#WISHRM24 SMILE Team Spotlight: Inga Cushman

Taylor Forshee, MBA, SHRM-CP, GPHR
Jul 23, 2024
4 min read

It is an honor to lead the 2024 WI SHRM State Conference SMILE Team. This year's team is made up of six amazing HR professionals who are excited to share some pre-conference sneak peeks and share their conference experiences with all.

Today, I spoke with one member of the SMILE Team, Inga Cushman, about her career, SHRM volunteering, and more!

Q & A with Inga:

1. How did you get your start in HR?

I’ve worked in local government in some capacity since 2006. My observation has been that Human Resources is often the “hot potato” of smaller municipalities. Sometimes it lands with the treasurer who will toss it to the clerk if they have the opportunity who will toss it to someone else. My municipality was going through a reorganization in 2012, and I was in a newly created full-time position after interning for the organization for four years and recently completing my Masters in Public Administration (MPA). This was when the Human Resources responsibilities were tossed to me, and I’ve enjoyed the work ever since!

2. This is your first year as a SMILE Team member. What are you most excited about?

Whenever I volunteer for a new opportunity, I think about three things: 1) The connections I’ll make, 2) The impact I may have, and 3) How this may develop or improve a new or existing skill. For this opportunity, I’m excited to meet more people involved in SHRM and human resources management in Wisconsin. I believe I will make an impact in this role by helping to share tips and other insights about the WI SHRM conference. Finally, this will be a great opportunity to work on my social media skills and explore ways to provide information to conference attendees in different ways.

3. Which three sessions are you most excited to attend at the 2024 WI SHRM State Conference?

I saw Sarah Noll Wilson is presenting in two sessions, so I will definitely be checking both of those out! She was the closing keynote at last year’s conference. If you’re not able to attend her sessions, read her book Don’t Feed the Elephants. I also enjoy the work humanworks8 does, and I heard Shawn Gulyas speak at the WI SHRM conference last year. I’m excited to hear from another person from his team, AJ Kruse, during his presentation called The Missing Piece: Understanding People & Productivity through Conation.

4. What type of conference content can followers expect to see from you?

Some tips on how to maximize your time at the conference and key takeaways from conference sessions. Plus, I love a group selfie!

5. Outside of being a hardworking HR professional and dedicated SHRM volunteer leader, what do you like to do for fun?

I am a chronic volunteer. Is that a thing? When I’m not working my full-time job, I’m serving on the Community Impact Council for the United Way Blackhawk Region, Janesville Youth Hockey Club board as the Member and External Relations Director, Story Gardens Subcommittee for the Milton Public Library, Milton Lions Club as the Secretary and Charter Member, Blackhawk Human Resource Association (BHRA) board as the Professional Development Director, and Wisconsin City/County Management Association (WCMA) board as the Region Coordinator. I’m also a dance mom, hockey mom, soccer mom, and whatever-else-my-kids-decide-to-pursue mom. I love watching my kids experience new things and find success and growth in the activities they choose to pursue.

6. What are three things that should be on every conference attendee's packing list?

Business Cards to give to vendors and other contacts, water bottle to stay hydrated, and charging pack to keep your phone or other electronics charged during the day. If I can add a fourth item – good walking shoes! It’s a hike to get from the conference center to some of the hotel rooms.

7. The WI SHRM State Conference is during the beginning of 'spooky season.' What is your favorite party about 'spooky season?'

I love all of the family events. Our local high school has a trick-or-treat event that all of the high school activities participate in. The trunk-or-treat events are always fun, too. And, of course, trick-or-treating on Halloween is a must-do annual activity in the Cushman house. There are so many fun options for families to do and usually in costumes so you get a little more use out of them than just a few hours on Halloween.

Meet Inga:

Inga Cushman is the first Human Resources Manager for the Village of Cottage Grove. Before accepting this position in August 2023, Inga worked for the City of Milton for 16 years in various capacities – from human resources management and communications, to park planning and historic preservation efforts.

Inga earned her bachelor’s degree from UW-Whitewater in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. One of her greatest experiences during college was studying abroad in Ecuador for a semester. During undergrad, she also interned for the City of Milton. From there, her aspirations to become a famous news reporter and travel the world transformed into making a difference at the local level through work in local government. Inga went on to earn her MPA from Northern Illinois University and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Inga was recognized as an ELGL Top Influencer in Local Government (formerly known as the ELGL Traeger Awards) for 2019. ELGL recognizes 100 top influencers in local government in the United States each year.

Outside of work, Inga enjoys spending time with her husband, Kayne, and two kids, Diana and Gwen. The Cushmans love to have fun and regularly seek out new experiences to have together.

Connect with Inga on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/ingacushman) or Instagram (@ingacushman).