Manchester Area Human Resources Association

That’s a wrap on our 2025/2026 MAHRA program year!

What an incredible year it has been — filled with meaningful programs, engaging events, valuable networking, and so many moments of connection and community.

A huge thank you to the MAHRA Board of Directors for once again knocking it out of the park. Your time, energy, and dedication continue to make such a meaningful impact.

We are also incredibly grateful to our Corporate and Program Sponsors for their continued support. These fantastic events would not be possible without your partnership.

And to our members — thank you. You are the heartbeat of our community and the “why” behind all that we do.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back at our Kickoff Event on September 17!

Have a wonderful summer, and be well.

Tonight is the night and the weather looks A-MAZING!

Don't miss the FINAL event of our program year!

One final event. One final opportunity to connect before summer.

Join us at the beautiful Oscar Barn Venue for an evening of connection, conversation, and celebration as we wrap up another incredible year together. Enjoy post-work networking, cocktails (or mocktails), and meaningful discussions with fellow HR professionals before we head into summer.

✨Workshop:
Both/And HR: The Power of Holding Tension Instead of Picking Sides

As people leaders, we're often asked to solve challenges by choosing one side or the other—flexibility or structure, data or intuition, hierarchy or autonomy. But what if the best answer isn't either/or?

In this interactive session, we'll explore how to navigate the tensions that naturally exist in organizations and learn practical tools for moving from polarized thinking to balanced, effective solutions. You'll leave with fresh insights, actionable strategies, and language you can immediately use with leaders and teams.

This is the perfect way to close out the year—learning, networking, and celebrating with your HR community.

Register today—we'd love to see you there!
Join Kate Soucise https://www.joydrivenconsulting.com/ for a MAHRA both/and event- an interactive program followed by networking! https://mahra.org/event-6516187

🎉🚀 BIG NEWS, FRIENDS! 🚀🎉

We're thrilled to announce the MAHRA Membership Drive, proudly sponsored by Pivot Creative Management!

Whether you're a seasoned people leader, new to the profession, or somewhere in between, there's never been a better time to join the region's premier people and business leader community.

✨ Expand your network
✨ Learn from industry experts
✨ Gain valuable resources and support
✨ Connect with HR professionals who truly understand your challenges
✨ Invest in your growth and career

And because every great membership drive deserves a little fun, we'll be sharing opportunities, incentives, and exciting ways to get involved throughout the campaign!

Know someone who would benefit from being part of MAHRA? Tag them below, invite a colleague, or share this post to help us grow our incredible community.

Together, let's continue building connections, developing leaders, and advancing the people and business leaders across our region.

📣 Join MAHRA. Grow your network. Elevate your impact.

Stay tuned for membership drive details and opportunities to win along the way!

🚨 Last Chance to Register! 🚨

Don't miss the FINAL event of our program year!

Join us at the beautiful Oscar Barn Venue for an evening of connection, conversation, and celebration as we wrap up another incredible year together. Enjoy post-work networking, cocktails (or mocktails), and meaningful discussions with fellow people and business leaders before we head into summer.

✨ Featured Session:
**Both/And HR: The Power of Holding Tension Instead of Picking Sides**

As people leasers, we're often asked to solve challenges by choosing one side or the other—flexibility or structure, data or intuition, hierarchy or autonomy. But what if the best answer isn't either/or?

In this interactive session, we'll explore how to navigate the tensions that naturally exist in organizations and learn practical tools for moving from polarized thinking to balanced, effective solutions. You'll leave with fresh insights, actionable strategies, and language you can immediately use with leaders and teams.

This is the perfect way to close out the year—learning, networking, and celebrating with your HR community.

🎉 One final event. One final opportunity to connect before summer.

Register today—we'd love to see you there!

HUGE thank you to our program sponsor Trivantus

Join Kate Soucise https://www.joydrivenconsulting.com/ for a MAHRA both/and event- an interactive program followed by networking! https://mahra.org/event-6516187

Don’t miss the FINAL event of the program year!

Join us at the beautiful Oscar Barn Venue for an evening of post-work collaboration, cocktails (or mocktails), and great conversation as we wrap up an incredible year together.

Let’s celebrate, connect, and head into summer with a bang!

This is one event you won’t want to miss!

Both/And HR: The power of holding tension instead of picking sides

How many times has your organization swung from one extreme to the other? Rigid structure to total flexibility. Data obsession to gut decisions. Flat teams to steep hierarchy. And how many times have you, as an HR professional, been asked to "fix it" by pushing everyone to the opposite side?

Here's what we've gotten wrong: most of our toughest challenges aren't problems to solve. They're paradoxes to manage.

In this highly interactive session, we'll explore the concept of polarities (what Brené Brown calls "paradox" in her new book Strong Ground) and discover why trying to eliminate tension often makes things worse. Together, we'll identify the polarities showing up in your organizations, map them using a simple visual tool, and practice introducing "nudges" that help you get the best of both sides instead of swinging wildly between them.

You'll walk away with practical language and tools to use with your leaders, helping your organization move from either/or thinking to both/and solutions. Because the goal isn't to pick a side. It's to stand in the tension and leverage what both sides offer.

Join Kate Soucise https://www.joydrivenconsulting.com/ for a MAHRA both/and event- an interactive program followed by networking! https://mahra.org/event-6516187

Still thinking about attending? There's still time to register!

Join us tomorrow at the Bedford Event Center for an afternoon of great content, great people, and great conversations. If you're looking to learn, connect, and expand your network, this is one you won't want to miss.

We are excited to partner with the Greater Manchester Chamber - NH and support Business Unboxed presented by ACCESS! Earn SHRM and HRCI credits while connecting with community members and leaders!

Register here: https://ow.ly/esLF50Z1iX1

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT!

Kate Soucise helps leaders and teams fall in love with their work and working together. As Founder of Joy Driven Consulting, she brings 15+ years of HR and organizational development expertise from companies like Novartis, Vertex, Bottomline Technologies, and Apellis Pharmaceuticals.

Serving both corporate and non-profit/faith-based organizations, Kate’s approach is different. Instead of focusing on what’s broken, she amplifies what’s already working. With a Master's in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she’s led teams through rapid growth, restructuring, and transformation

But credentials only tell part of the story. Kate’s true gift is fostering open, trusting, and collaborative relationships that bring out the best in people. Her energy and co-creative facilitation style help teams discover refreshingly creative solutions, even in the face of difficult decisions.

When she’s not helping teams thrive, Kate can be found crafting, baking, and creating memories with her husband and two sons in Plaistow, NH. She believes that joy at work starts with joy in life - and that teams who can be authentic and have fun together achieve extraordinary results.

Both/And HR: The Power of Holding Tension Instead of Picking Sides- join Kate Soucise https://ow.ly/1CZ750Y1t4y for a MAHRA both/and event- an interactive program followed by networking! https://ow.ly/UfaF50Y1t4B