July 2026 Newsletter 
A Message from Our President
Hotter than July is the title of one of Stevie Wonder’s many hit albums. It’s also an apt phrase when making a positive comparison of an item or event to the hottest of summer heat. However, it would be challenging to find anything hotter than the spate of 100+ temperatures that we’ve recently faced. We hope that you’re staying cool! However, we recognize that a number of you provide HR support within organizations in which some employees are exposed to high temperatures (80 degrees or higher) in their regular, day-to-day work (inside or outside).
The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) office oversees and enforces heat stress standards that became effective in 2024. Does your workplace have a comprehensive Heat-Related Illness Prevention and Management Plan? MOSH provides a number of heat-related illness prevention and management resources and information; one can start with this link: Key Requirements - Heat Stress. Additionally, if you have not yet developed a heat-related illness prevention and management plan (or if you want to check yours to ensure that it’s up-to-date and compliant) MOSH has provided a model Heat-Related Illness Prevention and Management Plan: mosh-heatstresshipmodelprogram.pdf Maryland requires employers with employees and supervisors that are covered by Maryland Heat Stress Standards to provide heat stress training to these employees. Employers are to keep records of the training that they provide and furnish such records to MOSH upon request.
Pivoting to SHRM Howard County upcoming HOT events and opportunities, make sure that you don’t miss out on the following (see our website SHRM Howard County - Home Page for more details):
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SHRM Howard County Fall Conference (Sept 17th) – HR at the Center of Change Hot off the presses - $65 Early Bird Discount ends July 20th! Register Today for this GREAT ½ day conference – great speakers, great sessions, great networking!
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HR Technology Insights – July 16th Monthly Meeting -
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MDSHRM Conference - October 4th – 6th -
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SHRM Howard County – HR Volunteer Opportunities!
I’ll end with gratitude for our members and visitors, our Board of Directors and volunteers, and for our Sponsors. I cherish our community and look forward to connecting with you at our next meeting and to continued collaboration to advance the HR Profession and support HR Professionals in Howard County!
Very Best of Regards,
April Perry
President, SHRM Howard County
SHRM Howard County Important Info
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN - SHRM Howard County Fall Conference
Today's workplace is evolving faster than ever, and HR is no longer on the sidelines. HR is increasingly at the center of organizational strategy, culture, workforce planning, leadership development, and business transformation.
HR at the Center of Change
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Great speakers
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Breakout sessions
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Practical insights
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Meaningful connections
Speaker announcements coming soon, save your seat today!
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026 |
Time: 8:00a to 1:00p
Location: Maryland Innovation Center | 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr Columbia, MD 21046
Early Bird Pricing
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$65.00 Earlybird rate before July 20
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$85.00 Earlybird rate before July 20
Check out the event page for more details and to register.
News You Can Use
June Happy Hour Recap
Our June Summer Happy Hour could not have worked out better. The weather was absolutely perfect, the food and drinks were on point, and the conversations were even better.
One of the highlights of the evening was seeing so many first time attendees join us, along with several guests from outside the HR profession. We love creating opportunities for people to build connections, share ideas, and expand their networks across industries.
Thank you to everyone who came out and made the event such a success. We look forward to seeing you again soon at an upcoming SHRM Howard County event!
Upcoming Events
jULY MONTHLY MEETING
HR Technology Insights
Speaker: Steve Hansen
Date: July 16, 2026 | 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Maryland Innovation Center
6751 Columbia Gateway Dr
Columbia, MD 21046
About our Program:
As HR technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, organizations are being challenged to balance innovation, data strategy, and operational efficiency. In this session, we’ll explore:
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HR Technology Market Update – We’ll review the most recent survey data and speak to customer scores for HR tech vendors.
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AI Tools - Is it even a presentation in 2026 if we don’t talk AI?
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Managing your Data – AI is enabled by clean and centralized data, what does that look like?
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Broker Resources – Services that your broker can offer to ease your HR technology burden.
Thank you to our July Sponsor:
Corporate Synergies
Corporate Synergies is a national employee benefits brokerage and consultancy providing a boutique, high‑touch experience for HR teams. Acting as a seamless extension of HR, we help employers design, manage, and support benefits programs that control costs, reduce compliance risk, and enhance the employee experience.
AUGUST MONTHLY MEETING
AI in HR
Speaker: Russell Smith
Date: Aug 20, 2026 | 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Maryland Innovation Center
6751 Columbia Gateway Dr
Columbia, MD 21046
About our Program:
As AI continues to reshape the workplace, HR leaders have a unique opportunity to lead both the strategy and the conversation. The topics will cover:
Everyday HR Productivity: “Small Wins” That Actually Stick
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Drafting policies, employee communications, and offer letters
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Summarizing interviews or meeting notes
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Writing performance reviews / feedback frameworks
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Automating internal HR email responses
Risks, Ethics, and Compliance
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Bias in hiring algorithms
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Lack of transparency (“black-box decisions”)
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Data privacy (employee monitoring, sensitive data use)
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Legal exposure and regulatory changes
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Inflation of “Key Person Risk” – AI enables a person to handle more work
How SMB HR Teams Should Start
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How to speak to leadership about AI Adoption
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Crawl, Walk, Run Approach
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How to introduce AI to your employees in a non-threatening way
Whether your organization is just beginning to explore AI or looking to expand adoption, this discussion will provide practical guidance on how to start thoughtfully and lead confidently.
Sponsorship Opportunities
SHRM Howard County Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available
Looking for new ways to connect with the Howard County HR community? We've introduced two new sponsorship opportunities for 2026:
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Weekly Newsletter Sponsorships
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Second-Half Event Sponsorships
With a reach of 1,400+ email subscribers and a growing LinkedIn audience, these opportunities offer valuable visibility among HR professionals and business leaders. Limited event sponsorship spots remain for July, August, November, and December. Customized packages are also available. For more info, visit our website!
News from Maryland State Council
MDSHRM Annual Conference 2026
SHRM MD Annual Conference
October 4-6, 2026
Ashore Oceanfront Hotel Ocean City, MD
What you can look forward to:
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3 full days of programming across Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday
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Nationally recognized keynote speakers
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16 breakout sessions spanning leadership, compliance, AI, benefits, engagement, and more
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SHRM and HRCI recertification credits
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Welcome reception, game night, meals, and networking throughout
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Access to our exhibit hall featuring cutting-edge HR resources and solutions
Registration Pricing
Early Bird (through July 15): $699
Full Conference Rate: $799
Visit this site: Maryland SHRM State Council, Inc. - Meeting/Event Information to receive register
Career Corner
OPEN HR POSITIONS
If you have HR opportunities that you would like to have us share your current HR openings in our Open Positions Form
Check out these job opportunities:
HRIS Manager - Columbia Association
Director of Total Rewards - EagleBank
Howard County Government HR positions
