TF woman honored as HR leader of the year

Ronda Wakefield of Thompson Falls was recently honored as the Montana HR Leader of the Year by the Montana State Council of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

"It honestly was a complete surprise, right up until the time they said my name," Wakefield said of the honor. "It was an incredible honor to be recognized with such an amazing group of HR professionals. I consider myself so blessed, not a day goes by that I dread going to work."

Wakefield was one of nine nominees for the 2024 award. According to the Montana SHRM website, every year, MT SHRM State Council seeks nominations of HR professionals within Montana SHRM Chapters and business community across the state who illustrate the following:

* Demonstrated leadership in serving on committees, task forces, and/or special projects related to developing HR management programs.

* Demonstrated leadership in implementing HR management programs within and beyond his/her HR organization.

* Contributed to the advancement of the HR profession; and

* Contributed to the advancement of MT SHRM's mission through the participation in association activities, projects, committees, and others.

Wakefield operated her own HR consulting firm, NW MT HR Solutions, and is the Director of Employee Development and Success at Quinn's Hot Springs Resort.

" With 150 employees at Quinn's, there is never a dull moment and such an incredible group of people to work with," she said. Wakefield worked as a consultant for Quinn's before going to work for the resort near Paradise two years ago. "I also enjoy helping other business owners with HR needs, training, and recruiting. At the end of the day, it's all about helping great people find amazing careers, I know I did," Wakefield added.

In her early career, Wakefield worked in human services, helping children and families. "At some point my heart strings couldn't take it anymore and I switched to Human Resources, helping employees and employers," she said. Wakefield has a degree in Human Resources/Organizational Communication from MSU Billings. From there, she went on to earn the highest HR certifications, SPHR and SHRM-SCP. "In addition, I've completed multiple specialty credentials that are HR focused, all through SHRM. SHRM has allowed me to continue to grow in the profession. The educational and travel opportunities have been endless. SHRM has also provided me with over $15,000 in educational scholarships/awards to continue enhancing my knowledge and skills. At the end of the day, my favorite thing about SHRM is the people I have met, many are now lifelong friends," she said.

Wakefield has been a SHRM member since 2006. "My boss at the time, Cheri Nelson with Express Employment Professionals, encouraged me to attend a meeting and it just so happened that the board secretary had quit, my boss encouraged me to take on the role," she explained. She was secretary of the board for two years and has been in a leadership role with SHRM ever since. "I held almost every role on the Kalispell board, ended as Chapter President and then went on to participate in the State Council. I've been on the State Council for 7 or 8 years, currently serving as the first 2-year term Director for the Montana SHRM State Council," she noted.

The intention of this award is to recognize exceptional HR leaders who not only serve their organizations but who also contribute through HR leadership in their communities. The award was announced at the MT HR Conference in Kalispell.

In their letter nominating Wakefield, Diana Piccono and Adam Ragsdale highlighted Wakefield's accomplishments. "One of her greatest career achievements was being selected to be one of the founding Inclusion Captains for the SHRM Veterans at Work Certificate Program, representing Montana," they wrote. Wakefield said the veteran community holds a special place in her heart. "My dad is an Air Force Disabled Vietnam veteran, my brother is an Air Force Gulf War veteran, my son is an Army Iraqi War veteran, and my daughter-in-law is a Navy veteran," she stated. "I was able to invest a lot of time working with organizations who wanted to develop successful veterans hiring programs as well as assisting veterans with resume writing and job seeking. "I saw firsthand the struggles that my immediate family went through transitioning from military to civilian work and it compelled me to do whatever I could to help."