Rollins Staff Attend CUPA-HR Conference

Director of Benefits and Well-Being Jennifer Addleman, Lord Family Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs-Community Micki Meyer, and Director of Talent Management David Zajchowski recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) Spring Conference.

Zajchowski—who serves as the chair of CUPA-HR’s Southern Region Board of Directors—hosted the conference, which focused on creating solutions to today’s complex higher-education issues. CUPA-HR provides leadership on higher-education workplace issues by monitoring trends, conducting research, and promoting strategic discussions among colleges and universities.

Zajchowski received an award recognizing his service as the 2018-19 chair of CUPA-HR’s Southern Region Board, while Addleman—who serves as the president of CUPA-HR’s Florida chapter—was the inaugural recipient of the 2019 Southern Region Chapter Excellence Award. She was acknowledged for making a significant impact through her commitment to CUPA-HR and to the higher-education HR community.

“One of the things I love most about CUPA-HR conferences is the feeling of community,” says Zajchowski. “Here you find people who get it. They understand the opportunities and challenges of being an HR professional in higher ed, and they’re happy to lend an ear or share what’s working on their campuses. The sessions are fantastic, but it’s the people we meet who bring a sense of shared purpose to our professional world.”

Both Addleman and Meyer were featured panelists along with Traevena Byrd, vice president of American University, and Nicholas Jones, provost of Penn State, and other thought leaders in higher education. Meyer spoke about campus culture, change fatigue, and increasing regulatory and legal burdens on college campuses and how to address these challenges to create and sustain an engaged, motivated workforce focused on the student experience. Addleman discussed the importance of mindfulness and outlined strategies for centering, reflection, and meditation in the workplace.