Sharpen your focus. Find your blind spots. Take control.

These were the themes that remained at the forefront of this year’s Annual Conference hosted by the SHRMLV, the Lehigh Valley, PA chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

The conference— HR 20/20 Vision: Sharpen Your Focus, Find Your Blind Spots & Take Control— brought human resources professionals from across the Lehigh Valley to ArtsQuest in Bethlehem for discussion, collaborative learning, and other engaging activities designed to help drive success in the workplace.

Among those in attendance was Jennifer Tornetta, HR Business Partner at the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF).

The conference began on Tuesday, October 7, where Jennifer had the opportunity to listen to opening remarks from SHRMLV Chapter President, Natalie Sullivan, who set a powerful tone for the two-day conference. Her message spoke to the character of those in the audience, sharing they were more than just their profession— but people who made the time to focus on personal growth.  

Day one’s agenda also included keynote speakers Rob Cordova and Dana Scarcella, along with a thoughtful presentation by Leon John Jr, PhD, who spoke about mitigating implicit bias and microaggressions— empowering HR reps to address potentially uncomfortable situations that can arise in the hiring process and beyond.

The second day of the conference brought more discussion, more speakers, and more networking!

On Wednesday, October 8, Michael Cohen, Esq kicked things off with a legal review of workplace harassment, referencing official guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Justice (DOJ).

Jake Sitman, Esq, Dave Steckel, Esq, and Westley Morris also joined day two’s lineup— covering topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace today and practical strategies that can be implemented by human resources leaders everywhere.

When asked what Jennifer enjoyed most about taking part in this event, she shared that it reinforced her commitment to continuously evolve as an HR professional— to challenge bias, embrace innovation responsibly, and strengthen the trust-based culture that exists at NEIF.

“I plan to apply all of these insights to further shape NEIF’s people strategy by fostering open dialogue, human-centered leadership, and engagement practices that empower our team to grow and drive meaningful impact,” she said.

NEIF looks forward to putting these lessons into action— as it continues to build an environment where employees feel valued, partners feel supported, and every interaction makes an impact.