Mirissa Wolfson: Committed to Improving Processes and Providing Excellent Service

Mirissa Wolfson has been a public servant with the Town of Danville, Calif. for five years. Public sector HR, however, is a little newer to her.

“I actually started my career with the Town working in economic development and community events, and later held a few other positions within the organization prior to joining human resources,” says Wolfson, who is currently the Town’s human resources manager.

Wolfson, who is also a former senior manager of administration in the grocery and consumer packaged goods industry, credits her positions outside of HR for preparing her to take the reins of the Town’s HR department.

Wolfson was hired to serve as the Town’s administrative services coordinator for the economic development and community events team in 2021. She was reclassed to administrative assistant for the general government division in 2022, and was elevated to HR technician in 2023. Wolfson was promoted to human resources manager two years later.

“Those experiences gave me a strong understanding of Town operations and allowed me to build relationships across multiple departments. I really enjoyed the opportunity to support both the organization and the community in a meaningful way.”

These roles helped Wolfson develop a strong background in operations, employee relations and organizational support, and ultimately helped make her transition to HR a natural one, she says.

“I believe that experience has helped me become a stronger partner to hiring managers and staff, while allowing me to combine my private sector leadership experience with my passion for public service.”

Wolfson joined PSHRA as a member in August 2025—shortly after taking over as HR manager for the Town of Danville and its 95 full-time employees—to connect with peers, share ideas and learn from others in similar roles.

“As a smaller organization, it has been incredibly valuable to have access to a network of other public sector HR professionals who understand the unique challenges and responsibilities that come with local government,” she says, adding that PSHRA’s training and educational opportunities have been especially helpful.

Such offerings “are specifically tailored to public sector HR,” continues Wolfson. “The content is directly relevant to the work we do every day, which has helped me continue to grow professionally, and to better support our organization and our employees.”

Wolfson is eager to continue her growth within public sector HR, while continuing to expand her knowledge and experience in all aspects of human resources.

“I am passionate about finding ways to improve processes and streamline operations where possible,” she says, “both to create efficiencies internally and to provide a better experience for employees and [Town job] applicants.”

She has a clear vision for the Town’s HR function going forward as well.

“I hope to continue helping evolve the department into a strong support system for both our employees and external applicants,” says Wolfson.

“I believe HR plays an important role in shaping organizational culture and employee experience, and I want to continue contributing to building a department that is responsive, collaborative and focused on providing excellent service.”