Monthly Newsletter

As we head into June, we’re still riding the energy and excitement from last week’s Annual Conference! It was incredible to see so many HR professionals come together for a day filled with learning, meaningful conversations, new ideas, and valuable connections. Whether you attended a breakout session, connected with peers between presentations, or left feeling inspired by our speakers, we hope the experience brought fresh perspective and renewed motivation to your work.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, sponsored, and helped make this year’s conference such a success—we’re excited to keep the momentum going!

As always, we want to hear from you! If there's a topic, resource, or idea you'd love to see covered in 2026, drop us a note in our Suggestion Box. 

What we’re covering this issue:

Upcoming Events 

2026 Summer Social - Tuesday, July 14th 5:30 - 7:00 PM at The Flats Restaurant & Tavern (675 Grooms Rd. Clifton Park, NY)

Join us for a FREE evening of networking, connection, and summer fun as three local professional organizations - CRATD, CRHRA, and CRRN - come together to host a collaborative Summer Social Happy Hour!

Connect with fellow HR, talent development, and recruiting professionals while enjoying great food, refreshing drinks, and interactive games in a relaxed atmosphere at Flats Tavern in Clifton Park. Whether you're looking to expand your network, reconnect with colleagues, or simply unwind after work, this event is the perfect opportunity to mix, mingle, and celebrate the season.

A special thank you to our event sponsors, redShift Recruiting and Gallagher, for helping make this event possible. One additional sponsorship spot is available! Contact [email protected] to learn more.

Register Today! 

Event Recap

Thursday, May 21st ~ 2026 Annual Conference

That’s a wrap! The 2026 CRATD & CRHRA "Director's Cut" Annual Conference took place last Thursday, May 21st at the Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel in Latham, NY. A big thank you to our sponsors, vendors, speakers, and attendees! We can’t wait to see everyone at next year’s conference!

Our Sponsors!

Programing Survey

Our Programs Committee wants to hear from you!

As part of our ongoing effort to build programming that actually reflects what HR professionals are dealing with day-to-day, CRHRA has launched our HR Priorities Survey.

Your feedback directly informs our events, content, and resources — so we can continue delivering programs that are relevant, practical, and valuable.

If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to share your perspective.

HR Priorities & Challenges Survey

Local Hr job postings

Did you know that CRHRA administers a job posting service to benefit both our members and businesses searching for an affordable way to reach a large pool of qualified HR professionals? Job openings are posted on our website and on LinkedIn!

Check out our Career Center on the CRHRA website!

Current Openings:

HR Generalist - Russell Sage College

Employee Total Rewards Analyst - Arrow Financial Corporation

Director of Human Resources - Capital District YMCA

HR Business Partner - Arrow Financial Corporation

Rebecca's reflections

In this month’s edition, Rebecca Harris reflects on this year’s conference, highlights from recent CRHRA events and initiatives, and shares opportunities for members to stay connected and engaged in the months ahead.

Rebecca's Reflections - May 2026

Article of the Month

Help workers in New York State save for retirement today with New York Secure Choice!

The New York State Secure Choice Savings Program is open – the state’s new retirement savings program that provides an easy, automatic way for private-sector employees who do not have access to a workplace retirement plan to save for retirement through payroll deductions into their own Roth IRA.

New York Secure Choice makes it simple for businesses to help their employees save for the future and it’s easy for HR professionals to facilitate the program. Eligible employers with 10 or more employees, that have been in business for at least two years, and don’t already offer a qualified retirement plan must facilitate New York Secure Choice for their employees. 

Read More About New York Secure Choice!

Volunteer spotlight

Meet Alison Johnson, MBA

Alison Johnson is the Owner & Principal of Hudson River Career Resources, which provides direct hire recruitment, outplacement programs, and career search consulting.

She joined CRHRA in 1997 as a member and later joined the Board of Directors in 2003 as Program Chair, a role that also oversaw the conference at the time. Alison then served in several different Board positions through 2009, eventually becoming CRHRA President. Following her presidency, she continued volunteering on the program and workforce development committees, as well as serving as Chair and/or Volunteer for the One Day Conference — a role she still proudly holds today. She also enjoys pitching in at CRHRA program events whenever needed.

Overall, Alison says she feels very comfortable and at home with CRHRA. It has been a consistent center for her both professionally and personally, and she believes the organization has a great sense of energy and camaraderie. She especially loves the One Day Conference because it gives her the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues she’s known for more than 20 years. On the SHRM level, she recalls the national conference in Chicago as an amazing experience. When she started her business in 2003, she says she was surrounded by support that gave her both the confidence and excitement to continue focusing on the areas of HR she loves most.

Alison firmly believes in volunteering at both the professional and community levels, and emphasizes that you do not always need to be the leader to make a meaningful impact. After serving as President, she found it just as rewarding to contribute wherever help was needed. She also believes volunteering is a great way to build new skill sets, and encourages others to step into different roles whenever possible.

Board member Spotlight

Meet Erik Morrison, Finance

Erik J. A. Morrison is an experienced Human Resources professional and a passionate advocate for servant leadership, with over 10 years of experience. Erik is the HR Partner at Destine Preparatory Charter School in Schenectady as well as the Founder and CEO of the Kander Group, an HR Consulting firm. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in HR?

I more or less found my way into the HR profession rather organically. During college, I had the opportunity to engage in some applied learning experiences, which first sparked my interest in workplace dynamics and people operations. That interest deepened over the summer when I worked at Six Flags, where I was able to observe firsthand how organizational structure, employee relations, and day-to-day HR functions come together in a fast-paced environment. After graduating, I landed in a temporary role that split my time between Payroll and Human Resources. That experience proved to be pivotal. It gave me practical exposure to both the operational and strategic sides of HR, and I quickly realized how much I valued the work. From that point forward, I was fully committed to the field and have continued to build my career in HR with intention and focus.

What advice would you give someone just starting in HR?

My biggest advice would be to get comfortable with ambiguity early. HR rarely presents clear-cut situations, and you’ll often be balancing competing interests. Take the time to understand the “why” behind decisions, not just the policies themselves. Also, document everything and learn how to communicate clearly and professionally. Those two skills alone will carry you far.

What HR trend are you paying close attention to right now?

One HR trend I’m paying close attention to is the evolving dynamic of the multi-generational workforce and how it’s shaping expectations around the modern work environment. With multiple generations working side by side, there are clear differences in communication styles, feedback preferences, and views on career growth. The shift isn’t about prioritizing one group over another, but about creating a more flexible and responsive work environment that can support a range of expectations. This shows up most in how organizations approach leadership and communication. There’s a growing expectation for more frequent feedback, greater transparency, and leadership that can adapt to different working styles. Organizations that recognize and design for these differences tend to be more effective at engagement and retention.

What’s your favorite part about serving on the board?

My favorite part about serving as Finance Chair is helping translate strategy into sustainable impact—ensuring the organization is not only financially sound, but positioned to grow and thrive. I also value the opportunity to bring clarity to complex decisions and support thoughtful stewardship of resources.

CRHRA Storefront

Don’t forget about our CRHRA storefront! Get some CRHRA swag today.

HR education calendar 

Check out the community HR Education Calendar on the CRHRA website! Here you'll find events not hosted by CRHRA but that might be of interest to our community of HR professionals. 

VolunteerS always welcome

Interested in helping on a project or committee? Wonder what being a Volunteer Leader is all about? Reach out to us today.  Email us at [email protected]

Back to top