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Position Description & Duties

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 oversees and guides State Council members and serves on the Executive Committee.
 
Responsible To:
State Council

Responsibilities:
  • Manage the affairs of the State Council as the chief elected officer.
  • Serve as a voting member on the SHRM North Central Region
    Council and primary contact with the Membership Advisory Council Representative.
  • Serve as the presiding officer for meetings of the State Council.
  • Serve as Co-Chair of the Nominating Committee with the Immediate Past State Director.
  • As appropriate, conduct general membership meetings involving SHRM members within the State.
  • Act as an ex-officio member of all State Council committees.
  • Provide leadership for the State Council by assigning responsibilities for achieving State, Regional, and national objectives.
  • Serve as primary contact with SHRM Membership and Community Director.
  • Direct all State Council members' activities, plans, and objectives.
  • Provide mentorship and support to he State Director-Elect to prepare for transition into the State Director role.
  • Promote the State Council and the HR profession through personal appearances and speaking engagements before SHRM affiliate chapters and other organizations.
  • Prepare reports, as requested, for the SHRM North Central Region Council and SHRM.
  • Identify individuals who demonstrate effective leadership skills and potential for potential volunteer leadership roles on the State Council.
  • Provide direction, assistance, and support for professional development activities within the state.

Core Competencies:
  • Excellent time management and organizational Skills.
  • Strong written communication Skills.
  • Team oriented.
  • Ability to advocate for the State Council and SHRM.
  • Ability to assist with recruiting potential WI SHRM State Council members.
  • Previous SHRM volunteer leader experience is preferred.

Requirements:
  • Must be a SHRM member in good standing.  SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification is highly desirable.
  • Regular attendance at State Council meetings is expected.
  • Attendance at the WI SHRM Volunteer Leadership Conference and annual Strategic Planning Meeting is expected.
  • Attendance at WI SHRM events is highly recommended.
  • Attendance at SHRM Volunteer Leaders’ Business Meeting and Regional Council Business Meeting, as invited.

Term:
 
  • The State Director position is filled by the State Director-Elect and not by election.  The State Director-Elect is nominated by the State Director and is elected by a majority vote to serve a one-year or two-year term beginning the first day of January and ending on the last day of December.
Last Updated:  9/30/2024

 

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Contact Information

 

Jeff Palkowski,MHRM, SHRM-SCP, PHR, PMQ
State Director

Ph:  414.467.5247
Em:  statedirector@wishrm.org
Term Start:  1/1/2025

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.