Email: Members@shrmmembersfortransparency.com Website: www.shrmmembersfortransparency.

com

January 10, 2011

To: SHRM 2010 and 2011 State Council and Regional Directors
From: SHRM Members for Transparency
Subject: SHRM Issues of Concern

Many of you attended the recent SHRM Leadership Conference in Arlington, Virginia. 1

Prior to that meeting as an attendee, you probably received an email from SHRM’s then Chair of the Board
of Directors, Mr. Robb Van Cleave. In that e-mail, he warned that a “… small group of disgruntled
members who wish to remain anonymous” may try to interrupt the Leadership Conference.

Subsequently, at the conference other derogatory comments were made in reference to our efforts to
reinforce transparency in the governance of our Society.

We are that “small group of disgruntled members…” We were asked by SHRM not to interfere with SHRM’s
Leadership Conference, which was never our intention, and we did not do so. Now we write you in your
critically important role as a State Council and/or Regional Director to make it clear who we are and why
we have created the SHRM Members for Transparency.

SHRM MEMBERS FOR TRANSPARENCY

Former Chairs of the SHRM

Board of Directors
Former SHRM National, HRCI and SHRM Foundation Board
Chairs, members, SHRM state and local volunteer leaders
Merle Alvis, SPHR Gerry Crispin, SPHR Thomas Little, SPHR
Neal Bondy, SPHR Cathy Fyock, SPHR, CSP Arthur (Arte) Nathan, SPHR
John Blodger, SPHR John Goodwin, SPHR Tim Orellano, PHR
Chuck Gallagher, SPHR Keith Greene, SPHR Steve Rice, SPHR
Bruce Ellig, SPHR Hank Hennessey, Ph.D, SPHR Michael Rogers SPHR
Gary Howard, SPHR Arthur Hershey Fran Sincere, SPHR
David Hutchins, SPHR Marilyn Hoppen, SPHR Sue Tempero, SPHR
Elmer Jackson III, SPHR Alan M. Jaramillo, SPHR Susan Warner, SPHR, Esq
Tom Kelley, SPHR
Wanda Lee, SPHR
Kathleen McComber, SPHR
Kathryn McKee, SPHR
James Parkel, SPHR Former Presidents and CEOs
Jerry Sellentin, SPHR Michael Losey, SPHR, CAE
Ommy Strauch, SPHR Ronald Pilenzo, SPHR, Ph.D
Jim Skaggs, SPHR
Jim Ware. SPHR
1
If you did not attend this year’s SHRM Leadership Conference but the 2011 State Council Director or some other representative
from your state did attend, please ensure that this correspondence is forwarded to your appropriate state representative and please
inform us of that person’s name and email.
Note: Many members of SHRM’s Regional, State and Chapter network, SHRM members at large, and even
SHRM employees have also contributed to identifying and validating the work of the SHRM Members for
Transparency.

The only thing correct about Mr. Van Cleave’s statement is that we are (intentionally) a small select group.
We are neither “disgruntled” nor have we been anonymous. SHRM officials know exactly who we are.

We also want you to know that all the issues we shall share with you have previously been shared with
SHRM Board officials. SHRM officials suggest some of our content is inaccurate and have refused to meet
with us to discuss any issues. In addition, we have asked those SHRM representatives, and specifically
their legal counsel, repeatedly, to identify any inaccuracies and told them we would voluntarily make any
necessary corrections. Despite our many requests to identify any inaccuracies, the SHRM officials have
refused to do so. The only response was that if we shared our issues about SHRM Governance with you,
they threatened to take legal action against us. We are dumbfounded that SHRM could make such a threat
against the loyal SHRM members of our group who represent greater than one thousand two hundred
years of SHRM membership and service. Particularly repugnant are their threats against the large number
of Past Chairs of the Board of Directors that have served the Society’s interests for decades.

We believe that we, like you, as SHRM members, have the inherent right to speak to other members about
shared SHRM interests. This is the way it should be in any democratically administered professional
society. We resent greatly the current administration’s efforts to threaten us, distort our intentions and
other efforts to keep us from bringing to your attention, as a critical Regional or State Director, important
issues that we believe should be brought to your attention. We, therefore, invite you to review the
attached document to learn what is of concern to us..

Likewise, we believe others on your state’s council, need to know and discuss these issues. Therefore, we
encourage you to make these issues an agenda item for your next State and/or Regional meeting. We
would appreciate knowing if your state council agrees with us that the issues summarized in the attached
should be addressed by the SHRM Board of Directors.

Please understand this may be the last opportunity for all of us to try to influence important changes
within our beloved Society. As you shall see from the attached, our group has been fighting for Board
transparency and meaningful change for a longtime. However, our appeals for change have been met by
the SHRM Board with threats; the withholding of important information and other disturbing actions. It
seems they simply do not want our issues to see the light of day.

We hoped these important issues could be addressed discreetly and without the possible consequences of
wholesale member involvement and negative public exposure. Regrettably, by the Board’s choice not to
communicate, that will not be the case. To make the necessary changes, the only option left now is for
SHRM’s formal Regional and State organizations to advance these issues or these initiatives will die. The
large number of Past SHRM Chairs, President and CEOs, former officials of HRCI and the SHRM Foundation
and other very distinguished and senior volunteer members can continue to provide assistance, but now
we need a “grass roots” effort.

Again, here is how you, as a former 2010 or current 2011 Regional/State Council Director, can help.
1. Please review the attached Word copy of our website’s content for SHRM State and Region
officials.
2. Please coordinate the review of this information with all members of your state’s 2011 State
Council.
3. We are confident you will agree these issues are important enough to justify adding this subject to
your next SHRM state and/or regional meeting.
4. Either forward the Word copy of our website to your state, chapter and regional members or refer
them to our new website we have developed for state, chapter and regional SHRM officials. (See:
www.shrmmembersfortransparency.com).
5. This website is currently limited to SHRM state and Chapter and Regional Board members and
regional volunteer officials. There is a common username and password for all SHRM volunteers
at this state, chapter and regional level. They are:

Username: Shrmmembersfortransparency
Password: Transparency101
 Please note, they are case sensitive
 Feel free to share these access codes with this group of volunteers.
 Continuing updates will be available on our SHRM Members for Transparency
website, www.shrmmembersfortransparency.com.

SHRM Members for Transparency is organized into the same five regions that SHRM maintains.
Feel free to contact your region’s Transparency representative for any questions, suggestions or
feedback.

6. Our regional Transparency representatives are:

Pacific West Region:

                       Kathryn (Kathy) McKee, SPHR
Chair of the SHRM Board of Directors 1991
                        Email:    kmckee3730@cox.net
                        Telephone (805) 682-9810

North Central Region:

                       David Hutchins, SPHR
                       Chair of the SHRM Board of Directors, 2003-2004
                       Email: david.hutchins@usfed.org
                        Telephone: (952) 736-5323.

Southwest Central Region:

                       Kathleen McComber, SPHR
Chair of the SHRM Board of Directors, 1998
                       Email: mccomberkathleenh@uams.edu
                       Telephone: (501) 686-5302

Northeast Region:
Susan Warner, SPHR, Esq
Founder & Advisory Board, Southeastern PA Chapter
Email: hrtroubleshooters@prodigy.net
Telephone: (215) 469-4746

Southeast Region:
                       Ronald Pilenzo, Ph.D, SPHR
                       SHRM President, 1980 - 1990
                       Email: jazzpiano@aol.com
                       Telephone: (772) 219-2355

7. Or, you can contact our SHRM Members for Transparency group directly at any time to answer
your questions and to give us your feedback. Merely email
Members@shrmmembersfortransparency.com.
8. Feel free also to copy our group on any correspondence you feel is appropriate for us to know.
Merely write to your regional representative above and/or use our
Members@shrmmembersfortransparency.com email address.
 Most importantly, to proceed with our efforts, we need to know if your State Council is supportive of
our efforts to review the current Board policies and practices identified. Please give us your response
by no later than February 15, 2011.

Thank you for your consideration.

We await your response.

SHRM Members for Transparency