Winners of the 2025 SHRM Impact Awards Recognized for Exceptionally Bold, Human-Centered Work

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, SHRM, the trusted authority on all things work, workers, and the workplace, has announced the winners of the 2025 SHRM Impact Award, recognizing Chapters and State Councils for their outstanding, purpose-driven contributions to the HR profession and broader communities.

“The SHRM Impact Award celebrates the extraordinary leadership and innovation demonstrated by our Chapters and State Councils across the nation,” said Gloria Sinclair Miller, SHRM-SCP, SHRM’s Vice President, Membership & Customer Community Experience. “These honorees are not only advancing the HR profession—they are transforming lives, strengthening communities, and setting new standards for purpose-driven action. Their commitment to building better workplaces and a more inclusive world of work exemplifies the very best of SHRM’s mission. We are proud to recognize their achievements and inspired by their vision for the future of work.”

This year’s ten winning initiatives demonstrate exceptional leadership and innovation across a range of critical areas:

• Allatoona SHRM and SHRM Calhoun County
  • Honored for their innovative partnerships with correctional institutions, providing job readiness support to facilitate successful inmate reentry.
• Kosciusko HRA
  • Recognized for its impactful jail chemical addiction program aimed at workforce integration.
• Texas SHRM State Council and SHRM California State Council
  • Jointly recognized for their disaster response efforts, demonstrating exceptional cross-state coordination in addressing severe flooding and wildfires and setting a new standard for resilience and crisis support.
• Anchorage SHRM
  • Stood out for its career coaching programs helping displaced workers and students.
• CenTex SHRM
  • Introduced a bilingual training roadshow to empower small business owners.
• Dodge County SHRM
  • Celebrated for its advocacy securing childcare stabilization funding.
• Great River Human Resources Association
  • Earned recognition for developing peer-based mentorship micro-communities.
• Greater Pensacola SHRM
  • Honored for launching a youth mentorship initiative.
• Kansas State Council of SHRM 
  • The council scaled its HR Registered Apprenticeship Program, broadening access to critical HR training. Greater Richmond SHRM developed a scalable toolkit to foster organizational inclusion, setting new standards for I&D practices.

These award-winning initiatives exemplify how HR leadership can drive positive change, strengthen communities, and shape the future of work.

The 2025 SHRM Impact Award winners will be formally honored at the SHRM Volunteer Leaders’ Business Meeting (VLBM) in Cancun. Finalists and Honorable Mentions will also be recognized.  

About SHRM

SHRM is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. Discover more at SHRM.org.