Rebecca's Reflections: SHRM 2025 Volunteer Business Leader Meeting

By: Rebecca Harris, CRHRA Secretary & President-Elect

This past week, I attended the 2025 SHRM Volunteer Business Leader Meeting, also known as VBLM. Having spent the last two years as Secretary of CRHRA, I thought I had a solid grasp of SHRM, but the scope is far broader than I realized. As someone who is not directly in HR, VBLM was a bit outside of my comfort zone. While talking with people, I learned there were many first-timers like me, but also volunteers who have been involved with SHRM for more than 20 years. 

For the past few years, VBLM was held in Washington, D.C. This year, it took place at the Hilton All Inclusive in beautiful Cancun, Mexico. I suspect the location change was intended to encourage newcomers like me to attend. If so, it worked. SHRM booked the entire resort, and SHRM nametags were everywhere you looked. The schedule included plenty of networking time, both in structured breakout sessions by region and in unstructured moments by the pool.

Professionally, it is easy for many of us to feel isolated. Sometimes it can seem like we are dealing with the same challenges day after day. VBLM reminded me that we are all doing our best, and we are not doing it alone. Beyond our CRHRA community supporting HR professionals across the Capital Region, we also have NYS SHRM
and even more resources at the national level. I will be honest, I did not realize how much support was available from SHRM National. I met people with titles I had never heard of and learned about volunteer resources that were completely new to me. I also had the chance to connect with President Elects from chapters across New York and New England.

We were encouraged to share feedback with our Membership Advisory Council, also known as MAC. There were several discussions about the direction SHRM is headed, including the decision to feature Robby Starbuck at this year’s Blueprint conference in October. Several attendees, including me, expressed concerns about that choice. I am confident our feedback was heard. One of my takeaways from VBLM is that SHRM will not always make decisions everyone agrees with, but that is why our local chapters matter. We have the ability to focus on what is most important to us locally.

As President Elect, my focus will be on helping CRHRA grow into an organization that brings fresh energy to our HR professionals. We are already planning our Annual Conference with ATD on May 21, 2026 at the Desmond Hotel. Our Programs Committee, led by Danielle Godin, is building strong programs for early 2026 based on
real feedback from our members.

We have a suggestion box on our website, and I will personally be reviewing every submission throughout my presidency. I want CRHRA to be a great place for HR professionals, and that is only possible with your continued support. As you spend time with your family this Thanksgiving week, I wish you all the very best, and I look forward to being your President in 2026.