Statement from the chair and the president

HR Magazine, June, 1996 by Bruce R. Ellig, Michael R. Losey

At the close of 1995, SHRM had strengthened its position as a human resource leader. Professional membership has never been more important as human resource practices continue to evolve and greater challenges arise. As human resource professionals, we are asked to play key roles as strategic business partners. We are expected to have well-rounded business knowledge. And, of course, we are expected to contribute to the bottom line.

To help human resource professionals meet new challenges, SHRM is positioned to provide first-rate programs and services. The Society remains committed to customer service and meeting member needs. Improved customer service hinges on the Society's financial health, which permits growth and continuously improved programs and services. We believe that a sound foundation is now firmly in place.

Numerous successes highlight 1995. Membership continued to grow at a steady pace. Total membership topped the 70,000 mark for the first time. And SHRM's total revenue grew to nearly $27 million, allowing the Society to contribute approximately $2.6 million to reserves. All this was done without an increase in membership dues. Sound financing permits the Society to plan for future expansion of membership, products, programs and services.

With a secure financial foundation in place, 1995 was a time to prepare SHRM and its members for the exciting, although unpredictable, future. To meet so many new challenges, SHRM leaders made a commitment to developing new constructs for growth.

We began with the Society's familiar bricks and mortar. Because of significant increases in membership, programs and services, SHRM has simply outgrown its current headquarters. Our facility is no longer adequate to house the staff and equipment necessary to meet current and anticipated membership needs. As a result, the Society announced during 1995 that it will build a new headquarters less than two miles from the current location in Alexandria, Va. The new building, to be completed in 1997, will enable SHRM to continue to expand programs, information and services to its growing membership.

The year also marked changes for the Society's information infrastructure, which is no longer bound by time and physical constraints. By bringing in new technology and new approaches, such as the Internet and fax-on-demand systems, the Society created an information infrastructure that is now a seamless conduit for conveying information and insights about the human resource profession - twenty-four hours a day.

In just a short time, SHRM has made its presence felt throughout the world with the inauguration of the Society's World Wide Web Home Page. Introduced at the 1995 Annual Conference & Exposition, the SHRM Home Page gives members global, instantaneous access to the rich array of SHRM information and offerings. And, it gives the world's human resource professionals an immediate link to SHRM.

Still, it is people who are responsible for the most lasting organizational successes of SHRM. It is the Society's members and volunteer leaders who make SHRM unique. And it is the Society's employees who give this professional organization its competitive advantage.

SHRM can provide the learning and professional development opportunities. But it is up to members to take advantage of the new information and learn from each other. We look forward to working with our members in meeting new challenges.

These are just a few of the highlights of 1995. More details of this extraordinary year are found in the pages that follow. Many exciting new challenges lie ahead for members of the human resource profession. SHRM is definitely building for the future. We believe, as you read through the pages of this annual report and membership guide, you will agree.

Bruce R. Ellig, SPHR 1996 SHRM Chair of the Board

Michael R. Losey, SPHR President & CEO, SHRM