Every year, the HRPA recognizes National Volunteer Week (April 18-24, 2021) as an important opportunity to celebrate and thank our amazing volunteers for their contributions to the Association.
This year’s theme is Making a Difference in a Changing World. As we face an unprecedented time, we’re deeply grateful for our volunteers who consistently step up to make a difference in our HR community. Our volunteers support over 23,000 HRPA members and help us provide impactful programming throughout the year.
We couldn’t do this without you! Thank you for your time, commitment, and efforts. Click here to view our Gratitude Wall!
WATCH THE VIDEO: A THANK YOU MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
“Your contributions are apparent throughout the Association and I am amazed by all the passion you bring to the work you do for HRPA, our members and students.”
-Louise Taylor Green, HRPA CEO
FUN FACTS
1,200+ volunteers
We are proud to have over 1,200 HRPA volunteers across Ontario.
24 local chapters and committees
Our volunteers participate in a ton of committees, boards and chapters. Discover all our opportunities here.
3,000+ hours
Last year, our volunteers collectively dedicated more than 3,000 hours to the HRPA!
GRATITUDE WALL
There’s no better time to shine a spotlight on you, our volunteers! Check out all the thank you messages to our volunteers from our community:
| From | Volunteer(s) | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Louise Tagliacozzo, Corporate Affairs | All HRPA Volunteers across the province! | HRPA’s volunteers are the backbone of the Association. Whether it’s charting the direction of the organization through Board work, assessing their HR peers through our regulatory committees, or establishing a sense of community and building members skills and proficiency through our 24 Chapters across the Province. A HUGE thank you to each of you, who dedicate your time and energy to the Association and the Professions success! |
| Adriana Covic, Corporate Affairs | York Region Chapter Board of Directors | York Region keeps the bar high – always. You folks consistently strive to be better, are always coming up with amazing new ideas, and remain dedicated to providing members fantastic learning experiences. Each of you brings something different to the table – it has been a pleasure working with you thus far, and I look forward to what you’ll do next year!
Thank you for a great year! |
| Adriana Covic, Corporate Affairs | Algoma Chapter Board of Directors | A BIG SHOUT OUT to my chapter in the North – you’ve pivoted wonderfully to the virtual experience and continue to reach new members with your programming. We haven’t been together long – but from what I’ve seen, I love the energy that each of you brings forward. Thank you for everything you do! I’m truly excited to see what we can do together next year! |
| Adriana Covic, Corporate Affairs | Grey Bruce Chapter Board of Directors | Grey Bruce – small but mighty! You folks have a really tight-knit team and it shows how well you all work together. The last year has been challenging, but you’ve managed to continue doing what you do best! Thank you for welcoming me to your team with such friendliness and warmth. Thank you for being you! I look forward to another wonderful year with you all! |
| Adriana Covic, Corporate Affairs | West Toronto Chapter Board of Directors | What a group! Each of you comes to meetings with great enthusiasm and wonderful ideas.
In our short time together, I’ve witnessed a team that truly cares about their members and are constantly looking for ways to increase engagement. Your commitment to being better than you were the day |
| Anne Costabile, Corporate Affairs | Grand Valley Chapter | It is always a pleasure to work with the Grand Valley Chapter board! All of you are so enthusiastic and supportive. Your support and patience especially, as we pivoted to webinars and implemented many other changes, over the past year has been greatly appreciated. The time and dedication you give to the registrants is top shelf! Thank you for a great year. |
| Anne Costabile, Corporate Affairs | Barrie & District Chapter | It has been wonderful to get to know the Barrie & District board over the past year. This board always has their membership top of mind. The board works tirelessly to ensure the membership experience is always a positive and engaging one. Thank you for your patience as we rolled out any new changes and processes. Thank you for everything! |
| Anne Costabile, Corporate Affairs | Guelph & District Chapter | I can see why the Guelph & District membership is so fond of their chapter. The board makes everyone feel welcome and at home. I have enjoyed getting to know the board members this past year. Your dedication and care for your members is heard and felt in every decision. Thank you for your great dedication and support! |
| Arianne Anders, Office of the Registrar |
Experience Assessment Committee | Thank you to the Experience Assessment Committee for their time and expertise! We receive numerous Alternate Route and Validation of Experience applications monthly, and the Committee members have been wonderful in assessing the applications and ensuring that the experience standards are met. We could not operate without you! Thank you for all you hard work and commitment. |
| Arianne Anders, Office of the Registrar |
Mark Seymour, Experience Assessment Committee | Mark,
Thank you for all the work and the years you’ve spent on the Experience Assessment Committee. You have been a wonderful Chair, and we are very grateful for your time, knowledge and leadership! As your term ends, I would like to personally thank you for all your hard work and guidance and wish you the very best! |
| Ashley Kernohan, Corporate Affairs | Niagara Board | You make my job easy. You are hard working and dedicated. Your team is truly a well oiled machine. Everything you do is well thought out and you strive to create the best programming for your members. I love working with you and am looking forward to keeping this momentum going! Thank you for all you do! |
| Ashley Kernohan, Corporate Affairs | Hamilton Board | I love working with you! You are a strong team team who works together to create engaging and relevant programming for your members. Your hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed. I look forward to what’s ahead! Thank you for all you do! |
| Ashely Kernohan, Corporate Affairs | Halton Board | You are such a pleasure to work with. Your team is committed and works very hard. We appreciate all your time and contributions. Your events are engaging and valuable for your members. I look forward to continuing to work with you! Thank you for all you do! |
| Bobbi-Lyn Smith, Corporate Affairs | Chatham-Kent Chapter Board | Committed to your local membership this experienced team delivers. Your high member engagement certainly reflects the quality programming, effective communications and community reach your team has built over time. Your contributions matter. Thanks for all that you do! |
| Bobbi-Lyn Smith, Corporate Affairs | London and District Chapter Board | Thank you for always providing relevant programming, informative communications, dynamic mentoring, active student engagement, all with an eye to both regulatory and fiscal compliance. You are all incredible volunteers. Your passion for your roles shines through! |
| Bobbi-Lyn Smith, Corporate Affairs | Sarnia and District Chapter Board | The changes and challenges faced over the past year have been many, yet you generously support one another and come together as a team to get things done. Thank you for embracing my assistance and always expressing your gratitude. It has been my pleasure to have your back! |
| Bobbi-Lyn Smith, Corporate Affairs | Windsor and District Chapter Board | This past year has been like no other. Each of you has pivoted to embrace the necessary changes while staying committed to providing meaningful programming, communications, and student support for your local members. Thank you for being a great team. You make it easy. |
| Bob Thompson, Chair of the Board | HRPA Board of Directors | It is such an honour to work with such a dedicated and passionate board of directors who bring such diverse skills and experiences to governing the Association. I learn from each of you and am humbled by your support and devotion to the HR profession. |
| Bob Thompson, Chair of the Board | All Chapter Volunteers | Local community engagement amongst HRPA members and students is so enriched because of the efforts of our fantastic Chapter volunteers. The programs you’ve championed in mentoring, networking and professional development are enhancing the knowledge, skill and ability of our members but you’re also cultivating durable communities and relationships that our registrants value so very much. Thank you for your energy and passion. |
| Bob Thompson, Chair of the Board | All Statutory Committee Volunteers | HRPA has advanced regulatory excellence significantly and an absolutely critical contributor to this success has been the outstanding performance and capability of our statutory committees, comprised of both HRPA members and public members. You’re skills and experience are such an important part of our fulfillment of our obligations under the Act and we have such appreciation for all of you. |
| Boski Verma, Corporate Affairs | Toronto Chapter Student Affairs Committee | On behalf of HRPA, I would personally like to thank the entire Toronto Chapter Student Affairs Committee for all their hard-work with the 2021 Student Case Competition. The phenomenal success of the event is a reflection of the dedication and enthusiasm all of you displayed on a continual basis.
I look forward to working with you in the future. |
| Boski Verma, Corporate Affairs | Chapter Student Liaison Chairs | On behalf of HRPA, I wanted to extend a heart-felt thank you to the Chapter Student Liaison Chairs for their commitment to making all the HRPA student events a success! Students are an important part of the HR Community and all of you helped offer our students the programs and recourses they needed to build a strong foundation for their future success. Thank you once again and I look forward to continuing working with you in the future. |
| Diane Biesinger, Human Resources and Learning Team | Peel Mentorship Program | A huge shout out to the Peel Mentorship Program Committee!! This team works tirelessly to deliver an exceptional program. The Leads – Shannon Brander, Sonia Kang, Katie Grace care so much and put in so much time to create thoughtful programming. |
| Elise Newell, Corporate Affairs | Chapter Budget Review Task Force | Thank you to our Chapter Budget Review Task Force who worked to improve the Chapter Budgeting Process, Chapter Finance Policy, and Chapter Program Planning Process. The work done by this Task Force has had a huge positive impact on the entire Chapter Board experience. We are so grateful for the time and efforts put forward by this group and their Chair, Neil Culp. |
| Elise Newell, Corporate Affairs | Chapter Leadership | HRPA’s Chapters create a sense of community through local events, networking opportunities, and involvement with HRPA student and mentoring programs. Thank you for making and maintaining deep connections with HRPA members across the province. Your selfless commitment to HRPA as a volunteer leader is truly incredible. You are appreciated! |
| Gary Monk, Finance and IT |
Audit and Finance Committee | The Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) has undertaken considerable work in the last few years with enhanced focus on our Enterprise Risk, Internal audit work and privacy and cybersecurity review. Thank you for your enthusiasm in undertaking this work and your guidance and support! |
| Jenny Eum, Office of the Registrar |
Rahim Shamji, Complaints Committee | A special thank you to Rahim for being part of the Complaints Committee for 9 years! The Complaints process is key to the regulation and governance of the conduct of HRPA’s members in the practice of their profession and their adherence to the Rules of Professional Conduct and standards of practice. Rahim’s leadership as a Vice-Chair and Chair of the committee made huge improvements, and we are truly thankful for his work. |
| Jenny Eum, Office of the Registrar |
Complaints Committee | A special shoutout to all members of the Complaints Committee for their dedication and hard work! The Complaints process is key to the regulation and governance of the conduct for HRPA’s members. Their expertise with the complaints process have been very helpful protecting the public, and we are so grateful to have you! |
| Justin B. Manuel, Corporate Affairs | HRPA Awards of Distinction Panel | Thank you to our incredible judges for another successful awards cycle! Wished we had the opportunity to meet in person as we usually do throughout the year. Here’s hoping we can do so again next year. |
| Kris Tierney, Human Resources and Learning Team | Annual Conference Volunteers | I want to take this moment to thank all of this year’s Volunteers for generously donating their time, expertise and passion to the HRPA 2021 Annual Conference and Trade Show.
With your help, HRPA delivered an amazing virtual event. Those who attended experienced four days of incredible learning, expertly coordinated behind the scenes with the help of our tireless volunteers. Thank you, Volunteers, for supporting the conference! We couldn’t have done it without you! |
| Kris Tierney, Human Resources and Learning Team | Human Resources and Compensation Committee | I am extremely grateful to our Human Resources and Compensation Committee (HRCC) for the guidance and support over the last year. Under Stephen Fletcher’s leadership we have established the Association as an exemplar in our HR practices! Thank you to each of you for your time and commitment. |
| Louise Taylor Green, Office of the CEO | HRRI Board of Directors | I would like to acknowledge the HRRI Board and Awards Committee for their dedication to HR research and recognition of HR excellence via the annual awards for best Master’s Thesis and PhD Dissertation in HR. We are incredibly grateful for your ongoing leadership and dedication. |
| Louise Tagliacozzo, Corporate Affairs | Board Nomination Committee | A HUGE thank you to our Board Nominating Committee, who conducted a deep dive into establishing our Non-Member Director recruitment and vetting process this year in addition to their yeoman efforts with HRPA’s Member Director recruitment and selection processes. Your dedication and commitment is greatly appreciated! |
| Louise Tagliacozzo, Corporate Affairs | HRPA Board Inclusivity Task Force | The Board Inclusivity Task Force has been struck to work through the implementation of the Board’s recently approved Board Diversity and Inclusion Policy. They are taking a deep dive and reviewing all the implications and measures and their efforts are to be commended. They are undertaking such foundational important work for HRPA and we are excited to see the outcome! |
| Louise Tagliacozzo, Corporate Affairs | HRPA Governance and Nominating Board | In addition to corporate governance, our GNC was delegated regulatory oversight this year. The GNC’s leadership has led to enhanced governance of our regulatory committees and greater alignment with our Chapter operations. Thank you for your guidance and direction, and of course for asking all the tough questions, as we strive for continuous improvement with our governance practices. |
| Mara Berger, Office of the Registrar | Professional Standards Committee | On behalf of HRPA I would like to send a special thanks to our Professional Standards Committee for hitting the ground running! Your insights regarding the risks the HR profession could pose to the public have been invaluable and I look forward to our future discussions on a wide variety of topics. |
| Margaret Wilson, Office of the Registrar | CHRE Review Committee | On behalf of the Office of the Registrar, I would like to personally thank you for volunteering for the CHRE Review Committee! Thanks for your dedication and hard work. You truly make a huge difference to our team and we are so grateful to have you. |
| Margaret Wilson, Office of the Registrar | Review Committee | On behalf of the Office of the Registrar, I would like to personally thank you for volunteering for the Review Committee! Thanks for your dedication and hard work. You truly make a huge difference to our team and we are so grateful to have you. |
| Margaret Wilson, Office of the Registrar | Discipline and Capacity Committee | On behalf of the Office of the Registrar, I would like to personally thank you for volunteering for the Discipline and Capacity Committee! Thanks for your dedication and hard work. You truly make a huge difference to our team and we are so grateful to have you. |
| Melissa Gouveia, Office of the Registrar | Registration Committee | On behalf of the Office of the Registrar team. I would like to personally thank you for your time and dedication you provide to the Registration Committee. Your passion for the HR profession truly shines through the work you do on our Committee. My sincere gratitude for your commitment to volunteer with HRPA, you are appreciated. |
| Rebecca Lauzon, Corporate Affairs | Peterborough Chapter Board of Directors | Peterborough Chapter Board of Directors – the little engine that could! A fantastic cohesive team that meets every deadline with accuracy and enthusiasm. Thank you all for a wonderful year. |
| Rebecca Lauzon, Corporate Affairs | Durham Chapter Board of Directors | Durham Chapter Board of Directors pack quite a punch! From an abundance of quality programming, informative weekly communiques and continued member engagement. This board does not miss a beat! Thank you all for a wonderful year. |
| Rebecca Lauzon, Corporate Affairs | Thousand Island Board of Directors | Thousand Islands Chapter was created in October 2020. This newly formed board has managed the merger flawlessly. They share responsibilities in their stride often turning things around on a dime to meet deadlines. Thank you for a great transition to our new chapter. I am so fortunate to have such a great team to work with. |
| Rebecca Lauzon, Corporate Affairs | Sudbury Board of Directors | Sudbury Board of Directors. Sudbury Chapter’s motto should be – Show us once! Show them once and they are off – it just happens! Flexible and open to suggestions. What a pleasure they have been to work with! |
| Rebecca Lauzon, Corporate Affairs | Quinte Board of Directors | Quinte Board of Directors are a well oiled machine! They have been doing this a long time and rarely need my assistance in day to day operations. Thanks for making it easy. |
| Stephanie Jung, Office of the Registrar | Melanie Kerr, Chair of the Appeal Committee |
Melanie,
As Chair of the Appeal Committee, your commitment, grace, & generosity makes the difficult work not as difficult. Your enthusiasm is such an asset. Thank you for being a joy to work with and sharing your knowledge & time! |
| Stephanie Jung, Office of the Registrar | Maureen Quinlan, Vice-Chair of the Appeal Committee | Thank you for all your work as Vice-Chair on the Appeal Committee! Your enthusiasm, efficiency, and grace, makes the work of the Committee and my job supporting it, a breeze. Thank you for sharing your knowledge & time! |
| Tammy Williams, Corporate Affairs | Ottawa and District Chapter Board | What a year! Cornwall and Ottawa emerged as Ottawa and District. Cornwall, you have a big heart and your participation as well as your contributions, shine within your membership community. Ottawa your positive energy invites creativity and innovation. Thank you so much for the invaluable work you do. Ottawa and District, looking forward to our continued teaming as a well-oiled machine. |
| Tammy Williams, Corporate Affairs | Toronto Chapter Board | We are new teammates this past year! What an outstanding job in such a short amount of time. You are dedicated, focused and full of innovative ideas. Thank you for the tremendous amount of work you’ve put into your own success. Collectively, volunteers like you deserve immense praise! |
| Tammy Williams, Corporate Affairs | Northern Ontario Chapter Board | Northwestern and Northeastern you became Northern Ontario! You have been such devoted and hardworking volunteers. Thank you so much for the immeasurably valuable work you have done for our members and students. You are the backbone of each and every event. Please know that it could not be done without your hard work. Forever thankful for your valuable time you have given to achieve great success. |
| Tina Seifert, Annual Conference | Robin Harding, Annual Conference | Thank you Robin for your commitment to the 2021 Annual Conference. You were attentive to the details of the sessions and willing to jump in last minute — so adaptable and reliable! It was a pleasure to have you be part of the conference volunteers. |
| Tina Seifert, Annual Conference | Cmal (Seemal) Usman | Thank you Seemal for your commitment to the 2021 Annual Conference. You completed your volunteer shifts in an unexpected time zone shift and attended to each session with professionalism. It was wonderful to have you volunteer. |
| Tina Seifert, Annual Conference | Shirley Yu | Shirley, you stepped outside of your comfort zone, stepped up to the volunteer position and did a fantastic job! It was great to have you contribute to the success of this event and be part of the 2021 conference volunteers. |
| Tina Seifert, Annual Conference | Alicia Davenport | Alicia, your professionalism, calm composure and attention to detail were extremely valuable to the support of the speakers and the coordination of Q&A of the conference sessions. You were engaging and adaptable to many of the changing virtual tasks assigned to you. Your contribution as a volunteer did not go unnoticed and it was a such a pleasure to work with you! |
| Tina Seifert, Annual Conference | Lisa Violo | Lisa, your enthusiasm and dedication to the tasks at hand were superb! Your contribution and participation helped make this event a success. Thank you for your volunteer time at the annual conference – it was great working with you and having you part of the team! |
| Tracey Gallacher, Corporate Affairs | Peel Chapter Board of Directors | What a year for the Peel Board of Directors! From supporting our members with exceptional events, networking opportunities, an active mentorship program and speakers throughout the year, they have done so with an incredible sense of dedication and thoughtfulness. Together you have helped us ensure an exceptional year with another exciting one on the horizon. Thanks for all that you do! |
| Tracey Gallacher, Corporate Affairs | North Bay Board of Directors | What can I say about the North Bay board of directors…this group leads with passion (and a great sense of humour!). Members were treated to an awesome array of events and engagement opportunities because of their efforts this year. I’m sure they will do it again in 2022! Thank you all for your team work to pull this all off! |
WHY VOLUNTEER?
Volunteering is a win-win opportunity: HRPA volunteers get to help others while being positively impacted too! Hear what volunteer, Jackie Cabildo, York Region Chapter Chair, MBA, CHRL, CHRP, has to say about her experience below:
Experience the magic of volunteering firsthand! Join our online community and learn how you get involved here.
JOIN IN ON THE CELEBRATIONS
Join us virtually this week on LinkedIn, Facebook, and/or Twitter. You can also visit our online community to celebrate the impact of your volunteer efforts in the world of HR and workplaces across Ontario.
#NVW2021 #HRVW2021 #HRPAMakesaDifference