April 2026 BAHREC Newsletter 
BAHREC | Message from Leadership
Brad Margolis, President, 2026-2027
Hello BAHREC Members,
April is here, and I want to start by saying thank you. Over the past several weeks, board members have been reaching out to connect with many of you directly, and the conversations have been incredibly meaningful. Your candor about what you value, what challenges you're facing, and what you need from this community is shaping how we think about BAHREC's future. To those who have taken time to share your perspective, we are grateful.
If we haven't connected with you yet, we would still love to hear from you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to any board member, or simply reply when one of us calls or emails. Your input matters, and it's not too late to be part of this conversation.
These conversations have also surfaced something important: many of us are carrying more than usual right now. The environment our employees are navigating extends far beyond the workplace. Uncertainty about the economy, shifting policies, and questions about the future are creating real anxiety for the people in our organizations. They bring those concerns to work with them, and often, they bring them to us.
As HR leaders, we are asked to be a steady presence when things feel unsteady. We help our organizations make difficult decisions while also supporting the humans affected by those decisions. We create space for others to process what's happening in the world, even when we ourselves are still processing. This is meaningful work, and it is also exhausting work.
I want to remind you that you don't have to carry this alone. One of the most valuable things about BAHREC is the ability to connect with peers who truly understand. There is relief in being able to say "this is hard" to someone who gets it, and there is wisdom in learning how others are navigating similar terrain.
On that note, we are shifting our planned member working session to late spring to find a more optimal date for participation. This will be a facilitated, interactive gathering where members help shape the future of BAHREC programming together. No presentations. Just collaborative problem-solving with peers. Watch for details soon.
Thank you for the work you do and for being part of this community. Take care of yourselves so you can continue taking care of others.
Warm regards,
Brad Margolis
President, BAHREC
BAHREC Spring Social Event
Spring Social Brewery Meet Up
Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Devil's Canyon Brewing Company, 935 Washington St., San Carlos, CA 94070
BAHREC Members, click this link to register!
Building relationships is the best part of "networking". Join us on April 22nd and find out what we mean by that!
Join us for an afternoon/early evening of beer tasting with Devil's Canyon and delicious food. If beer isn't your thing, we have plenty of other options!
Let's make some new friends!
Parking in back at: 990 Bayport Ave, San Carlos, CA 94070
Insights From Our Latest Program
Building Engagement and Trust in Uncertain Times - by Devin C. Hughes.
At our recent session with award-winning culture expert Devin, the focus went far beyond traditional engagement. It centered on building genuine human connections as the foundation for high-performing teams. Through interactive exercises, discussions, candid insights, and relatable storytelling, Devin highlighted how trust, belonging, and open communication are critical in navigating uncertainty and strengthening team alignment.
The conversation emphasized that true organizational success comes from fostering environments where people feel seen, heard, and connected. Leaders walked away with practical, human-first strategies to enhance psychological safety, reinforce well-being, and create stronger synergy across teams, turning workplace culture into a shared, lived experience rather than just an initiative.
Inclusive Leadership
A message from BAHREC VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Porsche C. Williams:
An inclusive leader is built in the micro-moments. In the 90 seconds during a meeting — whether the quietest voice in the room gets to share a thought, or whether a leader notices and creates space for them. An inclusive leader is built in the moment after someone’s idea is passed over, when a leader decides whether to let it go or circle back. Despite our genuine commitment to fairness and inclusion, how we respond in these micro-moments is often shaped by unconscious habits, creating a gap between who we intend to be as leaders and how we actually show up. These are the moments your people remember. The ones that determine who feels valued on your team, and whether your team brings their full thinking to work or quietly holds it back. How can leaders use micro-moments of action to close the gap between intentions and actions and make their team feel seen, heard, valued, and appreciated?
Inclusion nudges are small, intentional actions that interrupt unconscious habits and bias while sending a clear signal to your team: your voice matters here. Research in behavioral science tells us that 90–99% of our thoughts and behaviors are automatic. In moments of ambiguity or time pressure, those mental shortcuts can pull us away from objectivity and toward the familiar. When leaders practice micro-moments of inclusion consistently, psychological safety follows and psychological safety is what unlocks a team’s full contribution. Inclusive leaders are leaders who act in the moment every day. This April, join us in practices that reduce exclusion and grow belonging.
-
Open the floor with intention. Before your next meeting, identify who hasn’t spoken recently and create space for them. Rotate who speaks first. Ask, “Who has a different perspective?” This is a deliberate invitation that signals different perspectives, quiet voices, and those that process information differently belong in this room.
-
Amplify and attribute. When an idea gets talked over or absorbed without credit, name it: “I want to come back to what [name] said, I think that deserves more space.” It publicly repairs a moment of invisibility and helps underrepresented voices be heard and valued (HBR Research, 2021).
-
Reframe the interview debrief. Most debrief questions invite doubt about a candidate: “What concerns do you have?” Instead ask, “What would you need to see to say yes?” Shifting the language from elimination mode to inclusion mode also surfaces bias in real time when the answers reveal assumptions rather than evidence.
-
Pause before the stretch assignment. Before tapping someone for a high-visibility project or development opportunity, pause and ask yourself, “Did I default to who came to mind first or did I consider who is ready and hasn’t been seen yet?” High-visibility work is where careers accelerate and auditing this habit can create equity in the moments that matter most (MIT Sloan, 2022).
Cultural Observances: February 2026
4/1: Arab & Sikh Heritage Month begins
4/2: World Autism Awareness Day
4/7: World Health Day
4/22: Earth Day
Member Spotlight
Peggy Bridgford, Fractional HR of Silicon Valley
~ Peggy
Welcome New Members
Please welcome our Newest Members:
- Emi Zee, VP, Head of HR at Electra Therapeutics
- Aimee Filipas, Human Resource Director at Harvest Properties
Shaping What’s Next
Join the BAHREC World Café
Something exciting is brewing at BAHREC this spring!
We’re planning a World Café - an interactive, facilitated gathering designed to tap into the collective wisdom of our community. This isn’t a typical event with presentations or panels. Instead, it’s a space for meaningful dialogue, shared ideas, and collaborative problem-solving. Together, members will help shape the future of BAHREC programming in a way that reflects our evolving needs and aspirations. If you’re passionate about contributing, connecting, and co-creating what comes next, this is your moment. Stay tuned, details are coming soon, and you won’t want to miss it.
CalSHRM Case Competition Update
The SHRM Student Case Competition offers a powerful “realistic job preview,” giving students hands-on experience solving real-world HR challenges. Teams analyze a business case, develop strategic solutions, and present to industry judges, testing their integrated HR thinking, ethical decision-making, and communication skills. Open to SHRM student members nationwide, the competition builds critical capabilities and serves as a strong resume differentiator. This year’s event will be held at San Diego State University on April 17–18. We’re proud that BAHREC is sponsoring the event, with members contributing as judges and moderators, supporting the next generation of HR leaders while fostering learning, collaboration, and professional growth.
Share Opportunities with the BAHREC Network
The BAHREC Jobs & Ads page is now online. Please share opportunities and let the power of the network support your organization today.
