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Greetings! We are less than two weeks away from this year’s 2026 DHRM HR Conference, “Control + Alt + Delete: HR Reboot and Reimagine”. We are excited to welcome HR professionals, workforce leaders, practitioners and safety officers from across the Commonwealth to the Greater Richmond Convention Center (GRCC) in Richmond, Virginia, September 28–30, 2026. We have a full agenda with dynamic local and national speakers. See Conference Agenda Program here. We look forward to connecting, celebrating, and learning together! If you have any questions regarding the conference, please contact DHRM.
As a reminder, Agency Workforce Plans are due by September 30th each year. The information from this plan is an important asset that will help us evaluate the effectiveness of our employee engagement efforts.
Thank you!
Janet L. Lawson, DHRM Director
How is Your Workforce Plan Progressing?
Though agency plans are due to DHRM by September 30, 2026, agencies should have already started the process of reviewing their FY26 information for insights to update their workforce plans and strategy.
All templates, tools, and resources can be found on the DHRM Workforce Planning Webpage. For questions or more individualized consulting regarding strategic workforce planning, please contact dhrm.wfp@dhrm.virginia.gov.
Agency safety professionals are invited to join the Virginia Office of Workers’ Compensation at the 2026 Virginia Safety Professional Symposium. This is great chance to engage with safety professionals from across the Commonwealth. This year's event is hosted by the University of Virginia and their partnership with the DoubleTree by Hilton in Charlottesville, Virginia. Click on the link for more information.
The Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission has provided a registration link offering a discounted rate for state employees to attend their annual conference. Additional details and the registration link are available by clicking on the link above. The conference will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, located at 403 N. 3rd Street, Richmond, VA 23219, on October 20–21, 2026.
The 2027 Pay and Holiday Calendar was approved by the Governor and is posted on DHRM’s website. Those agencies using alternate holiday schedules should direct your employees to your internal calendars. Click on the link above to access the 2027 Pay Calendar.
Engagement
This summer, the COVA Internship Connection continued its mission to (1) strengthen public service talent through internships, (2) empower Virginia State Government agencies to develop impactful internship programs, and (3) foster greater awareness of state government while supporting intern success. During the summer internship season, we engaged nearly 150 interns representing agencies across the Commonwealth.
Throughout the program, interns participated in workforce development seminars, mock interview preparation sessions, and engaging panel discussions. These experiences culminated in the first-ever COVA Internship Connection Impact Expo, where interns showcased their summer projects, reflected on their growth, and proudly represented their agencies. Click on the link above for more information.
The Office of Data Governance and Analytics (ODGA) is excited to share their special event that brings Virginians together to solve a real challenge using open data. During this week-long hybrid event, teams of state employees, contractors and college students will collaborate to solve a Commonwealth problem using public data. Click on the link above for more information.
Employee Appreciation Offer
We are excited to announce that NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway once again partnered with the Commonwealth to offer state employees a discount to the 2026 Fall NASCAR Cup Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Click on the link above to purchase tickets.
In Case You Missed...
This is a great opportunity to reinforce healthy habits and reconnect with your team as summer winds down. Consider incorporating activities inspired by CommonHealth’s recent Gut Check campaign to support employee well-being. Click on the link above to learn more information.
Effective immediately, the Expiring Application Access report in Securepass displays application access that is scheduled to expire, not access that has already expired. Click on the link above to learn more information.
Comings and Goings
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We are excited to welcome Cherie Parson, who joined our Employment Dispute Resolution team as a full-time Hearing Officer. Cherie is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, from where she embarked on a legal career that primarily focused on employment law, including representing parties in grievance hearings and helping adjudicate some local grievance hearings. Cherie's work history and education focuses on human resources. Prior to law school, Cherie's professional background began in human resources, working in the private sector for more than 15 years. Most recently, Cherie was the Associate VP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Reynolds Community College. Her deep experience with human resources, employment law, and our own state systems makes her a wonderful addition to the EDR team and DHRM more widely. |
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We are pleased to share that Jasmine Walker who served as the Virginia Management Fellows Program Manager since December 2022, will now serve as our COVA Internship Connection Program Manager. This is a new role to DHRM that was established through legislation in the 2026 General Assembly Session. In this role, she will focus on leading and executing a statewide strategy for expanding, strengthening, and improving internship programming across all branches of state government.
Prior to joining DHRM, Jasmine worked with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services as the Assistant Program Manager for Women Veterans. In that role, she served as a state advocate for women veterans living in Virginia, managing contracts with public and private partners to increase access to education, employment, and wellness resources. She also planned and executed outreach events, including the Women Veterans Summit, which offers vital resources and information related to employment, education, and healthcare.
Jasmine is a veteran of the United States Army, where she served in multiple leadership roles, including Department Deputy Director/Acting Department Director, where she managed daily operations. Jasmine holds an MBA from American Military University as well as a bachelor’s in business administration (Business and Marketing) from James Madison University.
As Jasmine steps into her new role, she will be reaching out to agencies to learn more about agency internship programs and agency needs and to evaluate how to best provide support and structure for growth of internships across state government.
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Published by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management
www.dhrm.virginia.gov
600 East Main Street, 17th Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
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