The Indiana State Council Awards were presented at this year’s Indiana State Conference first annual Awards Ceremony. This is the tenth year to recognize those who have exhibited excellence in our profession. The four awards presented were:

The Award for Professional Excellence
Volunteer of the Year
Chapter of the Year
Indiana Pinnacle of Achievement Award

The Award for Professional Excellence recognizes an individual who applies creative management concepts to improve performance, advance the profession, and promote the understanding of HR Management. This year’s award recipient is Michael Murphy, CCP, CEBS, CEBS Fellow, SPHR, HIA. Michael has worked for Shoe Carnival, Inc. for 13 years and currently serves as Director, Compensation and Benefits. Throughout his professional career, Michael has worked tirelessly to advance human resource strategies within the company. In 2008, Michael developed and implemented an In-House HR Training Course for the Human Resources Department. This course was designed to provide an overview of the many functional areas represented within the human resources profession as a whole. It introduced those new to the profession to specialties outside of their own functional area and also served as a valuable review for our more seasoned professionals. Also in 2008, Michael served on the Shoe Carnival, Inc., President’s Council. The President’s Council was started in 2002 to serve as a way to recognize exemplary and outstanding individual performance and to operate as a “think tank”, generating ideas designed to improve the performance of the company. Michael was also one of three individuals selected to receive the President’s Club Award. Inductees into the President’s Club represent individuals whose performance during the prior year was truly exceptional and “over the top”.

Not only is Michael Murphy a valuable resource for his employer, he dedicates much of his time to advancing the human resource profession. In 2009 alone, Michael’s professional activities included serving on SHRM National Roundtable on Retirement in Washington, D.C. He also met with national political leaders in Washington, D.C. as a representative of SHRM on Human Resource issues of concern to employers. Michael served on the SHRM Special Expertise Panel on Total Rewards/Compensation. He participated in the Indiana National Guard Seamless Transition Program. Michael served as Expert Reviewer for World at Work’s professional magazine and on the steering Committee of the Tri-State Benefits and Compensation Association. He also served in the SHRM Mentor Program and as an on-line instructor for Human Resource and Compensation courses for the International Foundation of Employee Benefits. Michael is the former President of the Evansville-Area Human Resource Association, Inc., as well as the Education Director for the Indiana State Council of SHRM. He has served as a volunteer for several years at the state conference as well as the WorldatWork’s national conference. He also serves as an Expert Reviewer for the quarterly WorldatWork Journal publication. In addition to these activities, he is also actively involved in numerous community organizations.

The Volunteer of the Year award recognizes outstanding leadership, motivation, and organizational skills to the development of the Indiana State Council, the local chapter, or other SHRM programs. This year’s award recipient is Tara Ricketts, SPHR. Tara has worked for American Medical Response for the past three years and serves as a Human Resource Generalist. Tara serves at both the chapter and state level. She is currently the Membership Chairperson for the Evansville-Area Human Resource Association, Inc. She has held previous roles as Workforce Readiness Chairperson as well as College Relations Chairperson. She currently serves on the State Council as the Workforce Readiness Director. As Workforce Readiness Chairperson for EHRA she led the chapter to achieve the 2009 SHRM Pinnacle Award. Tara also serves the community where she is involved with Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, she mentors Master’s and International Students for the University of Southern Indiana, she is a Volunteer Cheer Coach with Upward Cheerleading and the Evansville Junior Football League.

The Chapter of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding achievements in chapter development and contributions to the advancement of effective HR management.

This year’s recipient was the South Central Indiana Human Resource Association. SCIHRA has continued to creatively explore ways to better advance the profession and serve the professional. From their growing partnership with the local Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations, to their creative educational opportunities for HR professionals, to their support of the needs of the local workforce, SCIHRA has been able to further their vision of becoming the “recognized authority on HR in the South Central Indiana community”. Membership luncheon participation, with attendance of up to 80%, indicates the quality of the offerings as well as the benefits that both the HR and business community gain from their connection to SCIHRA. Always looking to further the mission and vision of the organization, SCIHRA has sought multiple avenues to succeed….through the use of technology, through the use of a wide range of available resources, and through the talents and skills of a diverse membership base that is truly engaged in their profession. SCIHRA has been able to achieve unprecedented levels of success and awareness for the profession and the professional in the South Central Indiana community and is more and more realizing its vision.

Indiana Pinnacle of Achievement Award

The Pinnacle Award Program is designed to recognize outstanding achievements in chapter/state council development and contributions to the advancement of effective human resource management. All SHRM professional chapters and state councils are eligible to compete in this program.

The Evansville-Area Human Resource Association (EHRA) partnered with the Indiana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to provide the "Seamless Transition" program to assist military personnel with a seamless transition into the civilian workforce. In 2009, EHRA provided career counseling services, offering assistance to 500 immobilized military personnel with identifying transferable skills, developing résumés and interview preparation. EHRA's career counseling initiatives have proven invaluable to military personnel, many of whom have never prepared a résumé or interviewed for civilian employment. EHRA connected these highly skilled and dedicated prospective employees to local employers through the Army's Employer Partnership Initiative and Indiana Guard's job posting websites. Through these partnerships EHRA member employers have been asked to identify the certifications employers demand, resulting in the military offering certification opportunities to military personnel to facilitate their future transition to civilian employment. The ESGR believes so strongly in the benefits of the "Seamless Transition" program that all immobilized military personnel are required to participate. The ESGR and Army's Employer Partnership Initiative describe their partnership with EHRA as the "model to be adopted in other states" because they could not provide a full range of employment services without support from local HR professionals.

The Evansville-Area Human Resource Association won a 2009 Pinnacle Award for this initiative.