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About Us

    The Society for Human Resource Management has more than 607 affiliate chapters and state councils that provide additional programming and networking opportunities in their local area. For more than 75 years, SHRM has helped transform workplaces for the better, making them more efficient, empathetic and resilient. SHRM chapters are autonomous organizations, so it is not automatic that you will be a member of your local chapter when you join SHRM at the national level, and vice versa. To learn more about our local chapter, SHRM Western Kansas, contact us at wkhrma@gmail.com.

    OUR MISSION

    Develop a strong network of western Kansas human resource professionals and facilitate their growth so they may add value to the companies they serve. We are the SHRM Western Kansas Chapter. We are affiliated with the Society for Human Resource Management. We are a professional organization for persons specifically engaged in personnel or human resource management. Designed to further high standards of performance and professionalism among its members. Join us today!

    WHAT IS SHRM WESTERN KANSAS?

    SHRM Western Kansas is a professional organization for persons specifically engaged in personnel or human resource management. Designed to further high standards of performance and professionalism among its members, we are affiliated with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

    HISTORY OF OUR CHAPTER
    (originally Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association)

    After attending a KS SHRM conference in 2002, it occurred to me there were no close local chapters in Western Kansas for HR professionals to meet regularly and network. I obtained a list of attendees at the conference and wrote a letter to all who had attended from the Western Kansas area to determine if there was an interest in starting a local chapter. Twenty-five of us from various towns in Western Kansas met at Midwest Energy (Hays, Kansas) to discuss the need for a chapter It was agreed to start the charter process with SHRM. It took a couple months, but in December of 2002 we received our charter. Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association (WKHRMA) had its official chapter meeting in January of 2003 in the basement of the old Commerce Bank (Hays, Kansas). And as the saying goes – the rest is history. Linda Miller, WKHRMA’s first Chapter President (2003)

    In October 2024, we underwent a rebranding to align more closely with the SHRM Master Brand. At that time, we changed our name from WKHRMA (Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association) to SHRM Western Kansas and unveiled a new logo. As part of our ongoing commitment to serve our community with greater impact, this transition was a reflection of our shared values and mission with SHRM as we work to create better workplaces and a better world.

    WKHRMA PRESIDENTS

    2003      Linda Miller
    2004      Tom Zerfas
    2005      Brad Schumacher
    2006      Ed Webb
    2007       Linda Frederick
    2008      Chris Burger
    2009      Phyllis LaShell
    2010       Cathy McKinley
    2011       Camber Borland
    2012      Phyllis LaShell
    2013       Erin Giebler
    2014      Jordan Kroeger
    2015      Steve Stults
    2016      Sherry Dryden
    2017      Megan Ball
    2018      Erin Giebler
    2019      LeAnn Brown
    2020      Hannah Hilker
    2021      Christine Stacken
    2022      Liesel Sims-Staab
    2023      Liesel Sims-Staab
    2024      Amanda Cadle
    2025      Amanda Cadle