Please note this meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel!

WCASHRM GOES TO WASHINGTON

Human Resource professionals continue to be effected by the sweeping legislative changes currently being made in the 111^th U.S. Congress.  The outlook for a more active political process is significant as each party begins to position themselves for the 2010 midterm elections.  During the next several months, it is critical that HR professionals have access to the most current policy initiatives that truly seem to be changing by the day.

Only a few days prior to the historic Health Care Reform vote in the house, several members of ARSHRM journeyed to the U.S. Capitol to advocate directly on issues of interest to all HR professionals. At the May meeting, WCASHRM members will hear their story and learn about the relevant HR related proposals currently active in the 111^th Congress, as well as join a discussion about the role of everyday HR professionals in the advocacy process.  Particular discussions include:

• What you need to know right know about health care reform
• Adapting to the employer health care requirements scheduled through the next ten years
• Issues still on the table with this Congress (EFCA, Paycheck Fairness, NEVA, ENDA, among others)
• Getting involved in the discussion with SHRM's new grassroots advocacy strategy, being effective in your lobbying efforts, and looking into the future of the next Congress.

Thomas Dunlap, PHR, is the Federal Legislative Affairs Director for the Arkansas Society for Human Resource Management (ARSHRM).  He formerly served on the NOARK board in Legislative and Certification roles.  His career path evolved from teaching high school American history, to his current job as the Benefits Administrator for Benton County Arkansas.  Benton County's experience with worksite wellness led to Thomas joining the Health Reform discussion through features in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and the Washington Post.  A graduate of the History department at Southern Methodist University, and the affiliated Tower Center for Political Studies, he is also an obsessed consumer of political news and, even worse, a devoted CSPAN junkie.