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State Director

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2026: Preparing for a Year of Growth and Accomplishment


I am humbled, thrilled, and energized to step into the new year for the final chapter of my two-year term as State Director. Together, we'll build on the strong foundation we established in 2025, ensuring sound fiscal stability, introducing innovative strategies and ideas, and delivering solid support to our affiliate chapters and our members across Wisconsin.

The dedication of our SHRM Volunteer Leaders inspires me every day, and I know we're poised for even greater heights in 2026! Each of our volunteer leaders brings unique passion and expertise, and I couldn't be prouder or more grateful to stand alongside this incredible team as we charge forward into 2026.

I am proud to introduce the 2026 Wisconsin SHRM Core State Council, a group ready to lead with vision, resilience, and drive:

State Director – Jeff Palkowski
State Director-Elect – Katelyn Spanbauer
Secretary – Jen Jirsa
Treasurer – Annie Goffard
Conference Liaison Director – Leah Rozeski
Conference Liaison Director-Elect – Lori Giese*
Core Leadership Area Director – Sheree Yates
Certification / Programming Director – Kortney Jenks
College Relations Director – Sarah Reuter*
Government/Legislative Affairs Director – Jay Stephany
Inclusion & Belonging Director – Vacant
Membership Director – Jessica VanderPloeg*
SHRM Foundation Director – Kellie Dunn-Poggemann
Workforce Readiness Director – Wade Schenk*
Communications/Social Media Director – Taylor Forshee
Leadership Director – Pam Berkovitz
Partnership & Sponsorship Director – Ian Weide*
District Director Northwest – Jill Gorres
District Director North Central – Bobbie Moore
District Director Northeast – Margaret Baltus
District Director Southwest – Anita Herrick*
District Director Southeast – Brittany Hanson
*-First year in Council role

I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to each of our new and returning Core State Council Directors! Your commitment to WI SHRM will fuel our success, and I have no doubt that with your talents and our teamwork, 2026 will be a year of impact, personal growth, and shared victories. Here's to supporting one another every step of the way – let’s go!










Jeff Palkowski, MHRM, SHRM-SCP, PHR, PMQ
State Director 2025/2026


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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

Jeff Palkowski, MHRM, SHRM-SCP, PMQ, PHR, recently retired from public service after several HR positions with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State of Wisconsin. He has worked in private and public sector human resources roles and has been an active member of SHRM at the national, state, and local chapter levels since 2003.

Jeff will serve as the State Director of the Wisconsin State Council SHRM in 2025-2026, is the Ambassador for Individual Giving for the SHRM Foundation, and is a SHRM Foundation Leadership Circle member. He previously served as the Director of Government Affairs, District Director South West and South East, Communications and Social Media Director, State Director-Elect for Wisconsin State Council SHRM, and a volunteer leader for the Greater Madison Area SHRM and Blackhawk HRA chapters.

Jeff is active on social media and is Hootsuite Social Marketing Certified. He has been invited to serve on the SHRM Annual Conference Influencer Teams since 2019 and brought this concept to Wisconsin to establish the WI SHRM State Conference SMILE Team in 2021. He has appeared on HR-related podcasts, including We’re Only Human Show, HR Mixtape, SHRM HR Storytellers, HR Social Hour, Life in the Leadership Lane, HR Like a Boss, Be Well with Mel, and HR Break Room. He has also been cited in numerous media publications and is a contributor to the book “Drive with Purpose: Move Your Career from Success to Significance” by Bruce Waller. Jeff posts on his blog, HRSushiBar.com, and you can follow him on X (@JeffPally) and LinkedIn.

Jeff serves on the board for DisruptHR Madison and was a featured speaker for their 2024 re-launch event. He is an advocate and supporter of the HR Conference Cruise. Jeff received the HRUnite! Ambassador Award in 2022 and 2024 for volunteer service to the HR profession.

Jeff is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), SHRM People Manager Qualified (PMQ), and a State of Wisconsin Notary Public. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications-Journalism (BA) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM) with distinction from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Jeff has completed additional coursework at Cardinal Stritch University, Purdue University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

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.