Contact Information
Biography
Jeffery C. Palkowski, MHRM, SHRM-SCP, PHR, PMQ, is a veteran Human Resources professional and influential voice in the HR community with over two decades of HR leadership experience. Following a distinguished career in public service—including key roles at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin State Legislature—Jeff has dedicated his expertise to advancing the HR profession through strategic advocacy and volunteer leadership since 2003. Prior to his career in human resources, he served as a financial services executive, notably as Vice President of Investor Services at a leading national mutual fund service provider.
Currently, Jeff serves as the State Director for the Wisconsin State Council SHRM and represents the SHRM Foundation as the Ambassador for Council and Chapter Giving and Leadership Circle member. His leadership extends to the national level as the SHRM North Central Region’s alternate representative on the Membership Advisory Council. Jeff’s deep commitment to the SHRM community is evidenced by 20 years of service in diverse roles, including Director of Government Affairs, Communications/Social Media Director, District Director, and Advocacy Captain for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.
An early adopter in HR social media engagement, Jeff is a Hootsuite Social Marketing Certified professional. From 2019 to 2024, he was a mainstay on the SHRM Annual Conference Influencer Teams and founded the WI SHRM SMILE (Social Media) Team to energize state conference engagement. His expertise was recently featured in SHRM’s promotional video for the 2025 Annual Conference & Expo titled “Why SHRM25 is a Must-attend Event.”
Jeff is a frequent guest on premier HR podcasts, such as SHRM HR Storytellers, HR Break Room, Speakeasy HR, We’re Only Human Show, HR Mixtape, HR Like a Boss, and Life in the Leadership Lane. A contributor to Bruce Waller's book “Drive with Purpose,” Jeff also maintains an industry blog at HRSushiBar.com and is a sought-after speaker at events such as DisruptHR Madison and HR Summer School.
In recognition of his HR volunteer service, Jeff was honored with the HRUnite! Ambassador Award in both 2022 and 2024. In 2025, Jeff was also named to the “The Most Inclusive HR Influencer List.” He holds a Master of Human Resource Management with distinction from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor’s in Mass Communications-Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to his SHRM-SCP, PMQ, and PHR credentials, Jeff holds SHRM specialty certifications in AI+HI and Volunteer Leadership.
Additional Information
The State Director is the chief elected officer of the State Council and effectively establishes policy, strategies, and objectives consistent with SHRM, Region and National Board policies. The State Director provides guidance to Council members.
