Central HR Team Earns Trip To Nationals

April 21, 2008

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Three student teams from Central Washington University took home top honors at this year's 26th Annual Northwest Human Resource Management Association (NHRMA) Student Conference and HR Games in Portland, Ore. Central students competed against 14 teams from five other universities in a Jeopardy-style competition that tested their knowledge of human resources. Teams from Central, made up of members of the CWU chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), placed first, second and fourth in the competition. Members of the first place team earned an all expense paid trip to Chicago in June to compete at the national HR Games finals.

"I am thrilled to say that our 2008 HR students have continued the winning tradition that CWU has enjoyed from the inception of HR Games' competition," says Dr. James Nimnicht, CWU professor of management and faculty advisor for Central's SHRM. "If anything, they have elevated the bar for others in the northwest and have established themselves as soon-to-be HR professionals with demonstrated knowledge of the profession."

Central sent a total of four teams to the regional conference. The team consisting of students Michael Mitchusson (Poulsbo, Wash.), Bjorn Bonholzer (Poulsbo, Wash.) and Byron Strang (Ellensburg, Wash.) took first place. Second place went to the team made up of Allison Zertuche (Seattle, Wash.), Cynthia Campbell (Tacoma, Wash.) and Kirsten Hillis (East Wenatchee, Wash.). Leon Wrobleweski (Kent, Wash.), MaryPat Casey (Richland, Wash.) and Mallorie Stubbs (Tacoma, Wash.) took the fourth place spot.

Founded in 1948, SHRM is the world's largest association dedicated to human resource management. It has more than 225,000 individual members worldwide, and 575 affiliated professional and student chapters within the U.S.

Media Contact: Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, olint@cwu.edu, 509-963-1416

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.