Human resources professionals from co-ops across South Carolina gathered recently at Broad River Electric Cooperative for a two-day retreat with a built-in community service project.

Amid a packed agenda of roundtable discussions and case studies, the group found time to help out Faith Home, a residential addiction recovery program in Cowpens.

The HR pros split into small groups (such as the one pictured) and shopped for job interview outfits and accessories for women who are graduating the Faith Home program and looking for work.

“Since concern for community is one of the seven cooperative principles, this activity was a perfect way to end the conference,” said Broad River Electric Cooperative Manager of Human Resources Missy Marlow.

The conference’s other sessions were grounded in the issues co-op HR departments navigate every day.

NRECA's Danielle Leclerc led a roundtable on group benefits. Employment lawyer Hollis Burnett briefed the group on Equal Employment Opportunity enforcement trends. Laurens Electric Cooperative presented on the software it uses to streamline HR processes.

Attendees also toured Broad River Electric’s new headquarters, which opened in 2022; heard remarks from the cooperative’s CEO, Chad Armstrong; and compared notes on real-world HR scenarios.