Milwaukee HR Leadership
Milwaukee HR leaders elevate their organizations through strategic workforce and culture initiatives.
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Key Points
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Stephanie Todd rebuilt Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee's HR function for 500+ employees, reworking policies, processes and compliance while expanding the HR team and infrastructure; colleagues note her dedication and long hours spent advancing critical initiatives.
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Dee Brown led the Copilot learning series for more than 1,600 West Bend Insurance associates, pairing AI-enabled skills with a focus on adaptability, continuous learning and responsible AI use to position AI as a tool that enhances human expertise rather than replaces it.
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Manny Lara, a founding member of The People Collective, helped Ready Rebound scale its workforce while maintaining a strong employee experience; his recruiting leadership contributed to an exceptionally talented base that colleagues say rivals companies many times its size.
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Dionna Gavin at Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast added the Empowering Our People strategic priority to the 2030 plan, and standardized recruitment by updating job descriptions to reduce barriers and improve interview feedback and communication across HR, hiring staff and seasonal workers.
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Laquitha “Elle” Bonds-Jones at Milwaukee Area Technical College launched Voice of the College Live to solicit employee input (generating 300+ responses) and started the Emerging Leaders program (since 2025) producing 11 graduates with 9 promotions; internal hires accounted for 65% of open positions, with 82% of those resulting in promotions.
Milwaukee-area HR leaders are reshaping how their organizations attract, develop, and retain talent. From nonprofits to insurance firms to community colleges, these five professionals are implementing strategic people operations that strengthen workplace culture and drive growth across Wisconsin BizTimes.
Rebuilding HR Infrastructure for a Growing Nonprofit
Stephanie Todd, HR manager at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, overhauled the HR function for over 500 employees. She rebuilt policies, processes, and compliance systems while expanding the HR team and infrastructure BizTimes. Colleagues praise her dedication and the long hours she invested in advancing critical initiatives that align the organization with best practices.
Preparing Workforces for AI-Powered Change
Dee Brown, senior vice president and chief HR officer at West Bend Insurance, is building organizational capabilities for long-term growth. She launched a Copilot learning series that trains more than 1,600 associates on AI-enabled skills BizTimes. The program emphasizes adaptability, continuous learning, and responsible AI use—positioning AI as a tool that enhances human expertise rather than replaces it.
Scaling Growth While Maintaining Strong Culture
Manny Lara, director of HR at Ready Rebound, has guided the company through rapid growth and national expansion while preserving employee experience BizTimes. As a founding member of The People Collective, he spearheaded recruitment efforts that built a talented workforce colleagues say rivals companies many times Ready Rebound's size. His work earned him the Golden Shield Award for exceptional employee experience.
Embedding HR as a Strategic Business Partner
Dionna Gavin, chief people officer at Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, elevated HR's role in organizational strategy. She added the Empowering Our People priority to the organization's 2030 plan BizTimes. Gavin standardized recruitment by updating job descriptions to reduce barriers and improved interview feedback and communication across HR, hiring staff, and seasonal workers.
Creating Pathways for Employee Voice and Advancement
Laquitha "Elle" Bonds-Jones, vice president of HR at Milwaukee Area Technical College, launched Voice of the College Live to gather employee input—generating over 300 responses BizTimes. She also started the Emerging Leaders program, which has produced 11 graduates with 9 promotions since 2025. Internal hires now account for 65% of open positions, with 82% of those resulting in promotions, demonstrating the program's impact on retention and career growth.
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