Media Releases 

2007 HR Professional of the Year Winner Announcement

(GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, October 22, 2007)  WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Human Resource leaders from the Western Slope announced the selection of the 2007 Human Resource Professional of the Year recipient at 12:00 p.m. during the WCHRA October monthly luncheon.

The winner, Dave Knutson, SPHR, Minister of HR and Sustainability at Chaco, Inc., has been chosen from a pool of six finalists who were nominated by their peers. Lisa Martin, President of WCHRA is pleased to state, " Dave Knutson represents the best in Human Resource professionals. He is creative, smart, and supportive, and works tirelessly for the good of the employees he works with, and the company he represents. We are very honored to have Dave as our 2007 Western Colorado Human Resource Association Professional of the Year."

WCHRA nominees also included: Margie Arney, PHR, HR Director of Western Building Solutions and WCHRA Director of Certification, Terri Gird, HR Generalist of Hilltop and WCHRA Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Sandy Perry, SPHR, HR Manager of Mesa County, David Porfirio, Manager of Business Services for Mesa County Workforce Center, and Shelly Williams, PHR, Benefits Specialist for the City of Grand Junction and WCHRA Director of Communications.

Knutson received an engraved commemorative award and a $100 Gift Certificate.

All six will receive recognition in the regional SHRM newsletter and the WCHRA website.

An independent panel of judges which included prominent community leaders selected the winner without being aware of any of the nominees' names in order to create the most impartial judging possible.

Each nominee's supervisor participated in the selection process by writing a letter of support. To qualify, each person nominated is a member of WCHRA in good standing who has been in the field of Human Resource for at least one year; have commendable performance in duties and responsibilities within their organization; have demonstrated initiative, innovation, and professional leadership in the HR field; have served to promote and advance the HR profession to others; and, contributed to community or charitable organizations.

About Western Colorado Human Resource Association

W.C.H.R.A., a superior merit chapter of SHRM, provides a functional network for human resource professionals and supports individuals whose role within their organization includes human resource related tasks. The Association accomplishes this by producing quality educational and learning experiences, hosting regular meetings each month to facilitate sharing of ideas, trends and expertise, acting as a community resource for new and established businesses and organizations, and providing a forum to explore concerns related to the local employment arena.

For more information, contact:

Barbara Burr, Vice President/President-Elect, WCHRA Voice 970-683-2436
or Lisa Martin, President of WCHRA, 970-263-2125.

Human Resource community raises awareness of cultural diversity 

(GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, October 5, 2006) 

Myrna Ann Adkins, President/CEO of Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, will present to Human Resource professionals of Western Colorado on enhancing intercultural skills for building a more productive, efficient and harmonious workplace where diversity is an asset.   Join Ms. Adkins as she presents on October 18 at Two Rivers Convention Center on from 11:30 to 1:00.  Cost is  $13.75 and includes lunch.  RSVP to Terri Gird by e-mail or phone 243-6505.

Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, a cross-cultural training and consulting organization in Denver, Colorado, works with businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, cultural entities, and other community groups to help people learn to communicate and manage across potential barriers of diversity, culture, and language and to assist people from other cultures to adapt to life in the United States.

Ms. Adkins brings over 20 years of experience in managing a culturally diverse organization.  She works with organizations to determine the diversity challenges of the particular work environment and custom designs training to meet the specific needs. A broad definition of diversity is apparent in Ms. Adkins’ work, taking into account race and ethnicity, and also includes other facets such as age, gender, socio-economic status, religion, language and communication styles.

Typically, the Spring Institute provides a one-day training session on cultural diversity.  The one- hour presentation will capture only a snippet of that training and will raise awareness and help us begin to develop skills that enable attendees to meet the challenges inherent in a culturally diverse workplace.

Most WCHRA meetings combine a luncheon with a one-hour presentation on a topic of interest to those in the Human Resource and local business community.  Those who are interested in joining the organization may contact Fay Timmerman-Traudt, Director of Membership at 243-6505.

full release

Western Colorado Human Resource Association (WCHRA)Announces Winner of 2006 HR Professional of the Year—Barbara Burr SPHR.

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO , Sept 18, 2006

Barbara Burr, a senior professional in human resources (SPHR,) was awarded the 2006 HR Professional of the Year Award by the organization’s president, Lisa Martin.

Martin stated that " Barbara is a wonderful example of the best of the Human Resource field. She represents herself, her organization, and the profession extraordinarily well.  The Western Colorado Human Resource Association is extremely proud to have her as the 2006 Professional of the Year."   

Burr’s nomination stated:   “She has implemented several new strategies in our hiring process including team interviewing, assessment testing, and refinement of our Essential Functions and Key Competencies.  She has stressed the importance of rigorous hiring standards in order to employ a higher quality of employee which has a mindset predisposed to performing at a more independent, confident, creative and responsible level.   Our organization has undergone several major changes over the past year, including a culture shift which this candidate has played an instrumental role in helping to develop…. Above all the achievements I have stated above, I believe the most important part of this candidate’s job as our HR Manager is the care and assistance she provides to our managers and staff alike.  This is probably the most crucial part of her job is to cultivate a safe space for all employees to feel heard, appreciated, valued and respected.  In this, she does a most excellent job, naturally.”

Burr was chosen from a pool of five finalists who were nominated by their peers.  An independent panel of judges that included community leaders Pat Bishop, Bruce Hill, Julie Hinkson, Phil Jones and Josh Nichols, selected the winner.

Finalists included:  Margie Arney PHR, Western Building Solutions; Barbara Burr SPHR, Mesa County Public Library District; Linda Davidson, Horizon Consulting, Terri Gird, Hilltop Community Resources; and  Shelley Williams PHR, City of Grand Junction . 

After winning the award, Burr stated "I am so delighted to be awarded the 2006 HR Professional of the Year award by the Western Colorado Human Resource Association (WCHRA).  It is indeed the ultimate honor to be recognized by such outstanding colleagues in the field of Human Resource Management."

Burr was awarded a $100 Gift Certificate and engraved commemorative award with recognition in the regional SHRM newsletter and WCHRA website.

Western Colorado Human Resource Association Announces Winner of 2006 HR Professional of the Year

Sept 8, 2006

Human Resource leaders from around the Western Slope will participate in a special all-day conference at Two Rivers Convention Center on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.  The conference will feature the presentation of the 2006 HR Professional of the Year Award.

The winner will be announced at 12:15 p.m. during the WCHRA Bi-Annual Fall Conference luncheon.  The winner has been chosen from a pool of five finalists who were nominated by their peers.  An independent panel of judges that included prominent community leaders selected the winner.

The winner will be awarded a $100 Gift Certificate and engraved commemorative award with recognition in the regional SHRM newsletter and WCHRA website.

David Livingston teaches HR professionals how to Play Team

February 10, 2006

What do you get when you take a pile of swim noodles, a box of Legos, a bunch of mousetraps, and an assortment of Beanie Babies? Maybe the start of the most fun and effective team training you’ve ever attended. People learn by doing. Teaching through the experiential model allows people to practice, observe, and store as a memory how “the team” operates. This is not The 10 Steps to the Greatest Team Ever; unless of course “the team” discovers them during the training. David Livingston teaches the tools of Voice and Choice. These are the “first steps” on the path to enlightenment.  Join David as he presents on February 15 at Two Rivers Convention Center on from 11:30 to 1:00.  Cost is  $13.75 and includes lunch.  RSVP by  to Terri Gird by e-mail or phone 243-6505. 

David Livingston is the Director of Experiential Learning at Hilltop Community Resources. He oversees Hilltop’s Experiential Learning Project (HELP). Beneath this umbrella operate Hilltop’s experiential learning venues: High and Low Ropes Courses, Portable Teambuilding program, Youth Adventure Program, Camp Kiwanis, the Bike Shed Teen Vocational Program and CHOICES Alternative School. David facilitates teams and groups of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and purposes, from corporate executives to kids, classrooms to canyons. He believes living is learning and it can occur in every moment. His core philosophy for learning “team” is: know the individual, develop effective processes and have fun together. The core elements of his approach are communication, trust, decision-making and problem solving.

Most meetings combine a luncheon with a one-hour presentation on a topic of interest to those in the Human Resource and local business community.  Those who are interested in joining the organization may contact Fay Timmerman-Traudt, Director of Membership at 243-6505

About Western Colorado Human Resource Association

W.C.H.R.A., a superior merit chapter of SHRM, provides a functional network for human resource professionals and supports individuals whose role within their organization includes human resource related tasks.

The Association accomplishes this by producing quality educational and learning experiences, hosting regular meetings each month to facilitate sharing of ideas, trends and expertise, acting as a community resource for new and established businesses and organizations, and providing a forum to explore concerns related to the local employment arena.

VP of Human Resources at Hilltop New WCHRA President

WCHRA Student Chapter Advances to Regionals

March 24, 2005

Mesa State students Andrew Weber, Dustin Wells, and Mike Willoughby competed against University of Colorado at Denver and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs HR Student Chapters on Saturday February 26, 2005 at the Colorado HR Games Competition.

Dustin, Andrew, and Mike

Weber, Wells, and Willoughby are members of the Mesa State and Western Colorado Human Resource Association (WCHRA) student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).  They comprised one of two teams that Mesa State fielded for the competition.   The aforementioned team won First Place in the HR Games in Denver.

This latest state championship marks the third time in five years that the Mesa State/WCHRA student team has taken the Colorado crown for the HR Games.  

They will represent Colorado at the regional games at Utah State University on April 16 and 17. Additional team members Christine Muro, April Quinn, Anne Crawford, and Chris Kielb will also compete at the regional level in April.  

If the Mesa State/WCHRA team wins the regional title, they will go on to compete at the SHRM national conference this summer in San Diego on June 19 - 22. 

About Western Colorado Human Resource Association

W.C.H.R.A. provides a functional network for human resource professionals and supports individuals whose role within their organization includes human resource related tasks.

The Association accomplishes this by producing quality educational and learning experiences, hosting regular meetings each month to facilitate sharing of ideas, trends and expertise, acting as a community resource for new and established businesses and organizations, and providing a forum to explore concerns related to the local employment arena.

For more information contact: Dr. Pat Schutz, SHRM Chapter Campus Advisor at 248-1748

Dr. Schutz is available for interviews, and a photo of the winning team is available upon request.