Welcome to 2008! As you set professional and personal goals this new year, I invite you to renew your commitment to continually improving not only your own professionalism, but the HR profession itself.

This year HRCI will focus on “Success Through Synergy” to build on our solid foundations. Last year’s Board of Directors, under the able direction of 2007 HRCI Chair Kristi Acuff, SPHR, firmed up the Institute’s strategic management and operations with a “back to basics” approach. In 2008, we aim to capitalize on the strengths inherent in our well-established relationships with SHRM and the SHRM Foundation.

All three organizations—HRCI, SHRM and the SHRM Foundation—exist to advance the HR profession and serve the professional. Certification is a key component in achieving those goals, and HRCI is committed to maintaining the integrity and validity of an independent certification program.

At the same time, we value our close ties with SHRM and the Foundation, which greatly extend our capacity and reach. As we pursue “Success Through Synergy,” HRCI will seek to work closely with these sibling organizations to achieve our common goals.

Those goals are yours as well—to increase recognition of the value and prestige of the HR profession and the expertise of its professionals. I look forward to your involvement and support throughout the coming year.

Connie Rank-Smith, SPHR, CEBS, CMS
2008 HRCI Chair
Vice President of Human Resources
Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, Neenah, Wisconsin

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