Events

2025 - October 8 - Legislative Update Presented by KWW

Join us for the next AASHRM Chapter Event

Akron Area SHRM is inviting you to: "Legislative Update Presented by KWW." Alexis Eichelberger will present the legislative update.

Guy’s Party Center / 500 E Waterloo Rd. / Akron, Oh 44319
There is construction near/around Guy's Party Center. Attendees may want to allow for extra travel time.

Agenda:
7:30am - Registration Opens. Networking, and Announcements
8:00am - Presentations Begin

Price:
$30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $15 Students, $15 Members-in-transition

Speaker Bio: Alexis Eichelberger is an attorney at Kastner Westman & Wilkins, LLC, a management-side labor and employment law firm located in Akron. She also serves as Legislative Chair of Akron Area SHRM. Alexis earned her law degree at the University of Akron School of Law in 2023 and has been assisting employers with a variety of workplace challenges since. Much of her practice focuses on public sector labor relations, multistate compliance, and defending employers in litigation and administrative proceedings.

Thank you to our Sponsor:

2025 - October 23 - Happy Hour / Networking Event

Join us for the next AASHRM Happy Hour / Networking Event

Location: Leo’s Italian Social / 2251 Front St / Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

We'll be in the covered patio area!

No need to register - just come out and network with your AASHRM Colleagues.

AASHRM Happy Hour from 4:30 to 7; Guests are encouraged to come/go as they wish anytime between 4:30-7pm.

12 Nov 2025

2025 Nov 12 / DEI Panel / Celebrating Diversity during the Holidays

Location: Akron , OH

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Time: 7:30 AM to 09:30 AM

2025 - November 12 - DEI Panel / "Celebrating Diversity During The Holidays" (BREAKFAST MEETING)

Akron Area SHRM is inviting you to the next DEI session, “Celebrating Diversity during the Holidays." The panel session will be a BREAKFAST MEETING, facilitated by Evelyn S Williams, PhD, MEd, CA. and features guest panelists Sam Chestnut, Head of School, The Lippman School and Lieutenant Sarah Shendy, Case Western Reserve University Police Department

Agenda:
7:30am - Registration Opens
8:00am - Networking & Breakfast
8:20am - Announcements
8:30am - Presentations Begin

Price: $30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $15 Students, $15 Members-in-transition

Session Description: Join us on our quest for diversity and inclusion as we move into a time of sharing and caring during the winter holiday season. This session will include a broad stroke overview on the topic of diversity over the holidays with an emphasis on the Jewish and Muslim holidays and traditions, presented by our guest panelists. We will be joined by Sam Chestnut of The Lippman School and advocate for the Jewish community. Along with Lieutenant Sarah Shendy of Case Western Reserve University Police Department and advocate for women and the Muslim community. Bring your questions and leave the session with a richer understanding of diversity over the holiday season. Along with three practical takeaways to boost equity and inclusion in your workplace.

Speaker Bios: Dr Evelyn Williams, recently joined Global Ties Akron as Executive Director. She has a rich history of leadership experience with an emphasis on director and management roles in both the private and public sectors, managed community collaboration efforts, and oversight of cross-cultural and intergenerational projects on a local and international level. After founding and directing a local grassroot nonprofit that served youth and their families, locally and internationally, she obtained a Doctor of Public Health from Walden University and a Master of Education in Health Education and Promotion from Kent State University. Evelyn is credentialed at the Intermediate level with the National Advocate Credentialing Program and excelled as Director of Educational Services with the Victim Assistance Program, Summit County. She currently serves on the board of ATHENA Akron and the Society of Human Resources & Management of Akron, as DEI co-chair. She is a lifetime member of the Akron area, wife, and mother of nine. In her down time, she enjoys the outdoors and traveling.

Sarah Shendy is a police lieutenant with 17 years of law enforcement experience. She made history by being the first known Arab American Muslim female police lieutenant in the State of Ohio. Shendy was a Law Enforcement Training Officer with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for four years. In 2014, she was one of sixteen members selected by AG Mike DeWine to serve on a panel evaluating the training, certification, and advancement of law enforcement officers in the State of Ohio. Shendy earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice. In September of 2019, she participated in the ceremonial pitch at the Guardian’s game after being nominated as a Hometown Hero. A trailblazer, In June of 2020, she was appointed by Governor DeWine to be the inaugural Director of the Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment. Shendy has been featured with the Kent State University Magazine and twice featured with Police1.com. In December of 2021, she was named Top Cop by Summit County Prosecutor’s Office. She was also published in Police1’s 22 on 2022: A Police Leadership Playbook. In July 2022, Shendy was the recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 40 Under 40 Award. Globally, she was the only Arab American female amongst the forty award recipients. To document her unique journey in law enforcement, in 2023, Shendy was inducted into the National Arab American Museum. In March of 2024, she was announced as an award recipient for the Arab America 40 Under 40.

This year Sam Chestnut begins his 15th year as Head of The Lippman School, a multicultural Jewish Day School. Over this time the school has developed significant local, national, and international partnerships that have helped establish The Lippman School as an educational leader using Jewish values as a foundation for cross-cultural learning experiences.

In 2022 Sam assumed the additional role as the inaugural Chief Program Officer for JewishAkron to help our community develop meaningful programing in the Jewish community and with the many non-Jewish constituents they serve. In this role he works closely with all Jewish agencies in Akron including all three synagogues.

Sam is also founder and President of The Lodge Approach an educational non-profit that provides student and adult learning experiences with the Northern Cheyenne Nation.

Akron has been Sam’s home since graduating from Keyon College, B.A. History, and later the University of Akron, M.A. Education. He and his wife Jennifer raised their three children in Akron and they both attended The Lippman School and Firestone CLC.

2025 - December 10 - AASHRM Foundations Fundraiser Basket Raffle Luncheon

Join us for the next AASHRM Chapter Event

Akron Area SHRM is inviting you to our December luncheon featuring Jamie Lewis Smith.

Location: Guy’s Party Center / 500 E Waterloo Rd. / Akron, Oh 44319 Wine Room at House 330 / 532 W Market Street Akron OH 44303

Agenda:
11:30am - Registration Opens/Lunch
12:00 noon - Presentation Begins

Price:
$30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $15 Students, $15 Members-in-transition

Session Description:
Your Brain Can Be a Real Grinch: Overcoming Self-Sabotage for Career Success

Your brain can be a real Grinch. It steals your confidence, wraps you up in doubt, and convinces you that you’re not ready, not qualified, and not good enough. Sound familiar? The truth is, your brain isn’t broken. It’s simply wired for survival rather than success. But that so-called “protection” often robs you of your growth and potential, leaving your goals stuck on the shelf like an unopened gift.

In this high-energy, no-fluff session, we’ll unwrap the neuroscience of self-sabotage and shine a light on the mental traps that keep you stuck like last year’s tangled lights. You’ll discover how to rewire your brain for confidence and action with science-backed strategies and powerful brain hacks.

Walk away ready to silence your inner critic, sweep away self-doubt, and finally get out of your own way so you can step into the new year with clarity, courage, and momentum.

Learning Objectives:

Identify common cognitive traps that lead to self-sabotage.

Understand the neuroscience behind why we undermine ourselves.

Apply practical brain hacks to disrupt negative thought patterns and take action.

Speaker Bio: Jamie Lewis Smith, PhD is passionate about making managers suck less by helping them become empowering leaders! She is the founder and CEO of Pixel Leadership Group, a team of “nerdy, but fun” executive coaches, psychologists, and data analysts who are on a mission to bridge the gap between the science and practice of leadership. They offer a structured, data-driven methodology to coaching that can be applied at scale to drive exceptional employee and business outcomes. Jamie has spent her career as a human resources leader, coach, and advisor across private sector, nonprofit, and government agencies, with deep experience in the technology, education, and healthcare industries. She is a contributing member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a published author, and an international speaker on the topics of leadership, assessment, and employee retention.

2026- January 14 Chapter Meeting

Join us for the next AASHRM Chapter Event

Akron Area SHRM is inviting you to the January chapter event with speaker Renee West.

Guy’s Party Center / 500 E Waterloo Rd. / Akron, Oh 44319

Agenda:
7:30am - Registration Opens
8:00am - Networking & Breakfast
8:20am - Announcements
8:30am - Presentations Begin

Price:
$30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $15 Students, $15 Members-in-transition

Session Description: TBD

2026 - February 11 - Chapter Meeting

Join us for the next AASHRM Chapter Event!

Akron Area SHRM is inviting you to the February chapter event with speaker Casey Webster, presenting Game On: Turning Coaching Into Culture-Building Moments

Location:Guy’s Party Center / 500 E Waterloo Rd. / Akron, Oh 44319

Agenda:
7:30am - Registration Opens
8:00am - Networking & Breakfast
8:20am - Announcements
8:30am - Presentations Begin

Price:
$30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $15 Students, $15 Members-in-transition

Session Description:
What if every coaching conversation could strengthen culture instead of feeling like a checklist? In this interactive session, Casey Webster will show how HR leaders and managers can transform performance coaching into engaging, culture-building experiences. Drawing inspiration from sales playbooks, gamification, and AI, Casey introduces practical tools to make feedback more impactful, memorable, and fun. From conflict-resolution card games to AI-powered conversation prep, you’ll leave with strategies that help leaders coach with confidence, build stronger connections, and create a workplace where employees feel valued and inspired to grow.

Speaker Bio:
Casey Webster is the Founder & CEO of My HR Extension, an elite HR consulting firm specializing in leadership development, gamified training, and strategic people practices. With over 20 years of HR experience, Casey blends sales, marketing, and HR strategies to help organizations attract, retain, and engage high-performing teams. Known for replacing dull, compliance-driven training with innovative games and experiences, she equips leaders to inspire lasting behavior change and build thriving workplace cultures.

Save the Date! 2026 February 26th - Happy Hour / Networking Event

Join us for the next AASHRM Happy Hour / Networking Event

Location: TBD

No need to register - just come out and network with your AASHRM Colleagues.

AASHRM Happy Hour; Guests are encouraged to come/go as they wish anytime.

Save the Date! 2026 April 23rd - Happy Hour / Networking Event

Join us for the next AASHRM Happy Hour / Networking Event

Location: TBD

No need to register - just come out and network with your AASHRM Colleagues.

AASHRM Happy Hour; Guests are encouraged to come/go as they wish anytime.

Save the Date! 2026 July 23rd - Happy Hour / Networking Event

Join us for the next AASHRM Happy Hour / Networking Event

Location: TBD

No need to register - just come out and network with your AASHRM Colleagues.

AASHRM Happy Hour; Guests are encouraged to come/go as they wish anytime.

Save the Date! 2026 October 22nd - Happy Hour / Networking Event

Join us for the next AASHRM Happy Hour / Networking Event

Location: TBD

No need to register - just come out and network with your AASHRM Colleagues.

AASHRM Happy Hour; Guests are encouraged to come/go as they wish anytime.