Tim Wallen, CPP, President of the Payroll Professionals of Kentuckiana, offers insights into the chapter’s journey and the factors contributing to their impressive 30-year success.
- Tell us about your chapter?
The Payroll Professionals of Kentuckiana (PPK) was officially registered with the Kentucky Secretary of State on September 15, 1993. A group of individuals dedicated to the payroll profession, joined together to form this chapter. The initial slate of officers included members from various industries throughout the Kentucky and southern Indiana region. Today our Chapter has 56 members representing employers with W-2 counts from 10 to over 600,000. - What do you feel are your secrets to success?
We’ve seen changes in the corporate structures over the years with fewer companies paying member dues. We have worked hard to keep our fees minimal while providing learning and networking opportunities for our members. We have tried a variety of marketing methods including direct mails to businesses in the area as well as publishing our meeting notices in the local business publications. Today we have a LinkedIn account and post chapter events on that page. We host an annual conference day each year and have that information posted on the PayrollOrg site. - Tell us about yourself?
I was Controller in my former position. The payroll department reported to me. With only 800 employees, there was only one Payroll Administrator. She was one of the charter members of PPK. I left that position in 2008. In 2011, I began a Payroll Consulting job for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. While I had worked in and around payroll much of my career, I suddenly found myself needing a better understanding of payroll to work with an employee population of approximately 46,000. I joined the PPK chapter in 2012. I was a member at large my first year and then was approached to serve as an officer shortly after joining. I have served continually in a variety of roles through the years but have spent much of my time as Vice-President. That position is responsible for arranging speakers for the monthly meetings. In 2013, I enrolled in the PayTrain program through one of our local universities and achieved my CPP certification that year. - What about your chapter are you most proud of?
There are two things that I am proud of for our chapter. First, we host an annual conference day each year. While we have speakers from our local area, I try to arrange someone from the national organization to attend. We’ve had two former Presidents of PAYO to attend our conference and speak as well as notable PayrollOrg staff. I believe that helps us remain connected to the national organization.
The second thing I am proud of is our Certification Study Groups. We’ve offered these through the years both in person and via the zoom platform. I have viewed this as an opportunity to help me study the material to keep it fresh in my mind. However, it’s always an exciting event when participants from the study group pass the exam and become newly certified CPP’s and FPC’s. - What is your favorite part of being Chapter President?
Barbara Youngman was a speaker at one of our conference days in the past. She said that our organizations need volunteers to be successful. I have enjoyed my service as President. Serving in a leadership capacity has given me opportunities to network with individuals, not only at the local chapter level, but also at the national level. Having those opportunities helps me bring topics and speakers to our meetings which is a benefit to us all. - Do you have any advice for chapters that may be struggling?
Talk with other chapter leaders. There is a wealth of knowledge that can be obtained by reaching out and talking with members from other chapters. Join Facebook and LinkedIn groups for other chapters. That gives you an opportunity to see how other chapters are marketing themselves. Finally, don’t be afraid to try new things. We have tried different meeting formats through the years. Some have proven successful and others not so much. Use each of those experiences as learning events.
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