ND Workforce and HR Conference Q&A with ND SHRM President

The GNDC team is in Grand Forks attending the ND Workforce and HR Conference. We sat down with ND Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Council Chair, Jenna Wilm, for specifics on the event.
 
GNDC: Tell me about the WFHR Conference?
Jenna Wilm: This is a statewide conference that is hosted annually for individuals interested in any aspect of workforce. The attendees usually are HR individuals but we also see recruiters, trainers, and business professionals attending.
 
Tell me about this year’s event.
This is the first time we’ve been in Grand Forks and the theme is Grand People, Places, and Opportunities. We wanted to accentuate the excitement of being in a new city. However, it wouldn’t matter if we were in Grand Forks, Bismarck, or Bowman – North Dakota is full of opportunities to develop our workforce. We are excited about the agenda we have developed. We have almost 400 people attending representing all industries and business sizes.
 
You do have a great speaker line-up including the event emcee, Representative Corey Mock.
With the location change and being in Grand Forks, Corey was our first choice. He is a passionate leader in the community. We are glad he was interested in being part of the day. Along with leading the conference program, he will be presenting breakout sessions on team-building and leadership. Both of these topics are a huge interest to our attendees.

How many years has the ND SHRM State Council put on this event?
This event has been held for over twenty years. There have been many changes throughout the years including the development of tracks, the addition of tours, and increased growth in vendors and attendees. We are proud of what the event has become; we are a council of volunteers. Each member of the team works a fulltime job in addition to the time spent ensuring the conference’s success.
 
Any other details that I should know?
We have next year’s event already in the works – September 15 – 17^th in Bismarck at the Event Center.
 
JW: Can I ask why GNDC has decided to attend?
GNDC: Workforce is a huge issue in the state and for our membership. Individuals that attend this event are those that are working directly to attract, retain, or develop the workforce within their organization. By supporting the conference, we are able to further engage with this circle of professionals who are looking to build strategies and solutions specific to the issue.