I’ve been involved in SHRM in some fashion since my college days. I was active in my university’s student chapter, making a journey to the very first HR Games at the SHRM national conference in Atlanta, GA. While at JMU, I participated in activities with our local professional chapter, and from there I was recruited to a volunteer role in the Virginia SHRM State Council.

I felt very important!! At age 22, I was representing the state in all matters HR! Or more realistically, all matters SHRM College Relations. I served the State Council in my College Relations capacity for 6 years, and then took a break from that to help on state conference planning committees for a few years before being recruited yet again for roles on the State Council. Virginia SHRM, now HR Virginia, has been a near-constant in my life throughout my 20+ year human resources career.

But what is State Council?  Many HR professionals I meet at monthly meetings and conferences are largely unaware of what we do, what role we play in the SHRM hierarchy. So, allow me to explain.

Our Vision: Create exceptional workplaces.

Our Mission: To empower VA and DC HR Professionals, Chapters, and Organizations to build the future of work through collaboration, education, and advocacy.

HR Virginia will accomplish its mission by:

• Helping HR professionals realize their full potential and how they can add value to the organizations and people they serve.
• Creating an environment for learning and sharing so Virginia SHRM member chapters can grow and develop informed leadership.
• Providing the vision and direction to make our communities inclusive.
• Optimizing the resources and relationships with SHRM and share the benefits of partnering with SHRM, Chapters, and other quality individuals/organizations.

Are they the boss of the state?

I was asked this recently at a conference. The answer? No – not really. Your State Council does serve an advisory function for your local professional chapter. State Council serves as a liaison between National SHRM and local professional chapters. We don’t make the rules, but we work with chapter leaders to help them remain in good standing with National SHRM.

What does State Council do? 

HR Virginia SHRM State Council represents over 14,000 human resource professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. HR Virginia is the state affiliate for the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). HR Virginia is a 501(c)(6), professional organization. Virginia SHRM is a 100% volunteer entity whose primary objective is to support the mission and initiatives of SHRM through education.

We coordinate professional development efforts and serve as the conduit for communication among SHRM, chapters and at-large members. State council meets 4 times a year to discuss strategic initiatives for supporting HR leaders across the state and for elevating the HR profession.

We provide HR professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia and District of Columbia information on local, statewide and national HR events, resources, initiatives and legislation to assist you in your day-to-day HR duties. For those who serve on local chapter boards, we are also here to assist you in your leadership role. We are a 100% volunteer council that takes a strategic approach to advance the profession and serve the HR professional. One way we do that is by hosting monthly best practices calls for professional chapter leaders to facilitate networking and idea-sharing.

We have 18 SHRM affiliated chapters in VA/DC, each providing programming and networking opportunities in the local area. In addition, the state is divided into 4 geographic districts with district directors that provide support to the chapters in their region. There are 19 student chapters which connect students attending Virginia/DC colleges and universities to SHRM.

Who is on State Council?

State Council consists of a president and officers who manage the daily operations of the Council, presidents of local chapters, district directors who work with a designated group of local chapters, and functional directors who represent the key areas of focus for the HR profession. Some of these areas include certification, college relations, diversity & inclusion, legislative, veterans & military, and workforce education.

State council also includes vital behind-the-scenes roles in technology, communications/social media, partnerships, and conference planning & logistics. Chances are, if your local chapter has a volunteer leadership role, state council has the same role. If you are in a leadership role in your local chapter and would like to talk with your counterpart on state council about ways they could support you in your role, visit the HR Virginia website to learn more.

About the author:

Jenny Hipple, SHRM-CP, PHR

Director of Communications, HR Virginia

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