Chapter Chatter
Sept 1, 2026
Upcoming Meeting
Join us for a morning of contemporary legal info provided by one of BNHRA's Strategic Partners. Hodgson Russ LLP will provide a timely employment law update and answer questions from the audience on changes and how you can best apply them to your workplace.
A hot breakfast will be provided.
Attorneys Kinsey O'Brien and John Godwin from Hodgson Russ LLP
Event Schedule:
8:00 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. Check in / Breakfast
8:20 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Program
Cost: $40.00 BNHRA Member | $45.00 Future Members | $25.00 BNHRA Student Member
BNHRA is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities. This program is valid for 1.5 PDC for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.
This program has been pre-approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)
cast your vote! Equity in Action Leadership Forum and DEIA Awards
At BNHRA, our commitment is to advance workplaces and strengthen communities — and through that commitment, the Diversity Committee is proud to host:
The Equity in Action Leadership Forum
🗳️ Cast your vote and help us recognize leaders making real impact
📅 Save the Date
Equity in Action Leadership Forum
Advancing Workplaces. Strengthening Communities.
Featuring DEIA Awards
📍 Northland Training Center
📅 October 22, 2026
🕣 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Tickets are $39.99 each.
new SHRM series:HR Pathways & Perspectives
Sept 23, 2026: Global HR
Oct 22, 2026: Inclusion & Belonging
Nov 18, 2026: Talent Acquisition
Dec 15, 2026: Emerging HR Trends
Free virtual sessions. All are welcome!
Sept 28-30 SHRM New York State Annual Conference 2026
For the first time in 13 years, the SHRM New York State Conference will be held in Buffalo!
Looking to be a sponsor? Check out this year's sponsor guide and send us a message to learn more about 2026 options!
deiA monthly newsletter:
View the Aug 2026 DEIA Newsletter here
diversity spotlight
owner & president
HerHR Solutions, LLC
In what ways does your company create an inclusive culture where employees feel seen, valued, and heard?
One of the founding values of HerHR Solutions is remembering the human element when it comes to human resources. It is acknowledging differences, and being mindful of everyone's unique backgrounds and experiences, and how those can help create a workplace culture that is fit for EVERYONE and EVERYONE feels safe and valued. I pride myself on providing custom and unique solutions for my clients as not all organizations are the same, and not all employees are the same. The application then of HR should not be the same.
Read more.
HR Mentors Needed!
You probably have had a mentor (maybe even more than one!) in your career. If you have, you know what even one hour a month of advice and support from an expert can do. Think about how much that has shaped your success, and how much you could impact the success of someone else going into HR.
SHRM and SHRM Foundation are looking for dedicated HR professionals who have a passion for helping the next generation of HR leaders excel and succeed as they prepare to launch a career in HR. We are looking for mentors to work one-on-one with a SHRM student member for approximately 1 hour a month for three months. The maximum time commitment is four to eight hours (over the course of three months) and you could earn 3 PDCs!
Mentorship is a key way you can support the next generation of HR professionals and help them thrive.
certification prep
SHRM NYS Certification Preparation Program 2026
Oct 3 - Dec 12, 2026
SHRM New York State is offering a virtual certification preparation course. The facilitator, Matt Burr, will lead participants through 11 weeks of material to prepare students to take the SHRM Certification Exam.
The class will meet on Saturdays from 9am-12pm EST between October 3, 2026 - December 12, 2026. The cost for the course is $1,000 per person and the class can accommodate 15 students.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Matthew Burr at [email protected]
To access, simply log in as a member. Not a member yet? Learn more about joining here or reach out to our Membership Director at [email protected]
DAEMEN OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR BNHRA MEMBERS!
Daemen University is offering BNHRA Members a Discount on select Graduate programs! Please click HERE to learn more!
Legal Update: Phillips Lytle LLP Alert for BNHRA Members: Labor & Employment
EEOC Rescinds Pair of Affirmative Action Guidance Documents
Written By: James R. O’Connor, July 1, 2026
Decision is in Line with EEOC’s New National Enforcement Plan
Employers with voluntary affirmative action plans should take note. On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it has rescinded several decades-old guidance documents relating to voluntary workplace affirmative action plans.
The now-rescinded documents include a 1979 interpretative rule called “Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” which outlined how employers could lawfully deploy affirmative action plans. The EEOC also struck a section of its compliance manual that was adopted in 1981—Section 607–which included a lengthy discussion about how affirmative action plans could be legally implemented. Continue reading here
Read past Legal Update articles HERE
Corporate Membership Spotlight
Say Yes Buffalo was established in 2011 by a diverse group of community leaders to strengthen the Western New York economy by investing in the education of Buffalo’s future workforce. The mission of the Say Yes Buffalo partnership is to remove barriers to educational attainment, workforce participation and economic mobility for students in public and charter schools in Buffalo, NY. Read more
Sponsorship Opportunities
Are you looking for more ways to get involved in the BNHRA and reach out to the BNHRA Community? The BNHRA offers a variety of ways to become a sponsor:
Website Sponsorships:
- Website Logo Sponsorship
- BNHRA Home Page Sponsorship
- Career Center Page Sponsorship
- Sponsorship of an Individual Website Page
Program Sponsorships:
- Program Featured Sponsor
- General Meeting Sponsor
- Vendor Table
- Sponsorship of Dessert and Coffee at a Dinner Meeting
- Sponsorship of Social/Networking Event
Learn more about the Sponsorship Options here!
In Transition Memberships
Do you know of fellow HR professionals who are currently in between jobs? If so, please let them know BNHRA offers a NO cost In Transition membership package that includes our Goodwill Fund, sponsored by StaffBuffalo & HRBuffalo!
In-transition Committee
The In-transition Committee connects BNHRA members that are currently in-transition and also those seeking a new employment opportunity with one another, as well as services in the community such as training, career coaching, and networking. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Cathy Lanzalaco at [email protected]
Helpful Resources
Check out our updated In-Transition page HERE
If you are a current SHRM member who is in a job transition, you may request a 3 to 6 month membership extension by emailing [email protected] within 30 days prior to your membership expiration date.
