Colin Powell Opens SHRM’s 2006 Annual Conference
By Susan Schoenfeld
Senior Legal Editor for BLR

What does a former Secretary of State, National Security Advisor to President Reagan, and 4-star general do in retirement? Quite a bit, it turns out, says Colin L. Powell, who held all three posts during his career.

Powell, who also served as Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993), and oversaw Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War, opened the first general session of the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2006 Conference and Exposition in Washington, D.C. Since leaving the Secretary of State post in 2004, General Powell has been very busy with speaking engagements and serving on the boards of several private sector companies.

Also speaking at the conference opening session were Jonny C. Taylor, Jr., chair of the 2006 SHRM Board of Directors, and Susan Meisenger, SHRM president and CEO. Taylor outlined his vision or HR, including the top three issues facing HR professionals today: talent management, rising healthcare costs, and diversity. In order to meet competition in a global economy, HR will have to display courage to lead and meet the challenges of a rapidly changing workforce, said Taylor. Not only are human resource professionals brave, said Meisenger, they are also “cool.” According to the April issue of Money magazine, human resources was named one of the top professions in the U.S.