From the President - January 2021

Hi Friends!

Welcome 2021! The New Year is upon us and I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your extreme efforts managing all aspects of 2020! 

Our Board will meet this month and will participate in the annual Chapter Strategic Planning Event. This session provides a time for the Board Members to discuss their roles, responsibilities and expectations for their position, committees and the Chapter for 2021. We invite you to leave comments on our website’s MEMBER FEEDBACK page, with your questions, concerns and desires related to our association for the coming year: https://snv.shrm.org/surveys/member-feedback .

Please welcome Cynthia Adams as your New President!  Cynthia, a long time board member and HR professional steps into her new role this month and we are excited to have her as a collaborative leader in our chapter. 

Cynthia Adams has an extensive background in finance and human resources. She has acted as a financial and management consultant for several public and private sector clients, helping them to establish hiring practices, establish and set organization and department budgets, analyze benefit and health plan options, conduct recruitments, review compensation models, conduct classification and compensation studies, and ensure compliance of benefit, retirement and health plans. She has also helped new companies and non-profits set up benefits plans and accounting, financial and administrative procedures and systems. She has experience working with various accounting systems, including QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks On-line, Peachtree Accounting Pro, Axuim and Compeat software applications. She acted as an Employee Relations and Labor Consultant to SEIU Local 787 in Orange County, managing the MOU and contract negotiations as well as managing the employer-funded trust fund that provided an array of mandatory benefits to employees within the bargaining group under the MOU.

Cynthia, who is pursuing her Doctorate, holds a B.S. degree from California State University, Long Beach, in Dietetics and Food Administration, holds a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation from the International Employee Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Wharton School of Business, has a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management (MSHRM) from Boston University and holds a Senior in Professional Human Resources (SPHR) certification. She has completed the equivalent of an A.A. degree in accounting from Irvine Valley College and currently provides accounting, HR and benefits administration services to clients in Nevada, California and Texas.

She is a SHRM-SCP member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), the Southern Nevada Human Resources Association (SNVSHRM), the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA), the National Human Resources Association (NHRA), the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) and the National Association of Bookkeepers (NBA).

SHRM offers CE PDC’s for your COVID-19 work. Visit One more reminder that recertification will accept your critical work in th eCOVID-19 space toward your certification renewal. Take advantage! https://www.shrm.org/certification/recertification/qualifying-credit-activities/Pages/default.aspx to learn more about earning up to all 60 SHRM PDC’s for your work in the area of COVID-19

Chapter Sponsorship... Providing man-power, talent and dedication to a non-profit is largely borne by our dedicated volunteers. But that dedication only takes us so far. I thank-you in advance for promoting Chapter sponsorship whenever possible. For all of the details simply point any potential sponsors to: https://snv.shrm.org/sponsorship-opportunities

Finally, thank you! Thanks for all you do each day to promote the wellbeing of your teams, our community and our profession! I welcome your direct feedback! You may contact me any time! melissa.amaon.shrm@gmail.com

---Melissa

Southern Nevada SHRM Past-President