#WISHRM25 SMILE Team Spotlight: Inga Cushman

Taylor Forshee, MBA, SHRM-CP, GPHR
Oct 7
5 min read

It is an honor to lead the 2025 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. What inspired you to pursue a career in Human Resources? Was there a moment or a mentor that sparked your interest?

I’ve worked in local government my entire professional career. I always talk about Human Resources being the “hot potato” of local government management. Sometimes it sits with the Treasurer who may toss it to the Clerk who may toss it to someone else when they can. Sometimes your organization goes through a reorganization and it lands with the former intern who was hired on full-time a year prior post-graduation. That’s basically the story of how I ended up managing HR, and I haven’t looked back since.

2. What’s your favorite part about being an HR professional today? Any recent trends or topics you’re especially passionate about?

Two areas I’ve been focusing on more are employee engagement and conflict resolution. In local government there is always limited resources. We’re working to be as efficient as possible with the funds that are available, and we also want to maintain an engaged team so turnover is lower and our employees continue to do their best work for the community. I’m always interested to hear what other organizations are doing in this area. Conflict resolution is a critical skill to have for leaders and HR professionals. I think we’re often conflict avoidant and don’t always see the benefit in working through conflict and sitting in the discomfort (myself included). This is an area I’ve been working to develop in myself so I can be a better resource for my organization.

3. Why did you volunteer for the 2025 WI SHRM SMILE Team? What does this experience mean to you?

My first year on the SMILE Team was last year in 2024. It was a great experience connecting with speakers and other HR professionals with a similar interest in communications. I learned a lot last year, and I’m excited to be on the team again with a few more insights on how to make this experience even better.

I said this in my Q&A last year, but I think it’s worth stating again. 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. Our time is a valuable commodity, and I think it’s important to critically evaluate opportunities that may come along to ensure they're in alignment with where we want to be now and in the future.

4. How do you plan to connect with attendees through social media during the conference? Any creative ideas or strategies you're excited to try?

I’m active on LinkedIn, so be sure to follow me there - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingacushman

Also follow me on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ingacushman/. There you will likely also get an overabundance of hockey related updates in the coming weeks, but I hope you enjoy that content as well!

If anyone is interested in doing a video and/or audio interview at the conference, I’ll bring my equipment! It would be great to post some live coverage.

5. What’s one tip you’d give to HR professionals trying to build their presence on LinkedIn or other platforms? (Or, what's helped you the most?)

Post, Connect, and Engage.

With any social media strategy, it’s important to take the time to post original content. This provides individuals an opportunity to get to know you better and drives the algorithm.

I love to connect with people. I may not know them “in real life,” but I love to see what others are posting and talking about. It’s one way I can stay informed beyond the small bubble I live in each day.

Engage with those you connect with. Don’t just scroll through without at least leaving a 👍. Better yet, leave a comment or repost their content.

6. Which part of the WI SHRM State Conference are you most looking forward to? (A speaker, session, activity, etc.)

I always look forward to the content at WI SHRM Conferences. The speakers have all been outstanding in the past, and I’m excited to grow and learn with a large, amazing group of HR pros. All of the speakers I've interviewed so far have been phenomenal, and all attendees are in for another amazing conference!

7. What’s your go-to social media platform, and why? How do you use it to stay connected professionally?

My go-to platform professionally is LinkedIn, but I do sprinkle in some personal news and updates on that platform. I think it humanizes the person and helps develop a deeper connection.

My go-to platform for personal is Facebook, and Instagram has become a weird mix of business and personal. I love creating reels on Instagram and sharing them to other platforms.

8. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day in HR? Any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

I’m at a phase in life where my husband and I are the taxi company for our family. Both of our children are active and involved in sports and activities, so our nights are typically filled with taking them places. However, I have been doing my best to carve out those “waiting times” for something other than cracking open my laptop to do some extra work. I’ve been using it to complete some volunteer obligations, read a book, or visit with some other parents.

9. Share one fun fact people might not know about you.

When I was attending UW-Whitewater, I studied abroad in Ecuador for the Fall 2005 semester. It was an amazing experience and one I think about regularly. We had so many opportunities to connect with the people and culture and explore the country.

10. If you had to describe the SMILE Team in one word, what would it be and why?

Connection. The SMILE Team is here to connect conference attendees with information, session speakers, and vendors. This is the only conference I’ve attended where this type of group is established, and I think it’s so helpful.

Meet Inga:

Inga Cushman became the Village of Cottage Grove’s first Human Resources Manager in August 2023 and, in October 2024, expanded her role to Assistant Administrator/Human Resources Manager, adding responsibilities such as communications. Before accepting this position, 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, Gwen and Diana. 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).