Last month, I returned from the SHRM National Conference in Washington D.C. with over 15,000 HR professionals from all 50 states and dozens of countries. While the size and scope of the event brings great energy and enthusiasm toward our profession, the ultimate message I heard was the importance of the individual SHRM Chapter to the society and toward our ongoing growth and development as HR professionals.

As expected, the United States Department of Labor published its final regulations amending the so-called "white collar exemptions" on May 18. Here's a look at the key features of the final regulation.

• Tomorrow, on July 21, South Texas SHRM will host a lunch and learn at Victoria College. We will review educational information provided by the SHRM Foundation for SHRM credit.
• In the first quarter of 2016, Christine McCutcheon – President Elect earned her SHRM-CP.
• We are also preparing for our annual HR seminar in the fourth quarter.

Whether you are looking for interns to grow in your company, part-time or full-time employees, you can find Texas Tech University's best and brightest Red Raiders at these upcoming events.

"Forbes" magazine recently wrote an article stating that one of five roles that will power the 21st Century Human Resources Department is that of a Diversity Officer. But what is the role of this elusive and effective unicorn also known as a Diversity Officer?

Texas Association of Business (TAB) and SHRM – Texas State Council bring you the annual Employment Relations Symposium, the premier learning experience for HR professionals in the state of Texas. The program focuses on the latest in laws and policies for the HR professional and is presented by experts in HR law. This is a great event that you will not want to miss!

Red River Valley HR Association is holding its annual conference August 3. The theme for this year’s conference is "How to Succeed as a Supervisor." Registration is open at https://rrvha.wildapricot.org/events.

The Austin Human Resource Management Association (AHRMA) has opened our Succession Planning/Board Interest process for the open Board positions for the 2017/2018 term. Here are the current openings for terms from January 2017 through December 2018. Applications are being accepted through August 14, 2016.

This exciting initiative is dedicated to identifying and recognizing Texas's best employers. If you think your organization has what it takes to be honored on the 12th annual "Best Companies to Work for in Texas" list, or if you simply want to learn more about this project, we invite you to explore this website.

Join us 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, September 13 for a day full of great Human Resource information for business owners, managers, and HR professionals. Re-certification credits are available! Topics range from how to use social media as a foundation for building your organization to a panel discussion on how to shrink the local skills gap in employment.

EPSHRM held their Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting on June 18, 2016 at the Ronald McDonald House, 300 E. California Ave. The Ronald McDonald House so generously offers their large conference rooms for our meetings. As a thank you for their generosity, the EPSHRM team came together and donated quite a few items from their wish list!

WHAT: 2016 Fall Conference
WHEN: September 13, 2016 7:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
WHERE: Kemp at the Forum, 2120 Speedway Ave., Wichita Falls, TX 76308

The Fort Worth HR Management Association recently hosted a "Summer School" event on FLSA Compliance. With the new overtime regulations, we wanted to make sure our members were aware of what is required in order to make sure that their organization is compliant.

Very often we use our HR peers as consultants and sounding boards for those challenges unique to the HR field. It’s leveraging our resources and connections. It's productive. It's energizing. It’s SHRM Connect.