Our History

SHRM Portage County began in the fall of 1966 under the leadership of Russell Shuster from Lamb Electric, Division of Ametek of Kent, J. Arthur White, General Electric Ravenna Division and James L. Oster, Samuel Moore Company of Mantua as the Portage County Personnel and Industrial Relations Management Association (PCPIRM)

PCPIRM submitted an application for affiliation to the American Society for Personnel Administration (ASPA) and was approved on May 21st 1967 as Region IV, Chapter #089 affiliate member. In 1989, ASPA became the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

In November of 2005, under the leadership of Claudia Amrhein, PARTA, PCPIRM applied to the State of Ohio as a formal business entity operating under the name Portage County Human Resources and, in 2010, requesting 501 (c) (6) status; changing the name to Portage County Human Resource Association (PCHRA).  Although our legal entity remains, we are now operating under the brand name SHRM Portage County.

Our Purpose

SHRM Portage County has proudly served HR professionals throughout the area since its inception. We strive to provide relevant HR education | training, networking, and opportunities to serve the community and profession.  In addition, our chapter is proud to serve as a mentoring organization for the Kent State University HR Association.  

Ask a Colleague Exchange

The SHRM Portage County "Ask a Colleague" exchange is a blog type service offered to chapter members seeking collaboration and feedback on an HR topic. This service allows members to interact without disclosing personal email addresses. The service is driven by a 3rd party software provider. To launch a question, select this link and you will be directed to the Ask a Colleague page on the Gaggle site.