PARTNERS SPEAK OUT

The weather is finally heating up, matching the steady pace of our business over the course of the summer.  Our recruiters have been hard at work connecting candidates with growing client needs – across all divisions, things are looking strong.  And that’s not all we’ve been up to.  This month we launched our new business unit, Boly:Welch Consulting, providing business solutions through thought leadership.  Kathleen Everett joined us as Managing Director, Consulting.

Boly:Welch Consulting is a natural and organic outgrowth of our connections, largely in response to client requests for deeper engagement in their organizations.  Client trust developed through finding just the right fit across our recruiting business has translated into robust opportunities for new consultative challenges.  Service offerings include on-demand consulting, compliance solutions and contract professionals to a wide variety of industries.

FIT MATTERS MOST™ means just as much on the Consulting side as it does in our Recruiting practice.  Real people solving real problems and making a difference.  Still connecting after all these years.

Diane Boly & Pat Welch

photograph by Max Masin

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BY THE NUMBERS: Employee Classification

On August 3rd, we were pleased to co-sponsor Risk Redux, an employment seminar with Barran Liebman.  Over seventy HR and business professionals attended the session to learn more about the current state and federal legislation affecting classification of co-employed and in-house workforce participants.

Tamara Russell, employment attorney at Barran Liebman discussed the tax liability and co-employment risks associated with misclassification across all industries, sizes and geographical locations.

Biggest take-aways included common independent contractor misclassification mistakes, case law and best practices for limiting liability.

Top Ten Audit Triggers:

Most of these seemingly harmless actions can have steep consequences for your organization.  See the notes from the session.

Contact Tamara Russell at Barran Liebman or Kathleen Everett at Boly:Welch Consulting to learn how and when to engage consultative and legal involvement as a critical pre-audit step.

photograph courtesy of Barran Liebman

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IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY

We’ve promised to connect our business friends with non-profit organizations who are making a difference in our community - groups creating an indelible impact on the lives of Portland area residents.  In the first two quarterly workshops of 2010, we introduced our clients to Oregon Community Warehouse, Oregon Humane Society, Johnson Creek Watershed, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Planned Parenthood, Oregon Heart Association, YWCA, Dress for Success and Girls, Inc.

We’ll jump-start the fall with our third quarter Community Connections event on September 21st at the newly remodeled performing arts venue, Lincoln Hall on the PSU campus.  Special guests will include a variety of organizations supporting the Dreamer School, I Have a Dream Foundation’s brilliantly designed expansion model.  Join us at 4:00 pm for a tour of Lincoln Hall, the 1911-vintage Classic Revival-style building, which began its life as the Portland School District’s Lincoln High School.  Then meet with Dreamer School Principal, Paz Ramos, I Have a Dream Foundation members and community leaders to learn more about this the innovative concept school.

Read more about Dreamer School... »

photograph courtesy of Boora Architects

“I Have a Dream” Foundation Oregon – Dreamer School

“I Have a Dream” Foundation Oregon has a mission to help low-income students succeed in school and in college.  Over 900 local kids have been served over the past 20 years at graduation rates double or better than their peers!

Though the organization has been successful with the model of adopting an entire third grade level at low-income elementary schools for 10+ years, they are now aspiring to even greater heights.  The new Dreamer School model will adopt three elementary schools and will eventually serve over 3,000 kids per year.

This summer, Alder Elementary School, located on the eastern edge of the City of Portland, was selected as the first Dreamer School.  Alder is one of the poorest schools in Oregon, with over 93% of students qualifying for free or reduced cost lunches.  But with the tremendous leadership of Principal Paz Ramos and new partnership with “I Have a Dream”, Alder is also one of the most hopeful schools in the state.  As profiled in The Oregonian on August 6, 2010 in just his first year at Alder, Principal Ramos’ philosophy of high expectations and “no excuses” has already achieved results.  Alder recently received word that, for the first time in years, it has passed benchmark test expectations in reading, math and attendance – a tall order!

And that’s just the beginning.  Alder and “I Have a Dream” have set the achievement bar very high, including 80% of Alder students completing a post-secondary degree or certificate, 90% of Alder students “meeting” state benchmark goals, and 50% of Alder students “exceeding” state benchmarks.

High Expectations.  No Excuses.