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June 20, 2017Anyone looking for employees on June 7, 2017, needed to look no further than the Larry D. Bell Employee Center as more than 150 employees attended Bell Helicopter's RECONNECT event. From professional organizations to STEM activities, just about everywhere you looked, Bell's employees were given a chance to reconnect with the various programs and educational outreach opportunities available within Bell Helicopter."RECONNECT was a great opportunity to see all the ways employees and leaders can come together or learn more about what resources are available within the company," said Andrea Olson, HR promotions, and events specialist. "Since this was the first time we held it, I think the response was amazing, and we had more than 50 employees sign up on the spot to participate in our various resource groups."
Thanks to RECONNECT, many employees are learning that one of the great ways to join colleagues from across the organization and get involved in common interests is through Bell Helicopter's employee resource groups (ERGs). Attendees were introduced to different ERGs for women, young professionals, minorities, and veterans during the event, each one providing an opportunity to develop personally and professionally. "I was very excited to see so many employees join us for RECONNECT and learn about all our ERGs," said Leah Armstrong, senior HR compliance specialist, who oversees the ERGs at Bell Helicopter. "Many didn't know Bell Helicopter had them, but some of our ERGs have been here for many years."Additionally, as a member of the various Bell Helicopter sports leagues, employees not only engage with Bell Helicopter, they also have a chance to interact with each other. So whether someone wants to make use of company resources or simply meet fellow coworkers, RECONNECT proved there is something available for everyone at Bell Helicopter. "I chair the Women's Leadership Forum where we provide opportunities to volunteer, listen to external civil and corporate speakers, have small group discussions, and many other activities," said Rhonda Fisher, who works as manager of COI Implementation. "Programs and events like these benefit employees in so many ways, and I think for groups like us, the goal is to provide a variety of development opportunities for all Bell Helicopter employees."
But for some attending RECONNECT, the highlight was mingling with kids from Fort Worth-area schools as they showed off their projects related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). To highlight Bell Helicopter's educational outreach opportunities, the Education Committee invited students from Azle Jr. High STEM, Forte Jr. High STEM, Haltom High School Robotics Team, the H.E.B. Drone Competition Team, and St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Robotics Team to the event. "We are grateful for any chance to meet your employees because STEM is as important to the future of these students as it is to the future of Bell Helicopter," said Richard Mitchell, a teacher at Forte Jr. High School. "I will never forget seeing all the students' faces light up with excitement during the blade shop tour, but having the chance to come to RECONNECT and show employees their projects meant even more. Thank you for all the opportunities you've given them to learn!"