MINUTES – March 9, 2005

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Association held on Wed., March 9, 2005, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville.  Should you have any questions, comments or corrections, please contact Bridget Downey PHR, our Chapter Secretary.

Chapter Business:

Chapter President Carolyn Worthington encouraged everyone to spend time meeting each other and networking, noting that we are each others’ best resources. 

New member orientation was held ½  hour before the meeting, led by Karen Ballard, Rachel Bemis, and Penny Wofford. 

The 2005 Officers and Chapter Leaders were introduced and given the opportunity to report on their activities.  The complete list of officers and leaders can be found on the WNCHRA web site at http://wnchra.info/officers.htm. 

Jonathan Yarborough, Government Affairs Rep, reported on the SHRM Legal teleconference he took part in.  If you would like slides, contact Jonathan at jyarbrough@constangy.com and he will send them to you.  He noted 3 topics of interest to members from the teleconference:

1.      Hang up if you are on a cell phone in the subway, or you will prevent everyone else from being able to hear.

2.      Minimum wage changes are gaining interest.

3.      Look for proposed changes to the FMLA this spring.

The May meeting will be the first 2005 panel learning opportunity.  A panel of members including Jonathan Yarborough and Penny Wofford will discuss FLSA, ADA, and FMLA.

Lorraine Poe, chapter Treasurer, announced that dues notices are being sent out.  She is coordinating a SHRM Certification class.  Interested persons should contact Lorraine at lpoe@wciinc.org.  The deadline to apply to take the certification exam in May-June is April 22.

Diane Bailey-Brooks presented the $500 2004 chapter scholarship to Katherine Unger, who is in her final semester at Western Carolina University.  The scholarship is made possible by vendor contributions, and is designed to encourage furthering education in HR.

Laura Misner, chapter Workforce Readiness/ College Relations Representative, reported on her meetings with Phil Leftwich of AB-Tech and John Sherlock of Western Carolina University.  There are now 15 members in the Student SHRM Association, many of them distance learners.  WCU students are reluctant to attend our meetings because of the cost, travel time, lack of time off from their jobs, and their perception that we don’t offer enough of value to them.  Some ideas for connecting with the students include:

·        Help from our treasury for members of the Student SHRM chapter who want to attend.

·        Members serving as mentors to students.

·        Opening up the scholarship program to AB-Tech students, most of whom are already in HR roles. 

Laura also announced that members who would like to be speakers for student classes have the opportunity to do so on-line or real-time.

This month’s vendor is Beth Burdick, Mortgage Consultant for Ashford Mortgage.  They provide residential lending on primary and secondary residences, and offer refinancing.  They have two goals:

1.      Educational – Their Sunday column in the newspaper, Mortgages and More, presents information on credit, credit scoring, mortgages, and finance. 

2.      Visionary – They work more like a financial advisor.

Advantages of Ashford mortgage include local seasoned mortgage professionals, a front loaded processing system which avoids unexpected surprises at closing, and delay-free closings.

Program Highlights:

Celeste Collins, the Executive Director of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Western North Carolina presented information about her organization.  The CCCS has been in business for over 30 years, and serves the 18 western-most counties of North Carolina.  They have offices in 10 counties, with their headquarters in Asheville.  They help people manage their money and credit.  Their services are free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

Celeste brought a handout for members on Fair Debt Collection.  To stop creditors from calling you at work, call them then follow up with a letter.  Make sure you keep a copy and send it certified.

The CCCS provides one-on-one counseling for debt repayment, budgeting, and housing, educational programs, crisis intervention and crisis prevention.  They don’t make loans, just give advice.  Their aim is to move people along the path from crisis to stability to self-sufficiency to financial independence. 

The typical client can be from the teens on up.  All services are free.  They receive funding through United Way, HUD, grants, and donations.  Through their debt repayment program, they helped return $4.4 million over to the local economy last year. 

You can contact the CCCS by dialing 211 or by calling 255-5166.  They will send free brochures  to distribute to employees. 

They are working with NC Saves, the statewide initiative to get people to save money on a regular basis.  The CCCS can help an employer set up savings match programs.  They can help people with bad credit records get bank accounts.

There are proposals in place to change the bankruptcy laws, making it more difficult to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  The new proposal will require means testing.  The alternative is a Chapter 13, which requires a payment plan to repay creditors at least part of the obligations.  Bankruptcies are not just due to poor money management.  Over 2/3 of bankruptcies list medical bills as a cause. 

Celeste gave us a quick review of how much things have changed in the last 55 years.  In 1950:

·        Average Income: $3,216

·        New Car: $1,511

·        Gallon of Gas:  $.18

·        Home: $8,450

CCCS is also working to help prevent identity theft.  There were 9.1 American victims last year.  For those who aren’t sure what kind of shape their credit is in, CCCS provides a free credit check once a year. 

Announcements:

Upcoming SHRM Meetings

·        Mar 14-16 -  22^nd Annual Employment Law and Legal Conference  - Washington, D.C.

·        April 11-13 – 28th Annual Conference & Exposition of the SHRM Global Forum - Chicago

·        April 18-22 - 36th Annual Conference & Exposition of the Employment Management Association – Dallas

·        June 19-22 - 57th Annual Conference & Exposition – San Diego

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.