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AGRU America recently hosted the first meeting of the HR coalition at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The coalition consists of professionals interested in collaborating to solve regional HR challenges.
Jody Reed, human resources business partner at AGRU America, suggested creating an HR coalition for the Georgetown area and collaborated with HR manager Candy Bonura and HR specialist Holly Wheeler to execute the idea. The AGRU human resources and marketing departments made this collaboration possible with the assistance of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.
“In our field, we are always creating solutions, tools, and safeguards for our coworkers so they can safely and efficiently clock in and work every day,” Reed said. “HR employees often forget to put their oxygen masks on first. This coalition will not only allow HR employees to share solutions their companies have utilized but will allow us to solve problems together. We can share perspectives and become allies for each other.”
The coalition intends to gather monthly, with companies rotating as the host. Each meeting will consist of pre-selected topic presentations and potential guest speakers, and it will share solutions and resources that every member can use at their companies.
“We all will face the same problem, the unexpected,” said Vicki Delaney, corporate administrator at AGRU America. “The human component of human resources makes our jobs and the problems we must solve unpredictable. This coalition allows members of the Georgetown community, who are involved in any capacity with HR, to have a collaborative space to solve these problems and help one another. Ultimately, we hope that the HR coalition will support the continued development of our region’s workforce.”
The first meeting consisted of 22 participants, including the AGRU HR department, with sights set on growing. Members Tonia Appel and Vincent Myers presented on Apprenticeship Carolina, a program built to help companies provide apprenticeship programs for a stronger workforce. Future meetings will feature other speakers sharing more resources available to companies.
The coalition emphasizes the importance of bringing companies of all sizes together. For these companies, the coalition has the potential to provide resources to not only assist in knowledge of standard human resource practices but also provide a community of allies when problems occur.
“I am pleased that AGRU America has come together with other industries in our community to share knowledge, connections, and resources,” said Robert L. Johnson, President/CEO at AGRU America. “As a company that did not always have the privilege of a focused HR department, we understand the value the HR Coalition can bring to other companies. I want to thank Vincent Myers, the workforce development team at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, and AGRU America’s HR department for making this coalition possible.”
Learn more about AGRU America here.