AAIM Employers' Association

06/19/2026

The Folks Who Help You AAIM Higher

This month, Christine Crews celebrates 45 years serving employers through the association community.

Forty-five years of answering questions. Solving problems. Spotting trends. Connecting people to resources. And helping employers navigate just about every workplace challenge imaginable.

Today, we're excited to recognize Christine Crews, AAIM's Manager of Member Support.

If you've called our Florida Hotline, participated in one of our surveys, or received information on workplace trends and compliance issues, there's a good chance you've connected with Christine's work.

✨ How I First Connected with AAIM

AAIM was a sister association to Employers Association Forum (EAF), and our organizations merged in 2023. I spent many years with EAF and was familiar with AAIM through our national employers' association network, so joining the AAIM family felt like a natural fit.

✨ How Members Usually Connect With Me

I respond to member Hotline questions, conduct HR-related surveys, and serve as a resource for compliance and workplace trend information.
Whether someone needs an answer, a benchmark, or a place to start, I'm often helping connect them with the information they need.

✨ One Thing I've Learned Working With Members

Whether it involves a supervisor avoiding a performance or behavior issue, failing to set clear expectations, or neglecting to document disciplinary discussions, many of the challenges HR professionals manage can be traced back to a breakdown in communication between supervisors and their employees.

✨ What I Enjoy Most About Serving AAIM Members

Helping members find solutions is incredibly rewarding. I also enjoy getting to know them as people — learning about their families, travel plans, and the roles they play in their communities. Those relationships build trust and help me serve them more effectively.

✨ A Few Community Favorites

• Jerry's Pizza or Goodfellas Pizzeria
• Any beach — jumping waves or simply watching the tide roll in and out
• Orlando Museum of Art's Festival of the Trees

✨ Something You Might Not Know About Me

I'm a native , born with the sun in my face and sand between my toes.

I'm also a graduate of Elf University (elf name: Razzleberry), a special program through Christmas Dreams Inc, a nonprofit that creates year-round Christmas experiences for children battling life-threate

06/18/2026

Welcome to the community, Indianapolis Zoo!

Let's be honest: HR professionals have been saying their workplace is a zoo for years. Krystal Belton actually works at one.

After joining the Indianapolis Zoo and settling into her role, Krystal reached back out to AAIM looking for the resources, support, and leadership development opportunities she had come to value at a previous organization.

As the Zoo prepares for an important accreditation process, they're also investing in something that pays dividends long after any visit is complete: their leaders. Executive leaders are kicking things off this year, with manager and supervisor development planned for next year.

We love seeing organizations take the long view. Great experiences for guests start with great experiences for employees, and great leaders help make both possible.

Hailey Stamper made a recent visit to the zoo and will be partnering with Krystal and the team as they continue building leadership capability across the organization.

And suffice it to say - we're pretty excited to welcome another zoo to the AAIM membership family.

06/17/2026

We got our longtime comp partner Michael Maciekowich (Astron Solutions, LLC) on This Week at Work — and if pay transparency is anywhere on your radar, this is the episode to watch.

Michael and Phil Brandt get into what actually happens once pay becomes visible: why the pressure lands on your front-line managers (not HR), the three questions every supervisor should be able to answer, and how to get your team ready before the questions start.

The line that stuck with us? The moment a manager says "go ask HR," you've already lost the employee.

🎙️ Watch the full conversation: http://bit.ly/4eLd6O6
📝 Read the write-up: https://bit.ly/4vRhwZB

As pay becomes visible, employees ask their managers why. Compensation expert Michael Maciekowich on the three questions every supervisor should be able to answer.

06/16/2026

The HR professionals getting the biggest results from AI aren't collecting prompts. They're building the skill behind them.

THAT's Prompt Camp '26!

A hands-on workshop where HR professionals learn how to think, structure, refine, and adapt prompts for real-world work.

Stop downloading another prompt library.

Join us for virtual half day camp on July 28 and build an adaptable skill set that will serve you for years to come!

06/11/2026

Look at with these Leaders! Aimsley has been making her way around the STL area after the Leadership Conference, but had to make a quick stop at homebase to celebrate these blossoming leaders in their 3rd day of Principles of Leadership training!

ABOUT AIMSLEY
Aimsley was born at the 2026 Leadership Conference and she is here to recognize leadership moments, whenever they happen!

Click the link below to learn more about Aimsely or share your story.

https://aaimea.org/about-us/flat-aimsley/

06/11/2026

The AAIM team wasn't the only one on the road this week!

joined us in Peoria, Bloomington, and Indianapolis as we wrapped up a few HR Roundtables, met with members, and spent time with some great HR leaders.

Somewhere between Illinois and Indiana, she also found time for a stop at the Indianapolis Zoo!

Not everyone gets a travel schedule like that in their first month on the job, and we're so glad she tagged along.

Want Aimsley to visit you? Learn more and share your leadership moments with her! https://aaimea.org/about-us/flat-aimsley/

Special thanks to David Lubben of Davis & Campbell L.L.C. for leading the roundtables in Illinois this month!

06/10/2026

Welcome to the community, Vogel Heating & Cooling.

If you're growing, you're hiring. And if you're hiring, having the right systems in place can make all the difference.

That's what stood out in our conversations with Keith Isenberg and the Vogel team. Since joining AAIM in March, they've jumped in with both AAIMTrack and AAIMCheck, investing in the tools and support that help make hiring smoother, smarter, and more scalable.

We love seeing organizations take growth seriously. The companies that attract great talent consistently are usually the ones building strong processes behind the scenes long before they need them.

Susan Glascock is partnering with the team as they continue building momentum, strengthening their workforce, and preparing for what's next.

We're excited to have Vogel Heating & Cooling as part of the AAIM community. Welcome aboard!

06/09/2026

New episode of This Week at Work — and this one's for everyone using temps, contractors, or franchise arrangements.

The DOL just proposed a new joint employer rule. Translation: when are you legally responsible for workers you don't directly employ?

Burton Garland, Jr. of Ogletree Deakins broke the whole thing down with Phil Brandt — the four-factor test, the manager habits that quietly create risk, and the comment window that closes June 22.

We turned the conversation into a guide you can actually use AND consume in the way you want! . No legalese, just what to do.

Listen to the podcast → https://bit.ly/4dUEJnH
Read it here → https://bit.ly/4ftb4TN

The DOL has proposed a new joint employer rule under the FLSA, FMLA, and MSPA. Employment attorney Burt Garland breaks down the four-factor test and what to do before the June 22 comment deadline.