The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has awarded the Superior Merit Chapter designation to HRM-RI for its scope of work in perpetuating and supporting the mission of the organization in 2006.

"By achieving Superior Merit designation, your chapter has distinguished itself as an outstanding organization dedicated to serving the networking and professional development needs of your members and to the advancement of the human resources profession," noted Keith J. Greene, SPHR, Vice President for Member Relations for SHRM.

HRM-RI receives a Certificate of Recognition, a specialized banner to display at its meetings and events, and is being recognized in SHRM's publications and at its conferences.

by Joyce Maynard, SPHR, HR Xpress, Inc.

This week the weather is a perfect backdrop to our survey about SAS - Seasonal Absence Syndrome. It is a brief survey to see how local companies manage through the experience of employees taking time off from work. The survey is very brief, confidential and the results will be shared with participants.

If you are interested in participating, please follow the link below to the survey. Please respond by Friday, July 6, 2007.

Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available now! Contact Dina Pescione at dpescione@pvpsc.com or (401) 821-5034, ext. 307.

by Judy Clare, Chair, HRM-RI Business & Education Committee

HRM-RI is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 Sons & Daughters Scholarships. Members with college students were invited to submit their student's name in a random drawing for a $500 scholarship to be used for educational expenses. Congratulations to this year's scholarship recipients:

Meagan Gelfuso, daughter of HRM-RI member, Doreen Gelfuso of Residential Properties. Megan will begin her junior year at Rhode Island College and is majoring in elementary education.

Grace E. Fox, daughter of Mary B. Fox of APC. Grace will begin her freshman year at Assumption College where she will be majoring in accounting.

Over 110 Human Resource and other business professionals attended the 9th Annual Legislative & Employment Law Update on April 26, 2007, presented by the RI State Council of SHRM, HRM-RI, and the Southern RI Human Resource Council.

A Special Recognition Award was presented to HRM-RI member Linda S. Lulli, SPHR, Associate Vice President, Human Resources at Bryant University and Co-chair Government Affairs of the RI State Council SHRM. To learn more about both awards, use the conference summary link below.

We wish to thank all of the conference speakers and especially the Rhode Island legislators who attended the luncheon program. For a complete list of speakers and legislators and brief summaries of their presentations, please use the conference summary link below.

Many thanks to our conference sponsors for supporting this event:

• Platinum Sponsor -- Jackson Lewis
• Gold Sponsor -- Cornerstone Group
• Silver Sponsor -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island
• Bronze Sponsors -- Aflac, Coventry Credit Union, and Envision Equity Partners
• Lunch Sponsor -- Transition Solutions

We also thank Heminways Restaurant, the Executive Development Center at Bryant University, and Cafe Paragon for the generous prizes which those organizations donated for our HR Voice Contest.