So Long New Orleans... Thanks for the Memories!

Gathered around a conference table were HR employees from Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina,  and Tennessee. Each came of their own free will donating their time to an organization that had Higher Education Human Resources as it's core. Each institution represented showcased the landscape of Higher Education from Large Research Institutions to Private Institutions to Small Public Institutions but at this table all were seen as equal with voices to be heard.

The year was 2012 and the Southern Region Board of CUPA-HR had selected New Orleans, LA as the site for their 2014 Annual Conference. The site had been masterfully chosen and after much deliberation New Orleans was the final choice.


Most conference attendees don't realize the meticulous details that have to be decided for each conference to be conducted. If the Region Board and National Office have done their jobs most conference attendees will have a great experience and never realize the time and effort that has gone into the conference planning and execution. Wrapping up the 2014 SR CUPA-HR conference, I am sitting in the hotel gazing out of the window at the New Orleans skyline and feel content in that we have achieved our goals. I will fly out of New Orleans tomorrow with a completed task.

Each year the individuals on the board work tirelessly to make each Keynote, Corporate Partner, Concurrent Session, Meal and Event have a lasting impression. Although every effort is made to make sure the Host City is 'drawable' for the masses, the primary goal of each SR CUPA-HR Annual Conference is to provide the most up-to-date, well-informed, Human Resources information in an engaging manner that leaves attendees with great ideas for their respective campuses. After each session, feedback is assessed and reviewed and used to create an even better conference experience the following year. Nothing at the conference is done without purpose!

As we conclude this year's annual conference I think back to the many great sessions I attended and the great information I was able to glean from the speakers. Another great part of these conferences is the feeling of familiarity and cohesion we have with our HR counterparts from across the region. We find that we are all dealing with similar issues and networking opportunities have allowed us to gain best practices from each other to hopefully implement in our home institution.

I have had my beignet's and coffee. I have had my share of seafood gumbo, etouffee, crawfish and bread pudding. It's time to say 'so long' to this great city and start the further planning for next year's conference in Nashville, TN. Thank you New Orleans for being such a gracious host.

laissez bon temp rouler (Let the Good Times Roll!)

jamie