From the President

Dear Members,

Thank you to everyone who answered my request to share information about your practice of responding to applicants. Over 25 emails were sent the first afternoon!

It was very helpful to have that data when speaking with Providence Business News. I’d also like to extend thanks to Dave Goldman and Elissa O’Brien for sharing their company’s specific policies. The special human resource section appeared in the February 21 edition of Providence Business News.

As for the results, the most common practice among our members is to respond to solicited applications with either a post card, or automatic email response, and then to follow up with a signed letter to those applicants who are interviewed. Prompted in part by this experience, we are investigating the establishment of a list serve for HRM members so that we can ask one another these types of questions and share information on a regular basis. We will keep you informed as plans move forward.

As many of you know, Mary Lou Buonaccorsi has served HRM-RI for over six years as our Treasurer. Under her guidance, our resources have grown and our financial stability has been strengthened. We are all very grateful that she has shared her time and talent with us.

Many, many thanks to MaryLou. After such a long and busy tenure, however, Mary Lou asked that we find a successor for her. I am pleased to announce that in January the Board approved the appointment of Donna Dias as Treasurer of HRM-RI.

Donna is Human Resource Manager at Arnold Lumber Company. She previously worked in human resources at ChemArt Company and Coto Wabash. Donna graduated from Roger Williams University, has achieved a Certificate in HR from Bryant University and has been a member of HRM-RI since 1992. Please join me in welcoming Donna to her new position.

Also at the Board Meeting we discussed plans for the upcoming year. In addition to seeking out more member benefits and increasing professional development opportunities, we are undertaking several special projects. Subcommittees are being formed to work on a revision to our bylaws, a financial audit and the compensation and benefits survey.

Please let us know if you are able to help with any of this work, or if you have any suggestions. As other projects unfold, we hope to have many more members involved, so stay tuned.

Lynn P. Watterson, SPHR
President, Human Resource Management Association of Rhode Island
lynnwatterson@msn.com
(401) 738-3359
 

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