GSHRM Recognizes chapter Award winners

The Greenville chapter of SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) announced the winners of its annual HR Awards at a reception held at the Poinsett Club in downtown Greenville.

Incoming Greenville SHRM President Courtney Goforth said, “This year’s winners represent the very best of the HR profession and it gives GSHRM great pleasure to celebrate them and their contributions.”

The winners of the 2023 Greenville SHRM HR Awards are:

HR Rising Star Award, celebrates an early career HR Professional with less than 10 years of HR experience
Danielle DeFino, SHRM-CP
HR Manager, Standard Motor Products

Though she is in the infancy of her career, DeFino performs HR duties with the skill and finesse of a senior practitioner. She has helped develop and implement significant and creative changes for recruiting and hiring processes that resulted in substantial cost savings for her company. She leads a program that supports employee growth and career development and, earlier this year, successfully filled a key leadership role temporarily while also managing her normal job responsibilities.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
ThinkUp Consulting

This locally owned consultancy has a strong commitment to diversity that begins at the top. ThinkUp is a proud LGBT-owned and operated business with a majority of women in Senior Leadership. The company launched an internal DEIB Team to give strategic focus to educating and equipping employees with DEIB knowledge to better serve each other and their clients. They support their commitment to continuous learning in DEIB by providing monthly micro-trainings and communications to team members. In addition, ThinkUp actively creates blog posts on diverse topics like Black History Month tools for educators, mindfulness stations, Women’s Equality Day and more throughout the year. Certified LGBTBE by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber, ThinkUp has representation on both the Advisory Board and Board of Directors of the Upstate South Carolina LGBT+ Chamber.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Unsung Hero Award, celebrates an individual who champions DEI culture in and outside of the workplace
Kay Dudley-Culbreath, SHRM-SCP, LSSBB
CEO, HR Concierge Consulting

With over 25 years of HR leadership experience, Dudley-Culbreath is a DEI Consultant serving a variety of industries to drive inclusive culture, design measurable objectives and report results. She has spoken at conferences and taught courses about leading diverse workforces and has been a tireless educator and advocate for women and girls, resulting in the passage of state legislation. She has co-chaired GSHRM’s DEI Committee the past two years; serves as executive director of The Period Project, volunteers on several organization including Juneteenth GVL, Vernon Veteran Services, and the Urban League of the Upstate.

Human Resources Professional of the Year Award
Holly Berry, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
CHRO United Community Bank

Berry has over 23 years of HR experience, holding leadership positions at many recognized brand name companies. Among many notable achievements, she recently created a comprehensive paid parental leave program that ensures 100% income replacement for new parents, regardless of gender or adoption circumstances. Additionally, she spearheaded the launch of a paid volunteer time off program, enabling employees to contribute meaningfully to their local communities through non-profit service.

An active participant of various industry organizations, her commitment to community engagement extends beyond professional endeavors. She mentors seniors at Legacy Early College High School and serves as a guest book reader at Legacy Early College Elementary School. She also helps build homes for Greenville Habitat for Humanity and supports the United Women Make a Difference Campaign.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Robyn Knox, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, RCC
President, The HR Business Connect

Highly regarded in South Carolina’s HR industry, Knox has been a member of GSHRM since the 1990s and national SHRM since 2002. She currently serves as District Director for the SC SHRM State Council representing four chapters in the Western District. She previously filled a similar role for four Midlands District chapter and served as the state’s Workforce Readiness Director. She co-founded and co-hosted the VET Summit, recognized as a SRHM Pinnacle Award Finalist in 2020. She was also instrumental in developing ‘Cracking the Code,’ another veterans workforce program that earned GSHRM the esteemed SHRM Workplace Impact Award in 2021. Knox also orchestrated SC SHRM’s collaboration with Junior Achievement of the Carolinas to promote the HR career path, impacting over 15,000 students across the Palmetto Sate. This program, too, was recognized in 2021 as a SHRM Pinnacle Award finalist.

Knox has been honored by the SC Chamber of Commerce and the SC SHRM State Council as the 2017 South Carolina Human Resource Professional of the Year and recognized as the GSHRM 2016 HR Professional of the Year.

About GSHRM

Greenville SHRM (GSHRM) is the area’s premier human resource organization. With approximately 500 members, the chapter provides a forum for leadership and learning that impact Greenville’s business environment. The organization’s work helps attract and retain world-class companies and talent in the Upstate community. GSHRM provides tremendous value to human resource and business professionals through educational opportunities, networking with community leaders and peers, and developing meaningful relationships that aid in professional and personal growth. Learn more at Together4HR.org and on LinkedIn.