In 1991, public sector HR wasn’t part of the plan for Jackie Wehmeyer, who had just graduated from college with hopes of becoming a reporter.
“After graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, [I was] waiting for the local newspaper to have a job opening,” says Wehmeyer, who received her B.A. in mass communications from the University of South Florida in 1991.
“I needed to get a job, and the local hospital was the largest employer in the area,” she continues. “I applied for a floor secretary position, and the HR assistant told me that, since I had a degree, I should apply for the HR secretary position that had just opened up, and [had not yet been] advertised.”
Wehmeyer took that advice, and she soon decided to put down her reporter’s notepad for good.
“I ended up falling in love with everything about HR, and I never looked back.”
She held that position as human resources assistant with Naples Community Hospital for nearly two years, before moving on to take a role as a personnel assistant with the City of Boca Raton.
“I fell in love all over again, and never left public service,” says Wehmeyer, who is currently the senior director of strategy and intergovernmental affairs with the City of Parkland, Fla.
“Working with and for people who serve residents in all kinds of important areas like police, fire, public works and utilities gave me a purpose in what my work was. Serving those who serve the public has continued to be the centering focus of my career.”
Wehmeyer has been with the City of Parkland since December 2018, when she joined the City as its director of human resources. She transitioned into her current role in March 2022.
In total, Wehmeyer’s resume includes more than 30 years in the public sector, serving a number of other Florida towns and cities in a number of HR positions—human resources director with the City of Coconut Creek, director of HR and risk management with the Town of Jupiter and director of human resources with the City of Margate, for instance.
Through it all, she’s been part of the PSHRA community. Wehmeyer first joined the organization as a member in 1998, at the urging of senior leadership within the City of Coconut Creek.
“The state-based associations at that time—there was no local PSHRA chapter then—seemed to have tunnel vision. [They were good at] understanding more local issues, but not expanding possibilities beyond that,” she says.
“I joined PSHRA after finding it online, and felt like I’d found the untapped resources I needed to connect with other public sector HR professionals across the country for new ideas.”
Wehmeyer went on to become a member of PSHRA’s Executive Council, eventually serving as PSHRA’s national president in 2018.
“The association has always ensured every member is important, heard and valued, and that spoke to me profoundly,” she says. “And by serving PSHRA, I’ve formed lifelong friendships and created memories that I cherish.”
She points to her experience preparing to deliver the president’s opening welcome at PSHRA’s 2018 national conference in Phoenix as an example.
“Sure, I’d addressed plenty of large groups before, but looking out over the crowd of hundreds of fellow PSHRA members—the largest I’d ever spoken to—it hit me how important, humbling and nerve-wracking that moment was,” says Wehmeyer.
“A few of my friends, my conference manager and fellow PSHRA executive committee members got me centered and ready to go. That’s what PSHRA is: people who care about supporting each other, people who care about service to others and people who give of themselves, always.”
18 August 2026
Category
Stories of Impact
