Chase Martin: Grateful for His Path to Public Service

Early in his professional life, the public sector wasn’t necessarily on Chase Martin’s radar. But just one job ad changed his career course for good.

Currently a human resources program manager with the City of Harrisonburg, Va., Martin has spent the bulk of his 15-plus career in the HR department.

Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with an emphasis on financial planning, from Winthrop University in 2013. He got his first HR experience before even graduating from the Rock Hill, S.C.-based school, but his first exposure to public service wouldn’t come for a few more years.

Working as a guest services leader at Toys R’ Us while earning his degree, Martin spent 17 months in that role before earning a promotion to human resources department supervisor in February 2012.

His introduction to the public sector came when he moved to Harrisonburg in the summer of 2015, soon after earning his MBA in human resources management and services from Winthrop.

“I stumbled into the public sector after relocating to Harrisonburg and seeking employment in human resources, which aligned with my education and prior experience,” says Martin.

In the course of his job search, he saw an opening for an HR specialist with the City of Harrisonburg. He got the job, staying in that role for more than a year before moving into an HR generalist position, and then a senior HR generalist role, before becoming HR program manager in November 2025.

Martin had already been part of the PSHRA network for more than seven years when he transitioned into his new role. Encouraged by colleagues who were already PSHRA members and had served in regional chapter leadership roles, Martin joined the organization in June 2018.

“Working in local government HR requires a different set of skills and knowledge compared to private sector HR,” he says. “PSHRA appeared to be an excellent resource for public sector-specific information that I could apply in my day-to-day responsibilities.

“My membership provides me with access to job-specific tools and resources that are not readily available through other professional organizations,” continues Martin, a past recipient of a PSHRA-sponsored scholarship that helped him attend his first public sector HR conference, PSHRA’s 2018 HR International Training Conference & Expo in Phoenix.

Martin’s plans in the days ahead include continuing to build on his HR experience “while further refining recruitment strategies as our organization continues to grow,” and exploring PSHRA certification as a next step in his professional evolution.

Looking back at the first decade of his career as a public servant, though, Martin “can say with confidence that I would not change a thing.

“I am truly grateful to work in public sector HR,” he says, “and I greatly value the relationships I have built with colleagues across the City and through my professional networks.”