Rebecca's Reflections - March

by: Rebecca Harris, CRHRA President

March is always the month I try to break my cabin fever, and this year felt especially overdue. Maybe I’m a little jaded, but it seemed like the Capital Region had a particularly long winter, so with spring (mostly) here, I’m looking forward to getting out and reconnecting across our community, both professionally and personally.

On March 18 th , CRHRA hosted a free happy hour with the Albany Chapter of the Public Sector HR Association at BJ’s Restaurant in Colonie. We had over 50 people join us, and it was great meeting people from both the private and public sector. We’re excited to continue to have these informal happy hours throughout 2026; sometimes these unstructured chats with friends are all the medicine you need.

We also kicked off our spring study group earlier this month. The fully virtual study group features different facilitators for each section, offering a dynamic and flexible learning experience. On a personal note, I hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law, despite the 32-degree weather outside, it definitely felt like spring inside.

March is also Women’s History Month, which offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect. As a woman business owner, I’m especially aware of the opportunities I’ve had, opportunities that weren’t always accessible to women in the past. It’s a reminder not only of progress, but also of the importance of continuing to support and uplift women in the workplace and in leadership roles. In HR, we play a key role in shaping equitable and inclusive environments, and this month is a great time to recommit to that work.

Looking ahead, we have several opportunities to stay connected this spring. On April 8th , we have a Workforce Development panel at the University of Albany. Although it’s a similar format and will continue the conversation of workforce development from last year’s panel, you do not need to have come to last year’s event to come to this event. All are welcome!

We started a community calendar (link here https://crhra.org/calendar.php ) on our website and if you have an event coming up that you think our community would benefit from, we encourage you to submit it directly on our website for posting.

As always, we are looking for volunteers and potential board members! If you have any interest in volunteering, please reach out to me directly.