Western Arkansas Human Resources Association upcoming events

HR's Strategic Long-Game (September 08, 2026)

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:30:00 GMT

HR's Strategic Long-Game

Presented by Rachael Shackleford Dussuaur, Mission & Story (Washington, DC)

Internal Communications Turns Burnout into Buy-In and Creates a Roadmap for Reputation Management

HR professionals are expected to navigate constant unpredictability, keep the organization steady, support employees, and protect culture. If even one ball is dropped, it can all fall apart. This session explores HR’s new strategic long game: how internal communications can build organizational buy-in and support reputation management. We will focus on why a clear communications roadmap is essential to reducing unnecessary professional stress.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to:

strengthen morale,
reduce reactive fire drills, and
help employees feel invested in the organization’s success, both in times of calm and during the most challenging moments of change.

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 the parking garage at 715 Rogers Avenue.

HR's Strategic Long-Game has been submitted to SHRM and HRCI.

Thank you to Jared Harriman and the team at RetirePath for sponsoring WAHRA's September meeting. RetirePath is a financial advisory organization that practices holistic approaches to tailor retirement plans to the individual.

For more details, go to www.theretirepath.com.

Building Bravery: Retention 911! (October 13, 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Building Bravery

Presented by Christopher Ridenhour, Retention 911! (Germantown, PA)

The best defense against runaway turnover is a health workplace culture. The key is learning how to move beyond surface level interactions to cultivate depth, inclusiveness and belonging. The session will be highly interactive, fun, engaging, and deep. Be ready to participate and share your experience with others and walk away with a commitment and an accountability buddy to practice the tools we will learn.

As a result of attending this workshop, participants gain these tools for grounding and centering as leaders

Learn and practice how to listen with depth and feeling.
Experience surface level interactions with colleagues and more deep interactions that require empathy, compassion, and allyship.
Practice tools to support each other in addressing micro-aggressions.
Discover what bravery looks like in the workplace, how to show up and what commitments to make.

Building Bravery has been submitted to SHRM and HRCI.

Thank you to Stacy Johnson and the team at Mercy for sponsoring WAHRA's October meeting. We appreciate all Mercy does for our community and their support of WAHRA's mission to provide professional development for those in Human Resource Management.

Dealing with Difficult People: The HR Version (November 10, 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Dealing with Difficult People: The HR Version 2.0

Presented by Jen Vaughn, Keeling Company (N Little Rock, AR)

Managing workplace conflict is a constant challenge for HR professionals, who are often expected to act as the primary buffer when personalities clash and morale begins to dip. It can be incredibly draining to navigate the space between conflicting styles or to coach employees through behaviors that feel genuinely disruptive to the team. This session offers HR managers the opportunity to step back and decode the "why" behind these difficult dynamics, moving them beyond the role of "office referee" toward building a more resilient and professional culture.

The course focuses on empowering HR leaders to stay grounded and effective even when tensions are high. Participants will gain a tactical toolkit designed to help them manage their own internal triggers and establish the firm, healthy boundaries necessary to protect both their time and the organization’s productivity. By mastering these strategies, HR managers can facilitate difficult conversations with greater confidence and prevent a few challenging personalities from dictating the energy of the entire workplace.

Program Objectives

Decode the Drama: Understand the actual motivations behind disruptive behaviors.
Find Your Triggers: Identify personal reactions before a situation escalates.
Talk Like a Pro: Master communication scripts to navigate high-stakes conversations with confidence.
Master Self-Control: Learn how to keep composure and manage emotions under pressure.
Draw the Line: Practice setting healthy professional boundaries that stick.
Protect Your Focus: Adopt strategies to stay productive and keep someone else's attitude from tanking performance.

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.

Dealing with Difficult People: The HR Edition has been submitted to SHRM and HRCI.

Thank you to Jessica Day, Brittane Taylor, and the team at Firstar Bank® for sponsoring WAHRA's November meeting. We appreciate all Firstar does for our community and their support of WAHRA's mission to provide professional development for those in Human Resource Management.