December Monthly Luncheon - Chicory Cafe

11:00 am to 11:30 am = Registration, Networking, & Lunch

11:30 am to 12:00 pm = Chapter Updates, Sponsors, Celebrations

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm = Presentation

Succession Planning & Retention Strategies

Presented by:  Becky Ragsdale, Vital HR Solutions, LLC

Becky is the Founder/Owner of Vital HR Solutions LLC, an independent full-service HR Consulting firm. Currently, Becky is on retainer with a small family business supporting all of their HR and People strategies.

Prior to starting her own business she held the position of Director, Human Resources for several organizations where she was responsible for building the HR infrastructure, establishing an HR department, oversight of people strategies for up to 1,200 employees and 30+ locations throughout the United States.

Becky began her Human Resources career in 1994 with Fiserv, where she spent 19+ years developing and refining her HR skills. Becky is a graduate of Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentration in Human Resources. She graduated with Sum Cum Laude honors, as well as Alpha Chi and Sigma Beta Delta honors. She went on to complete her Master’s in Business Administration, graduating with honors. Becky is a SHRM-CP certified professional.

Since 2004, Becky has served on the Board of Directors for the local SHRM HR Chapter – Michiana SHRM. During her time volunteering, Becky has been recognized at the local, state, and national levels for her leadership capabilities. Most recently Becky was named the 2017 HR Indiana Volunteer Leader of the Year.
Becky is a proactive and business-minded HR leader with extensive experience delivering transformational HR leadership and driving talent management practices that mold human resources into integral strategic partner in planning and implementing programs that maximize corporate productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and achieve organizational goals. She has been recognized for uncovering deficiencies in policies and procedures; developing and implementing programs that achieve measurable success and drive business results.

Session Executive Summary

Succession planning is a proactive, strategic process designed to ensure organizational continuity, leadership stability, and long-term business success. In this one hour session, participants will explore the purpose and importance of succession planning, common do’s and don’ts, and a practical framework for identifying, developing, and retaining future leaders in critical roles. The session outlines the seven key steps of effective succession planning, including identifying legal and diversity considerations, defining present and future leadership needs, selecting and assessing high potential employees, and creating targeted development and retention plans. Participants will also examine how assessment tools can be used to objectively evaluate readiness for succession while minimizing bias and reducing the risk associated with leadership gaps. In addition, the session addresses how to manage emergency positions without successors, plan for roles that cannot be filled internally, and keep succession plans current through regular review and communication. By connecting succession planning with intentional employee development and retention strategies, this session equips leaders and HR professionals with actionable insights to protect critical roles, strengthen bench strength, and prepare their organizations for the future.

Session Key Learning Objectives

Michiana SHRM is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

 Programs offered by Michiana SHRM may approved for 1 HR (General) recertification credit hour toward
aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™, and SPHRi™ recertification through the HR Certification Institute.