Meet Steve Browne at ILSHRMLead

If you know me at all, you probably know that I enjoy writing content and putting it on the internet.  I hope that some people read what I have to say, at least now and then. But I enjoy the writing part even more when it is about something or someone that I really like. Today’s post is about my good friend (and a friend to most everyone who works in HR in North America) Steve Browne.

I am writing about Steve because those of us who are involved in SHRM in Illinois are going to have an opportunity to visit with Steve again at this year’s Illinois Leadership Conference.  Steve joined us in 2015, and is coming back for what will probably be a standing bi-annual standing invitation.

Today’s post is written for those who are not in Steve’s tribe, although the rest of you are welcome to read through and see what I have to say about Steve.

In putting together this piece I was quite surprised to find content mentioning Steve from as early as 2006 out here on the interwebs.   Steve has been an early adopter on all social platforms on the internet and has been at the forefront of Human Resources matters everywhere.   Not only is Steve involved, he is making a difference.  Through all of his work and involvement Steve has been elected to a seat on the Board of Directors for the Society of Human Resources Management. 

While he has made himself kind of a big deal, you would not think so to be around him.  Steve is one of the most outgoing people that I know, who is game for just about anything. 

We rarely talk about this but, like so many of us Steve is a hard working HR guy working in the trenches of HR pretty much everyday.  Steve work for a Pizzeria Chain in the Cincinnati area called LaRosa's.  Don’t be fooled this is a pretty good size operation and is iconic within about 250 miles of Cincy.

As a family man Steve has done pretty well.  He has a lovely wife Deb, and two children in college.  So he has done pretty well in this part of his life too!

So we are going to have Steve speak to all of the leaders of Illinois SHRM, and enlighten us a bit about HR and how we can be better at what we do. That is what Steve is all about.  As I mentioned earliar I did quite a bit of searching or “creeping” on the net to really get a feel for Steve.  So without a lot of fanfare, I going to share a little bit more of Steve with you  - so if you have a chance to meet Steve and see what he has to say you won’t want to pass this up at #ILSHRMLead.

Find Steve on the web...

SHRM Board https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/pages/brownebio.aspx

Steve’s Linked In Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveb5

Steve’s Blog Site – Everyday People http://sbrownehr.com/

Steve on Twitter https://twitter.com/sbrownehr

Steve on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/steve.browne.186

Here is Steve opening up OHSHRM in 2011

Here is Steve at the 2012 SHRM VLS Meeting

Here is Steve talking about membership at the 2015 Illinois Leadership Meeting.

There is a little bit about Steve Browne. Hope to see you at ILSHRMLead!

- Dave Ryan ISC Director

SHRM 2015 VLS Wrap Up

The SHRM Volunteer Leaders’ Summit is wrapped up, and we are about to turn the page on another year.  This year I found a new and different SHRM.   SHRM is listening to its member and changing. SHRM members are not nearly as combative this year as they were in 2014.  So, IMO as we say on twitter, I think most of those who attended, came, participated, lobbied, listened and were energized, which I think is the purpose of the event.

SHRM CEO Hank Jackson at the VLS.

Gone were the distractions of the SHRM “Certification”.   Changes were announced to the Volunteer Leader’s Resource Center (VLRC), we saw changes in the name and the styling of the entire event now call VLS (even though the hashtag #SHRMLead) still remains, and this is strictly a personal observation of mine, but I saw a new and different CEO.  The Hank Jackson we saw in 2015 is the guy who runs SHRM.  He is totally comfortable with that, and that he has a bunch of Human Resources Pros around him at the events.  Hank laughed and joked with us and even cracked a joke or two when talking about problems.  He has assumed the role and it just feels like he has become very comfortable with his staff and his membership and his role at the top.

Steve Browne at the VLS.

We also saw at this meeting where our collective friend Steve Browne made the transition to the “other side.”  No longer is Steve a chapter or state council official, he is now on the board of directors of SHRM.  Those of us who know Steve are proud of him and look to him to share our vision of HR with the board.  I am sure he will excel in this role, and I wish him well.

For those who are new to chapters or state council operations, an appropriate amount of learning and resources was offered up. The sessions I attended were spot on and offered me a lot of ideas and ways to attack problems in my upcoming role as State Director. As best as I can tell from a show of hands, it looked like about 50% of the attendees were first time attendees.  The more veteran members could work on being a little more welcoming IMO.  And we need to get more millennials at these events!! (Repeat that last sentence!)

A concept of #HR two point oh or 2.0 was rolled out. What is it? I am not sure we know. Things are changing rapidly and I feel we are being asked, to be ready, to deal with these changes.  Tom Peters spoke of these coming days in “Thriving on Chaos” in 1987; I think we are there and HR 2.0 looks a lot like that.

For me thought the best part of this, and any other SHRM conference is seeing old friends and making new ones! That is simply grand and cannot be replaced by anything else.

ILSHRM Members in the Headshot Lounge

Like most of the other attendees, I am going to head home and pour this renewed vim and vigor into my role and do my damnedest to make #ILSHRM the best we can be. The event allowed me to spend a lot of time with my #ILSHRM people and build a stronger bond with all of our board members, which is great as I am going to need their knowledge, skills and abilities to move ILSHRM forward.

I nearly forgot to mention this, the Marriott Marquis is simply over the top - top notch facility.  It is a prIivileged to stay at properties of this caliber.

Lastly for me, this is simply fun, I enjoy the whole conference atmosphere (meetings, airport delays, drinks, sleep deprivation, smiles, knowledge, being out of town, the SHRM Store… you get the drift) and I think that is why I stay involved.  Being a SHRMie and attending these events gives me something I don’t get anywhere else – so I have to keep coming back.

This is not to be patronizing in anyway, but I also want to thank all of the SHRM staff for being so engaging and making these events the way they are. By reading this you know how I feel about SHRM Conferences, and it is all of the work that you do that creates those feelings in me – and I am sure I am not alone!

Dave Ryan ISC SHRM Director Elect

Changing of the SHRM MAC Guard

We have been a little quite over here at the ILSHRM blogging desk.  After getting our 2013 conference behinds us, many of had to put our nose to the grind stone and get back to doing those things that facilitate our volunteer efforts (our day jobs). The conference season is about wrapped up for 2013 and the folks in Alexandra on Duke Street are getting ready to close one chapter and open another.

The annual SHRM Leadership Conference is right around the corner. Traditionally, this is where year end awards are given and a figurative bow is put on the year, just as plans for the next year are announced.  Sadly, I will not be in attendance for this years event, although I have been able to attend more than my fair share of SHRM Leadership events.   The word on the street is that those who are allowed to attend may be changing.  We will have to see how this plays out.

Donna Rogers, MEd., SPHR

Another change that is taking place is some (perhaps all) of the MAC reps for SHRM will be moving on, turning in their jerseys. I am not sure about the status of all of the MAC reps, but I am aware of our own North Central Region.  Illinois' own Donna Rogers will have completed her one year term on the board.  We were proud to have her represent our region.  While we were not privy to all of their work I personally know that Donna poured her heart and soul into this effort and did all that she could to improve the process.  MAC reps are about as close as most of us SHRMies will get to the big guys.  So Kudos to Donna for a great job and making those of us from the Mid-West proud. Thus, I can safely say that Donna has set the bar high for the incoming North Central Region MAC rep.

Steve Browne (from his
twitter profile)

That person who will follow Donna is an enigma in Human Resources and here in the North Central Region. If you are active in this space you probably already know this.  Steve Browne a.k.a. @sbrownehr will be the new MAC rep from our region. I have no doubt that Steve will follow in Donna's path of challenging the powers that be and pushing for change and improvement. He's is not a bad guy, in fact he a great guy. He is just wired to push the envelope.

So from all of your friends (and there are a bunch of us) here in Illinois, we wish you the very best in your next endeavor with SHRM.  - Peace!!

- Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

On the Road at Ohio SHRM

I have the good fortune of attending my second SHRM state conference in about a month.  I revel in the opportunity to learn about my field of HR.  Not only am I learning about HR topics, but also about the task of putting on a Conference itself and all of the details that requires.

I am in awe to learn from two of the best in the business: John Jorgensen and Steve Browne. John is more of a behind the scenes guy and Steve is more of an out front guy, kind of like a say- lead singer of a band. So far, I have attended two sessions, and I am in the third as I write this. The first session was thought provoking and insightful. The speaker was Mark Stelzner. His topic was Social Media and HR policies. After lunch Simon Bailey addressed the group of over 700 HR pros and discussed leadership, leading change, being positive and assertive in your workplace. Simon, a former Disney executive communicated about his time at the happiest place on earth and it came through. Once a cast member, always a cast member.

But the real show stealer was lead conference organizer Steve Browne. Have a look



-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM