Midyear Message from Your State Director
In the words of Jon Bon Jovi in "Livin' on a Prayer," Whoa, we're halfway there…
That's right, 2025 is just flying by, and we find ourselves midway through the year. As I write this update, I am packing for the SHRM Annual Conference in San Diego. This conference typically marks the halfway point in the SHRM / WI SHRM calendar, providing an opportunity for me to reflect on what we have accomplished and look forward to what is ahead.
As I stepped into the State Director role in January, I knew it would be a challenging endeavor. I immediately experienced the magnitude of the responsibilities, but I quickly felt the fulfillment that came with them. We experienced plenty of wins in the first six months of 2025, so I wanted to share some of our highlights.
In January, I hoped to hit the ground running and scheduled one-on-one virtual meetings with each State Council director. This was an opportunity for us to connect, scope out individual roles and goals for the year, and set a foundation for the year to come. We learned more about each other, and I gained some valuable ideas and feedback from each meeting.
Our first event of 2025 was our Workplace Policy Conference. Our Governmental Affairs and Legislative Director, Jay Stephany, brought together some insightful speakers to discuss timely topics impacting our workplaces. The highlight for me was to welcome our keynote speaker, Emily M. Dickens. Emily serves as the Chief of Staff, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary for SHRM. She kicked off the day with a "Schoolhouse Rock"-themed talk about how our federal government is structured and how we, as citizens, can provide input to be part of the legislative process. This was a successful first event for the year, and we are looking forward to hosting next year's Workplace Policy Conference on the west side of Madison next February.
Just a few days after the Workplace Policy Conference, WI SHRM participated as a partner, along with Illinois SHRM, Michigan SHRM, and HR Indiana SHRM, in our first-ever HR Conference Cruise. I, along with our Past Director, Connie Bitter, and our Partnership & Sponsorship Director, Amy Doepke, represented the State Council on the cruise. I can speak for the group when I say that we found the experience to be a perfect combination of learning, networking, relaxation, and fun! We look to continue our partnership in 2026, with next year's cruise sailing next March. If you would like more information, please visit https://wishrm.org/26HRCruise.
Our final event for the first half of the year was our newly redesigned Student Summit. College Relations Director Emily Blakeslee, Core Leadership Area Director Sheree Yates, and a committee collaborated to organize this new event, specifically designed for human resources students and emerging professionals. Hosted on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, the day included a mini-HR Games, networking, an HR professionals panel, workshops, and updates from the SHRM Manager for Students and Emerging Professionals, Faith Stipanovich. With the success of this event, we aim to build upon it and host it again next April.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, we have plenty more to look forward to, starting in August when we host our volunteer leaders from across the state at our WI SHRM Volunteer Leader Conference in Oshkosh. This event helps engage and provide support to our Council and Chapter volunteer leaders through networking activities, SHRM-related content, and other growth opportunities for attendees. This year, we are fortunate to have author, keynote speaker, and Texas SHRM Assistant State Director Bruce Waller providing a keynote and workshop session at our event.
Our premier event, held each October, is the WI SHRM State Conference. As one of the largest human resources conferences in the Midwest, we are proud to provide this event annually at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Our 2025 Conference Co-Chairs, Matt Bucher and Jen Zahari, along with their Conference Committee, have been working tirelessly to present another exceptional conference, themed "Next Generation of Work." We will feature exhibitors, industry expert speakers, networking opportunities, student programming, and a variety of activities for our over 1,300 expected attendees. Registration and lodging reservations are now open, so be sure to visit https://wishrm.org/2025-State-Conference.
Finally, I want to thank our incredible State Council leaders and all of our Chapter Volunteers. Everything that we do relies on the investment in time that each of our volunteer leaders makes, balancing these commitments with their families, employers, and other obligations. I have been fortunate enough to visit in person with 12 of our 18 chapters so far this year and witness firsthand the fantastic work that our local chapters are doing to provide a worthwhile human resources experience to their respective communities across the state. While each of us individually devotes a significant amount of time and talent to our various volunteer roles with SHRM, the value that we provide to our members and the personal and professional growth that we each experience far outweigh our efforts. Thank you all, and let's make the second half of 2025 even better than the first half!
Jeff Palkowski, MHRM, SHRM-SCP, PHR, PMQ
WI SHRM State Director 2025/2026
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