This year, our shared pursuit of excellence was evident in every initiative:

• We began with a StrengthsFinder exercise, deepening our self-awareness and collaboration as a State Council.
• Our webinars tackled timely topics—immigration law, Proposition A, and advocacy—featuring influential voices from the Missouri Chamber, elected officials, and legal expertise.

• Early career professionals and students benefited from a three-part webinar series on business etiquette, networking, and interview preparation, while experienced professionals engaged in Listening Intelligence assessments and learning to enhance overall communication.
• We built connections at VLBM in Mexico and concluded the year with a well-attended Employment Law Conference.

Each milestone reflects our collective dedication to advancing the HR profession in Missouri. I am deeply appreciative of your trust, partnership, and the friendships formed along the way.

As I pass the torch to John Marino, the 2026 State Director, I am confident that Missouri SHRM will continue to thrive under new leadership. Thank you for allowing me to serve you—it has truly been an honor and a joy.

Wishing you continued success and growth, and a Happy New Year.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Stacie Engelmann

Volunteer Leader Summit Recap



The 2025 Volunteer Leader Summit kicked off with Mary Messner, setting the tone for a day focused on leadership development, best-practice sharing, and chapter success. Through interactive sessions and peer engagement, volunteer leaders left with practical ideas to support their roles across Missouri.

Potential Revival of Missouri Paid Sick Leave Protections

The 2025 Missouri legislative session concluded with significant developments that impact employers. At the forefront of the 2025 legislative session was the paid sick leave law – approved by 58% of voters in the 2024 election. Democrats and Republicans in both chambers ultimately could not reach a compromise, resulting in the passage of House Bill 567. With Governor Kehoe’s signature on July 10, 2025, the statewide mandated paid sick leave law was repealed effective of August 28, 2025.

Missouri voters will have another opportunity to consider the issue of paid sick time in the November 2026 election. A ballot initiative to amend the Missouri Constitution (rather than a proposal change to state law) has been filed that would provide a similar paid sick time benefit to Missouri employees with a few key changes such as allowing an employer to avoid the carryover mandate by frontloading the required paid sick leave at the beginning of the year. The proposed new paid sick time amendment would take effect on February 1, 2027, if it is passed by voters in the 2026 election. Importantly, since the ballot initiative would amend the Missouri Constitution if passed, any repeal would require voter approval.

2026 Legislative and Election Outlook

Looking ahead to the 2026 legislative session, employers in Missouri should prepare for potential challenges related to property tax reform, energy reform, and education reform. The state's budgetary constraints, with a forecasted shortfall of $1 billion in the General Revenue fund, may lead to further budget cuts and impact public services that businesses rely on. Missouri SHRM will monitor pre-filings for bills that would impact Missouri employers.  

The 2026 midterm election is shaping up to be critical on the statewide level. Although no major statewide offices will be on the ballot, there are several ballot initiatives that will likely drive voter turnout. The ballot initiatives include the paid sick leave amendment referenced above, as well as initiatives seeking to overturn much of the 2024 constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, upend the ballot initiative process, and restrict the legislature’s ability to undo measures approved by voters.  

Join MOSHRM for this FREE webinar featuring Ben Eden of LifeGuides, focused on what truly drives effective frontline leadership. This session offers a research-backed perspective and practical takeaways HR professionals and people leaders can apply immediately to support stronger leadership outcomes.

Overview

As we close out the quarter, here are the most important SHRM Certification updates and opportunities for Missouri HR professionals and chapter leaders.

SHRM continues to evolve its certification offerings to better support exam preparation, professional growth, and recertification pathways. These updates also create new opportunities for chapters to engage members and support certification pipelines across the state.

♻ Recertification Providers



Missouri chapters remain SHRM-approved Recertification Providers. Annual provider reaffirmation opens in early October and takes only a few minutes.

🔄 Reinstatement Option



Credentials expired on or after Jan. 31, 2022 may be reinstated without retesting by completing 60 PDCs and submitting the reinstatement fee.

🎯 Growth Opportunities



SHRM specialty credentials and SHRM Essentials of HR support professional development and help chapters strengthen certification pipelines.

At a Glance

📝 Winter Exam Window

SHRM-CP & SHRM-SCP

📅 Dec. 1, 2025 – Feb. 15, 2026

Student, military, and volume pricing available.

Learn more at SHRM.org.

⭐ SHRM Learning System Update

Refreshed Learning System launched December 15, with updated tools and marketing assets available to chapters in January.

Join HR professionals from across Missouri and beyond August 4–7, 2026, at Margaritaville Lake Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks for the 2026 Missouri SHRM State Conference — Home on the Range: Exploring the Evolving HR Frontier. This four-day, lakeside experience blends forward-thinking education with meaningful networking and idea-sharing in a relaxed, energizing setting.

Attendees will gain fresh insights from keynote speakers Rachel Druckenmiller and Paul Long, while exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of HR. Early bird pricing is available until January 15, 2026—don’t miss your chance to save.

Join SHRM Before December 31st

Final days! Join SHRM at 50 percent off before Dec 31. Select your local chapter affiliate and use NewMembersOnly at checkout. New professional members only.