WSHRMA 2025 Q3 Newsletter 
President's Report
Dear Members,
As we move forward into this year, I am proud to share that our chapter is making strong progress toward the goals we set. Through your dedication and participation, we are not only strengthening our network but also creating meaningful opportunities for growth, learning, and connection.
Our goals this year are focused on expanding engagement, supporting professional development, and building a strong sense of community.
I also encourage you to check out the many benefits of SHRM membership by visiting this resource: SHRM Membership Benefits Webinar.
- Learn how to maximize your SHRM membership benefits.
- Get answers to your questions about SHRM resources, tools, and support.
- Discover how SHRM can help you tackle HR challenges and advance your career.
I hope that the WSHRMA Road Show was something you were able to pop into when it was in your area. It was a great opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired by our broader HR community.
WSHRMA offers several grant awards. Now is the time to apply! Apply for funds for projects that benefit West Sound area communities. WSHRMA’s mission is to engage the human resource community by providing professional development, relationship building opportunities, and other resources in order to enhance professional growth and optimize strategic workplace contributions in the greater West Sound area. https://wshrma.org/WSHRMA_Grant
Finally, we still have a few board positions open and would love your involvement. Volunteering your time is a meaningful way to give back and help strengthen the HR community here in Kitsap, Clallam and JeffersonCounty. If you’re interested, please reach out—we’d love to have you join us.
Thank you again for your support. Together, we are not just meeting goals—we are making a difference.
With appreciation,
Kirsten Yunuba
Chapter President
In Case You Missed It!
We had so much fun at our summer membership social! Thank you to those who were able to come out and join us. We hope to see more of your faces at the next one! Thank you to our Membership Director, Nathan, for putting together an amazing event!
Meet your Board!
President-Elect, Rachelle Tate, is mom to a beautiful daughter and has been recruiting, administering benefits, and onboarding for 17 years. In the HR field, she is most passionate about recruiting and finding the right person with the skills for the position. Rachelle is most excited this year about bringing the chapter together with excellent speakers and conferences.
Treasurer, Kim Huyber, has enjoyed working in the HR field for over 35 years. Her expertise is in employee relations, benefits administration and payroll. Her favorite part of the HR field is helping and supporting employees. This year, Kim was excited to return to serving on the WSHRMA board. Our chapter is filled with fabulous members.
Secretary, Riley Blaisdell, says if we knew how far we had come, we would know how hard we had worked. Success is a by-product of those around us. His expertise is being great at being a bridge and helping companies find the best solution that fits their team`s needs, even if it doesn`t involve employee benefits. He is most passionate about staying out of HR`s office, unless he is chatting with them about Employee Benefits. Riley is most excited about this year at having the opportunity to learn from and support our peers.
Conference Director, Rachael Taylor, is a married mom of two teenagers. She loves traveling to warm places and spending time with her family. Her expertise is employee and labor relations and is passionate about developing formal and informal leaders and serving the employees in my organization and the community. Rachael is most excited about Conferences! We have some fun things planned for spring and fall in 2025.
We have almost filled out slate of prospective board of directors for 2026! We are still in need of a Communications & Marketing Director. If you have an eye for graphic design and enjoy social media and creating content, this is the volunteer role for you! If you are interested, please reach out to Rachelle at: [email protected].
Calendar of Events
🚗 WSHRMA is Hitting the Road!
WSHRMA is excited to announce our Fall Road Show – a series of pop-up gatherings designed to bring HR professionals together across our chapter territory! These casual, no-host events are a great way to network, share HR topics, and learn more about WSHRMA. Whether you’re a member or a future member, we want to meet you where you are.
Mark your calendars and join us at one (or more!) of these stops:
-
Thursday, Sept 4, 2025 – Essence Coffee Roasters, 461 W Washington St, Sequim | 8–10 AM
-
Thursday, Sept 11, 2025 – ChocMo Café, 19225 8th Ave NE, Suite 101, Poulsbo | 8–10 AM
-
Thursday, Sept 18, 2025 – Coffee Oasis, 822 Burwell St, Bremerton | 8–10 AM
-
Thursday, Sept 25, 2025 – Revive Coffee, 174 SW Sedgwick, Port Orchard | 8–10 AM
Come ready to connect with your peers, exchange ideas, and help shape the future of HR in our community. No registration is required—just grab your coffee and join the conversation!
👉 Learn more at www.wshrma.org
Upcoming Conferences
📣 Register Now for WSHRMA’s Fall Leadership Conference!
WSHRMA is excited to invite you to our Fall Leadership Conference on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at the beautiful Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, WA. This year’s program will feature an engaging and highly practical session:
“Can You Handle the Truth? Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations”
Presented by Jennifer Bouman-Steagall, Attorney and Founder of Red Kite
Jennifer is known for her dynamic, entertaining, and insightful presentations that provide HR and business leaders with tools they can put into practice right away. In this session, she will guide us through the complexities of workplace investigations—an area that carries significant risk but is critical for creating safe, compliant, and equitable workplaces.
What You’ll Learn
-
Understand legal risks tied to harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and how investigations mitigate them.
-
Distinguish between harassment and bullying legally, and when investigations are required.
-
Examine real-world cases of misconduct and gain practical insights.
-
Learn proven steps for conducting effective workplace investigations, including interviewing, documentation, and follow-up.
Event Details
📅 Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
⏰ Time: Breakfast & Doors Open at 8:30 AM; Conference 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Kiana Lodge, Poulsbo, WA
💵 Cost: $129 Members | $149 Future Members
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, network with fellow HR professionals, and walk away with tools to strengthen your workplace practices.
👉 Register today at www.WSHRMA.org
Grants and Awards
WSHRMA is the recipient of the 2025 Chapter Leadership Award from Washington State SHRM! Washington State SHRM recognizes the outstanding efforts of local chapters in driving impactful initiatives that strengthen the HR community. These awards celebrate chapters that demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication to SHRM’s mission of empowering people and workplaces.
WSHRMA did this through launching the WSHRMA Road Show to strengthen connections between the board and HR professionals across their 150-mile geographic region. Recognizing that monthly meetings and email newsletters weren't always accessible to everyone, they aimed to create more personal and direct engagement opportunities. By hosting coffee hours and happy hour gatherings in communities further away from our normal meeting location, they made it easier for members to connect, whether on their way to work or at the end of their day. They also hosted several volunteer opportunities for HR professionals to work together in helping low-income college students and military families with job searching tools and advice. These events were held at various locations and involved developing partnerships with government and non-profit agencies.
WSHRMA's annual Distinguished Member, Scholarship, & Grant Application cycle is NOW OPEN! For more information on how to qualify and apply, please visit the links below.
West Sound Human Resource Management Association - Distinguished Member
West Sound Human Resource Management Association - WSHRMA Scholarship
West Sound Human Resource Management Association - WSHRMA Grant
Ideas and Suggestions
From our Diversity/Workplace Readiness Director, Amanda:
SHRM just rolled out a new resource – Skills First Future https://www.shrm.org/foundation/skills-first-future
The purpose is to help organizations focus on hiring/promoting/retention based on skills vs degrees and helping organizations and employees with future-proofing their teams and careers.
They have a Skills Action Planner to identify the strengths, gaps, and steps to implement a skills-based approach as an organization.
There is also a Resource Library full of employer examples of a wide variety of topics – everything from AI to career navigation to succession planning.
Resources
Being a SHRM member + a local chapter member provides you with exclusive resources you can rely on to advance your career. Join or renew today and experience the best of both worlds!