By By MELISSA GODSEY / Dowagiac Daily News
Eileen Shue, vice president of corporate resources at Sterling Group Inc. in Mishawaka, Ind., received the 2006 Human Resource Professional of the Year Award from the Michiana Chapter of the Society of HR Management.
Not only is Shue the recipient of the award this year, she is also the individual who developed it about three years ago, she said.
Shue has been a human resources professional for almost 20 years and received the Volunteer Leader of the Year award in 2004 from the Indiana SHRM State Council.
Shue also developed the Business of the Year Award to contribute to employee successes.
Human resources by nature does not get much recognition for what it does for others, and that is why the HR Professional of the Year Award was developed, Shue said.
"I was humbled and honored to receive the award. The things that I do I don't stop to think about the impact," she said. "When they were reading off this nomination, I was listening to my career going, 'Holy cow, I did that?'"
A few issues Shue dealt with to earn the award were when she began on the board of the Michiana Chapter as the public relations/special event representative. She also created the annual conference for the society and worked to bring recognition to the HR profession, she said.
Shue said she likes to give people hope. She received her success in a non-traditional way by getting married and having children before ever receiving her degree, she said.
She added that she has tried to be an inspirational leader as well as a practical leader by giving them the vision and providing the tools to get there, Shue said.
"I think every business leader no matter what role we're in, whether it is human resources or a [chief financial officer] or a [chief executive officer] should think about that vision," Shue said, adding they "should establish a personal mission for ourselves."