Kelly Kauffman

Today is a new day.

Chicken Little

In the fast-paced world of HR, no two days are the same, which is what I love about working in this field! As Chicken Little said above, each new day gives us a fresh start and the opportunity to solve a problem, help an employee learn and develop new skills, and be fulfilled and motivated in our work.

Working for a professional sports team for 12 years allowed me to grow in my creativity, confidence, and drive, all while focused on winning a championship, which happened in 2021 with an NBA Championship and in 2024 with the NBA Cup! Ask me about the time I had to make the call to order 250 bottles of champagne before Game 6.

When I'm not solving HR issues, you can find me spending time with my two college-aged kids and our two dogs - Bobby Portis, the Bernedoodle, and Frankie, the Bernese Mountain Dog.

Expertise

A true HR generalist with an extensive background in employee relations, organizational development, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, labor relations, and learning and development.

I have extensive experience in sports and entertainment, manufacturing, and the public sector industries.

I thrive on working on complex employee issues in fast-paced environments.

I love working with small to mid-sized companies that require nimble HR processes to meet the demands of the organizations they support.

Key Accomplishments

• Created the HR department at the Milwaukee Bucks from the ground up, setting the foundation in building a world-class sports organization by supporting the team's long-term strategy and goals, including the implementation of organizational development, talent strategy, employee relations, and inclusion practices.
• Played an instrumental role in the opening of Fiserv Forum, including the execution of large-scale recruiting events, which resulted in onboarding over 1,000 employees over a 4-month period.
• Created and oversaw NBA best-practice programming, including Antler Academy, the Bucks' internal learning and development programming, and succession planning processes.

Education

• BA in Psychology from Marquette University
• Certified Executive Coach with the Center for Executive Coaching

Professional and Community Activities

• Current member of the Marquette Mentors Leadership Council
• Former board member of Make-A-Wish Wisconsin