NC State HR Professionals Honored at Conference

August 10, 2023 Thyrie Bland 2-min. read

A picture of Amy Grubbs, manager of the Onboarding Center at NC State, staffing an HRNow station at at the HR Professionals Conference on July 27. — Amy Grubbs, manager of the Onboarding Center at NC State, staffs one of the HRNow stations at the HR Professionals Conference on July 27. Grubbs and other HR professionals answered questions about HRNow, NC State's go-to source to get accurate HR-related information, for conference attendees.

HR professionals at NC State gathered at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center on July 27 for the annual HR Professionals Conference.

The conference theme was Connecting Red, White and You. The event focused on connecting HR professionals with resources to help them do their jobs and providing an opportunity for them to network.

The opening session included a video more than 13 minutes long showing the Wolfpack community thanking NC State’s HR professionals for all their hard work. Heidi Barberan, director of human resources for the Office of Research and Innovation, and her team were among those recognized in the video.

“I am so thankful that so many people went out of their way to show their appreciation for the ORI HR team and recognize all of the hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes,” Barberan said. “I think it’s incredible they took time out of their busy day to acknowledge us.”

The day-long conference included sessions on the following topics: “Solving Puzzles With Lean Six Sigma,” “Women and Leadership” and “Storytelling With Data.” The main conference speaker, Lauri Andrews, a senior career advisor at SAS, gave a talk titled “Internal Mobility Strategies,” about how career development programs contribute to the work culture at SAS.

“I think the HR Professionals Conference is a wonderful opportunity to grow the HR community network at NC State,” Barberan said. “I think there is some excitement that comes with attending this conference. I enjoy meeting with old colleagues and new ones I may have never spoken to otherwise.”

Stephanie Davis, assistant director of Learning and Organizational Development and a conference organizer, said she has received lots of positive feedback about the conference.

“People seem to appreciate the conference and look forward to it every year,” Davis said. “They really like the opportunity to get out of the office to focus on their development as HR professionals, connect with peers and share ideas and best practices.”

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