Welcome to 
Western Arkansas Human Resource Association




Upcoming events

    • June 10, 2025
    • 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 70 South 7 (UAFS Location in FS's Bakery District)
    Register

    Financial Wellness: Overcoming the Ills of Company-Sponsored Programs

    Presented by Chris Thixton, QPA, QKC, of Pension Consultants, Inc. Springfield, MO

    Financial insecurity and stress are wreaking havoc on workers. It affects their mental and physical health, as well as their working lives, in numerous and detrimental ways. In today's workplace, financial wellness is essential for both employee well-being and productivity. Financial Wellness  examines the disconnect between employer-led financial wellness programs and the actual financial health of employees, shedding light on common pitfalls and often overlooked elements. This presentation challenges the status quo by introducing a new approach that prioritizes outcomes over activities. Attendees will gain the knowledge and tools needed to create a financially secure, healthy, and productive workforce

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Uncover essentials that set effective financial wellness programs apart.

    2. Understand psychological and behavioral aspects for employee success. 

    3. Be cost effective and deliver needed results without expending unnecessary time and money.

    4. Prioritize outcomes over activity to provide genuine financial wellbeing to employees. 

    Free parking is available in a number of locations including the lots

    • adjacent to the National Cemetery (north edge) on Garland Avenue (FREE)
    • adjacent to the ArcBest Corporation Performing Arts Center on the east side of Wheeler (Free)
    • and for a nominal rate in metered spaces and the parking garage at 715 Rogers Avenue.

    Financial Wellness has been submitted to SHRM and HRCI. 

    • July 08, 2025
    • 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 70 South 7 (UAFS Location in FS's Bakery District)
    Register

    Beyond Survival: Building Resilient,  Adaptable Teams for the Future of HR

    Presented by Kristi Straw, MBA SPHR of Lighthouse Leadership Consultants (Charlotte, NC)

    HR leaders are no longer just managing change -- they're navigating unchartered waters where resilience and adaptability are the anchors for success. This sessions dives in to the UNICORN Leader framework, an innovative approach that equips HR professionals with the skills to cultivate high EI, future-ready teams capable of thriving amidst disruption. 

    Join us as Kristi shares the seven core pillars of the UNICORN Leadership framework: Unified Visionary, Nimble-Nurturing, Inclusive Innovator, Compassionate Communicator, Optimistic Strategist, Resilient Leader, and Networked Noble Navigator. Each pillar represents actionable strategies to foster a culture of resilience, empower employees, and drive innovation for sustainable success.

    Participants will leave with a blueprint for for strategic resilience that moves beyond simply surviving disruption but rather embracing it for lasting impact.

    Free parking is available in a number of locations including the lots

    • adjacent to the National Cemetery (north edge) on Garland Avenue (FREE)
    • adjacent to the ArcBest Corporation Performing Arts Center on the east side of Wheeler (Free)
    • and for a nominal rate in metered spaces and the parking garage at 715 Rogers  Avenue.

    Thank you to our generous partner for sponsoring this WAHRA chapter meeting. 


    Beyond Survival has been submitted to SHRM and HRCI. 

Past events

May 13, 2025 Eliminating Stinky Performance Evaluations: Keys to Freshen Outcome
April 08, 2025 Building Connections from Day One: Activities for Integrating New Hires
March 11, 2025 HR's Impact on EBITDA
February 11, 2025 Earning Super Employer Status: Exploring Trends in Benefit Programs
January 14, 2025 The Yellow Cake Principle: A Prizing-Winning Recipe for Influencing Others
December 10, 2024 58th Annual JollyDay Party-at-Lunch!
November 12, 2024 Restoring Hope in the River Valley
October 08, 2024 Professional Identity: Discovering One's True Self in the Workplace
September 10, 2024 Music as a Metaphor for Leadership Success
August 13, 2024 AI And Humans: Not a Competition, But a Collaboration.
July 09, 2024 Employee Engagement Strategy: Aligning Workplace Behaviors to Organizational Outcomes
June 11, 2024 Labor Law Update: Pregnant Worker Fairness Act (2023)
May 14, 2024 Financial Literacy: How Worker Knowledge Impacts the Workplace
April 09, 2024 Compassion Fatigue: The Real Cost of Caring
March 12, 2024 Improving Teamwork, Productivity, and Job Satisfaction
February 13, 2024 Sleep Mastery: Better Sleep = Better Performance
January 09, 2024 Reinventing the Employee Handbook
November 14, 2023 Hiring Foreign Nationals: Navigating OPT and H-1B to Secure Work Authorization for International Applicants
October 24, 2023 Compassion Fatigue and Burnout: The Real Cost of Caring
October 18, 2023 Navigate the Future: ARSHRM 2023 State Conference
September 12, 2023 Rethinking Employee Benefits: Why Salary and Vacation Won't Cut It
August 08, 2023 Troublesome Terminations: Top 10 Strategies for Safe Terminations
July 11, 2023 World-Class Onboarding: A How-To Conversation
June 13, 2023 Actional Empathy: Driving Inclusion with Empathy
May 09, 2023 The New Census Data: Are Your New Goals Reasonable and Attainable
April 25, 2023 OSHA's role in workplace safety
April 11, 2023 Fairness in the Remote Workplace
March 14, 2023 Effective Conciliation and Mediation Strategies
February 28, 2023 USDOL Series: Prevailing Wage Rules and Best Practices: The Davis-Bacon Act and More!
February 14, 2023 Intersectionality of Race and Gender in Hiring and Pay Equity Analyses
January 10, 2023 Marijuana in the Workplace: Ethical and Legal Considerations for Employers in Arkansas
December 13, 2022 56th Annual JollyDay Party-at-Lunch!
November 08, 2022 Avoiding a Catch 22: The 2022 ELLA Update
November 03, 2022 Transforming Managers to Leaders: What Each New Leader Should Know
October 18, 2022 USDOL Series: Who's Who: Classification Rules for Exempt and Non-Exempt Employees
October 11, 2022 Unconscious Bias: A Proactive Business Case (Revised 10/4/22)
September 14, 2022 Club 22! Join now!
September 13, 2022 Language Equity: Creating Welcoming Spaces
August 09, 2022 10 Things I Hate About Employee Recognition–Employee Engagement Lessons from Popular Movies
July 12, 2022 Resiliency: How Secondary Trauma Activates Hardiness
June 15, 2022 Club 22! Join now!
June 14, 2022 Navigating & Negotiating Personal Boundaries
May 10, 2022 Building a People-Centric Culture on a Budget
April 12, 2022 Tough Topics in Employee Complaints & Investigations
March 08, 2022 HR's Role in Organizational Ethics
February 08, 2022 Affirmative Action: What to Expect During a Compliance Review
January 11, 2022 Keep on the Sunny Side of Life: A New Year Resolution for HR Pros
December 14, 2021 55th Annual Business and Planning Meeting
November 09, 2021 Recognizing and Reducing Implicit Bias in the Talent Life-Cycle
October 12, 2021 Being an Effective HR Business Partner
September 14, 2021 The Future of Behavioral Health in the Workplace
August 10, 2021 Biden Time: Changes to Expect Under a Reconstituted National Labor Relations Board
July 13, 2021 Leading with Respect - Lessons Learned by the EEOC
June 08, 2021 LatinX: What's Next?
May 11, 2021 6-5-7: The 6 Stages of Any Crisis, Challenge, or Change, the 5 Steps to P.I.V.O.T. for Success, and 7 Leadership Reminders To Lead Through It
April 13, 2021 Background Screening: The Deep Dive into Criminal Records
March 09, 2021 Partnering Against Human Trafficking: Community Stakeholders Awareness Program
February 09, 2021 The 3Bs of Professional Networking Using Linkedin
January 12, 2021 USDOL Wage and Hour Compliance: 2021 Edition
December 08, 2020 Getting Employees Back to Work (Wherever That May Be!)
November 10, 2020 Lead With Laughs: Use Humor To Put The ‘Human’ In HR
October 13, 2020 Caring for Caregivers: A Compassionate (And Legal) Approach for Employers
September 08, 2020 WAHRA Zoom-inar! Brown Bag and Chat
July 14, 2020 Wellness Plans providing HOPE for Employers
May 12, 2020 Social Media: The Good. The Bad. And the Ugly.
March 10, 2020 Inclusion 2020: Getting Vets to Work
February 11, 2020 HR's Role in Organizational Health: Managing Worker's Compensation and OSHA Liability
January 14, 2020 Resolution 2020: Reduce Waste via Lean Six Sigma for HR Professionals
December 10, 2019 WAHRA December 2019 Meeting
November 12, 2019 WAHRA November 2019 Meeting
October 08, 2019 WAHRA October 2019 Meeting
September 10, 2019 WAHRA 38th Annual Leadership Workshop
August 13, 2019 WAHRA August 2019 Meeting
July 09, 2019 WAHRA July 2019 Meeting
June 11, 2019 WAHRA June 2019 Meeting
May 14, 2019 WAHRA May 2019 Meeting
March 12, 2019 WAHRA March 2019 Meeting
February 12, 2019 WAHRA February 2019 Meeting
January 08, 2019 WAHRA January 2019 Meeting
December 11, 2018 WAHRA December Meeting
November 13, 2018 WAHRA November Meeting
October 09, 2018 WAHRA 37th Annual Leadership Conference
September 11, 2018 WAHRA September Meeting
August 14, 2018 WAHRA August Meeting
July 10, 2018 WAHRA July Meeting
June 12, 2018 WAHRA June Meeting
May 08, 2018 WAHRA May Meeting
March 13, 2018 WAHRA March Meeting
February 13, 2018 WAHRA February Meeting

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©Western Arkansas Human Resource Association, Chapter#187.

All rights reserved. Western Arkansas Human Resource Association is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. 

P.O. Box 1211, Fort Smith, AR 72902


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