Leading Today Designing Tomorrow

wELCOME to our 2026 National Conference

The National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) is excited return to Norfolk, VA and share best practices to continue to providing quality HR content for your personal and professional development. All NAAAHR National Events include HRCI Recertification Credits and discounted rates on your certification exams. We have partnered with HRCI to prepare you for your Human Resources professional certification (aPHR, PHR, SPHR, GPHR and all other HRCI Certifications). By registering for the 2026 National Conference, you will earn recertification credits per session and workshop attendance.

Courageous Conversations

What something new, looking for transparency, ready to have a courageous conversation? At NAAAHR's National Conferences, we offer Open and Honest dialog in a safe environment.

The 2026 NAAAHR National Conference "Leading Today - Building Tomorrow" is by far one of the most notable events we will host that crosses every working class. We are dedicated to pushing leaders to think future forward.

The importance of the NAAAHR National Conference is underscored by its role in "future-proofing" the workforce through continuous learning and the exploration of emerging trends, and meeting up and coming leaders where they are.

The Evolution of AI in Human Resources

The transition of Human Resources from a back-office administrative function to a core driver of business strategy is largely attributed to the computational power of AI. Historically, HR was burdened by "transactional" tasks—payroll, benefits enrollment, and manual record-keeping.

This year, we will be bringing Subject Matter Experts to discuss how the modern corporate landscape using AI serves as a critical catalyst for organizational agility, allowing HR departments to transcend traditional "gatekeeper" roles by leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning to manage the entire employee lifecycle.

Learning

Objectives

The NAAAHR National Conference serves as a critical nexus for professional development, strategic alignment, and industry innovation, providing a structured environment where practitioners can bridge the gap between theoretical academic research and pragmatic workplace application.

Now more than ever, it is essential for maintaining professional competency in a field characterized by rapid legislative shifts, technological disruption, and evolving psychological contracts between employers and employees.

Leadership Development

By convening thousands of professionals, the NAAAHR national conferences will facilitate the dissemination of "best practices", a concept central to modern Human Resource Management (HRM) that emphasizes the adoption of high-performance work systems to gain a competitive advantage.

This event act as a catalyst for organizational change, offering HR leaders the qualitative insights and expert-led workshops necessary to transition from administrative roles to strategic business partnerships.

Business Expo

One of the greatest advantages of engaging with our Partners, Sponsors and affiliates at our business expedition allows professionals to be their authentic selves, maximize their network and develop long-term actionable strategies tailored for business, recruitment, and career goals.

Sponsorship and Partners serve as the vital economic and structural backbone for NAAAHR’s National Conferences, enabling the Association to fulfill our missions of professional development, historical preservation, and social advocacy.

Who Should Attend The 2026 National Conference

CEO’s, CHRO’s, CPO’s, CDO’s, and HR Officers
HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, L&D
Industry and Business Leaders
College and Early Career Talent
NAAAHR Professional and Student Members
NAAAHR Lifetime VIP’s and N.E.S.S. Members
Current and Past Partners and Sponsors
And Most Important …You!

BECOME A SPONSOR

Why join NAAAHR?

Joining NAAAHR is an important connection for current and future HR professional or executive to have. It provides you with access and connections to the best and brightest HR professionals including numerous opportunities to get involved through speaking engagements, social networking, event planning, webcasts, attending chapter professional development meetings, and sharing your HR expertise for career-enhancing benefits and professional development. What makes NAAAHR unique and special is you can be as involved as you want to be. It is a place for you to learn and develop your HR, leadership and presentation skills. New Members and Partners are featured on the NAAAHR National Website newsfeed and newsletters.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Each chapter is operated independently, allowing them to bring in subject matter experts who focus on industry trends for their respective geographic areas, locally, and nationally. NAAAHR’s culture is to ensure a safe environment comfortable enough to have courageous conversations and connected enough to engage with other professionals and leaders. NAAAHR has partnered with HRCI as a globally recognized HR Certification organization, providing HR Master Classes to obtain your HR certification at all levels.

CAREER RESOURCES

This is the holistic approach to obtaining your success starts with you! NAAAHR Local Chapters offers members to speakers focused on finance, money management, job search, investments, and other areas that empower and strengthen our members. NAAAHR provides a comfortable platform for learning, sharing best practices and creating new connections.