Edison State to Host Summer Symposium for HR Professionals

The Office of Workforce Development & Work-Based Learning at Edison State Community College will host the 2023 Summer Symposium for HR Professionals on Thursday, August 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Edison State’s Piqua Campus. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. 

This one-day conference will help attendees discover how to address current and future challenges in employee well-being, recruiting and retention strategies, and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to network with other professionals. 

The event will feature a keynote address provided by Christina Ryan Claypool titled “A Conversation with Christina—Inspiring Thoughts for HR Professionals.” 

Claypool is a past $10,000 National Army and Ohio APME award-winning freelance journalist and inspirational speaker. She is also a five-time “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book contributor. 

A former TV producer/reporter for WTLW-TV 44 in west-central Ohio, Claypool freelanced for decades for newspapers and regional magazines. She authored several books, the latest of which, “Secrets of the Pastor’s Wife: A Novel,” is both an inspiring and entertaining fictional read. 

Claypool believes the initial support of other professionals despite her challenging background, along with writing and sharing her journey to encourage others, has enabled her to survive and live a beautiful, one-day-at-a-time life. The “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Attitude of Gratitude” book released in August 2022 contains her true account of one mentor’s help in her beginning the road to recovery from addiction when she was a young single mom. 

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Bluffton University and a Master of Arts from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she formerly served as an adjunct instructor in the communications department. She has spoken at conferences, seminars, banquets, women’s meetings and civic groups, churches, and Ohio prisons, among other venues. 

Participants will also hear from other industry professionals. The program includes: 

• “Talking Talent” from Katy Zimpfer
• “Employment Law Updates and Other Things for Employers to Keep in Mind” from Colleen Gong
• “Neurodiversity at Work” from Cynthia Crews
• A panel discussion titled “Talent Development and Retention Strategies”

Edison State is recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP. 

The conference is made possible by sponsor HR Association of Western Ohio (HRAWO).

Event registration is now open. The cost to attend is $99 per person. Register by visiting www.edisonohio.edu/summer. For more information, email Trisha Elliott or call 937.778.7811.