Mississippi SHRM

08/24/2026

We love hearing what our students take away from the MS SHRM Conference!

Caitlyn Jackson with the Mississippi College SHRM Collegiate Chapter shared how this experience filled both her notebook and her heart with new ideas, meaningful connections, and inspiration to put what she learned into action.

Investing in the next generation of HR leaders is one of the most important things we can do, and we can’t wait to see where Caitlyn and all of our student attendees go from here!

08/21/2026

WOW! What an honor for our Mississippi SHRM State Director, Brenda Barron, to be featured on the cover of HR Professionals Magazine!

And we’re not sure we’ve ever seen a better cover! ❤️

Brenda leads Mississippi SHRM with passion, heart, and a genuine commitment to the HR professionals across our state. We are so thankful for her leadership, the way she pours into others, and everything she does to make Mississippi SHRM stronger.

Congratulations, Brenda! We are so proud to see you representing Mississippi HR on the cover!

08/12/2026

Thank you for coming and learning with us! Your future is bright!!

Our students are always gaining real-world experience and building valuable professional connections.

This month, Kate Stockstill and Nathan Winter represented Southern Miss Business at the Mississippi SHRM Conference. Over the course of several days, they learned from industry leaders and connected with HR professionals and fellow students from across the state.

Kate and Nathan are both seniors in the Human Resources Management program.

08/09/2026

A couple more shoutouts before we officially close the books on HR Royale!

Arches & More Event Rentals LLC — Thanks for keeping our decorations POPPIN’!

DJ Hyphee — Thanks for keeping our dance floor HOPPIN’!

You both brought the fun and helped make MS SHRM 2026 one to remember. We appreciate you!

08/07/2026

It takes an incredible team to create an incredible conference.

As we wrap up MS SHRM 2026, we simply want to say thank you to the people who spent months planning, preparing, promoting, solving problems, answering questions, setting up, tearing down, and doing a thousand things behind the scenes so our attendees could have an unforgettable experience.

A special thank you to our Conference Leadership Team:
• Conference Chair – Misty McCraw
• Conference Co-Chairs – Kimberly Opiela, Julianis Wade, and Brooke Meeks

Thank you to our Mississippi State Council:
• Brenda Barron
• Misty McCraw
• Cynthia Black
• Sheila Farr
• Adrienne Morris
• Jacquelyn Mack
• Brooke Meeks
• Charlotte Pratt
• JoJo Adams
• Julianis Wade
• Susan Hadaway
• Loretta Phillips
• Dusti VanCourt
• Melissa Robbins
• Christopher Brown
• Shonda Kines
• Jennifer Stewart

And thank you to our Chapter Presidents:
• Loretta Phillips
• Melissa Drennan
• Misty McCraw
• Kimberly Johnson
• Megan Prather
• Kimberly Opiela

To every volunteer, leader, committee member, sponsor, speaker, and supporter—thank you. Your leadership, creativity, teamwork, and countless volunteer hours made HR Royale such a success. From planning and promotion to registration, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, logistics, and every little detail in between, this conference would not have been possible without you.

Mississippi SHRM is stronger because of people who are willing to serve, lead, and give their time to make our profession better. We are grateful for each of you and proud of what we accomplished together. Thank you for making MS SHRM 2026 one to remember!

08/06/2026

The memories are officially HERE!

From inspiring keynote moments and packed breakout sessions to new friendships, laughter, celebrations, and everything in between—MS SHRM 2026 was one for the books.

We’ve uploaded ALL the conference photos, so grab your favorites, tag your friends and coworkers, and keep the HR Royale memories going.

Thank you for making this our biggest and most exciting conference yet. We can’t wait to see your favorite moments!

08/06/2026

What. A. Week.

HR Royale 2026 delivered in every way. Incredible speakers. Meaningful connections. New ideas. Big laughs. And a room full of HR professionals committed to making workplaces better across Mississippi and beyond.

A huge thank you to our outstanding Main Stage speakers: John Bernatovicz
George Rogers
Julie Develin
Chris Vasami

And to our incredible Breakout Session speakers:
Michael Puck
Callie Roberson
JoJo Adams
Jocelyn Singer-Sargent
Kellye Smith
Scott Brewster
LaToya Merritt
Dawn Smith
Kollin Napier
Doug Allen
Lance Hill
Constance Caesar
Chandler Boy
Tien Ryan
JP McDonald
Scott Waller
Kimberly McRoy
Sandy Crist

Thank you to every speaker, sponsor, exhibitor, volunteer, and attendee who made this our biggest and best MS SHRM Conference yet.

Until next year, keep leading, keep learning, and keep shaping the future of HR. We’ll see you at MS SHRM 2027!

08/06/2026

That’s a wrap on HR Royale!

What an unforgettable three days! Thank you, Mississippi, for bringing your energy, excitement, engagement, and passion for our profession. You showed up ready to learn, connect, laugh, and invest in making workplaces across our state even better.

From incredible keynote speakers and breakout sessions to networking, celebrations, and countless memories, this conference was one for the books. Every conversation, every volunteer, every sponsor, every speaker, and every attendee helped make HR Royale our biggest and best conference yet.

Thank you for letting us be part of your journey. We hope you leave inspired, energized, and ready to take what you’ve learned back to your organizations.

Until next year… thank you for making absolutely unforgettable. We hope you had safe travels home, and we’ll see you soon!

08/05/2026

Once again, Dawn delivered!

Your professional headshots and HR Royale red carpet photos are now available! Click the link below or scan the QR code to download your favorites.

https://dawnvgilmorevipphoto.pixieset.com/shrm2026/

MS SHRM… y’all are looking GOOD!

A huge thank you to Dawn V Gilmore Photography!