further supporting HR professionals in Collier County and Southwest Florida. Congratulations to all involved.

SHRM SWFL

SHRM SWFL also received the 2024 Platinum SHRM Excel Award. Since completing the transition to DMR in 2024, the chapter has seen remarkable growth and now approaches 300 members, with expectations to surpass this milestone in 2025. The Board of Directors recently approved a membership incentive allowing current members to bring a guest to lunch for free in August or September. SHRM SWFL members actively support the community through volunteering with Blessings in a Backpack, delivering over 3,000 backpacks annually to Lee County families. Board members also participated in Oma’s Heart Ladies Tea, an annual event raising funds to support a Christmas store for local families. In 2024, Oma’s Heart supported 386 families and over 1,100 children. This is a great example of Giver Gain in action.

Additionally, SHRM SWFL continues its collaboration with the Future Makers Coalition of SWFL to simplify education and career advancement for un- and underemployed individuals. The chapter helped develop the job placement continuum and wrote job descriptions for two new positions overseeing the program. Recently, the initiative helped 11 individuals find employment, a truly impressive community impact.

SHRM SWFL continues to support the Florida Gulf Coast University Student Chapter.  SHRM SWFL’s President Laura Siebenmorgen, College Relations Director Michele Snyder, and FGCU SHRM’s President Aidan Gaffney were invited to present to Dr. Meagan Baskin’s Intro to HR Management class at FGCU.
Looking ahead, SHRM SWFL is preparing for its 14th Annual Supervisors Conference on October 8 in Fort Myers, with topics including Second Chance and Uniquely Abled hiring.
 
These highlights showcase the strength of our chapters and the dedication of our volunteer leaders. You can’t have a Great District without Great Chapters and even GREATER Volunteer Leaders. I am proud of what these chapters have accomplished and look forward to what’s to come.