Kristine Willson, CPP, is the American Payroll Association’s Region 4 Advisor. She serves as the liaison between APA and local chapters in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Learn more about Kristine with our exclusive Q&A session!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in a small town in Southwest Washington. I've been working since the day I learned how to count. My parents owned businesses and I helped with the annual inventory. I was always tasked with the "fun" items to count, like smelly, powdery soap that caused constant sneezing, and beads (not tubes, but individual beads!).
I still live in Washington but I am now living up north. I've lived in Washington all my life except for one year when I lived in Bamberg, Germany. My dream is to retire in Europe. Until that day comes, I keep busy volunteering at my community's local food bank. I am on the food bank’s board as Treasurer, and this year I coordinated the distribution of toys for the children's Christmas presents. I have been amazed at the outpouring of generosity from the small community where I live. It is heartwarming to know how many caring, generous people there are in a community. I am a quilter and miss my quilting friends and our in-person, daylong quilt sessions.
My payroll journey started in 1991. Until the day I came to work and was “voluntold” I'd be working in payroll and accounting positions. I cannot think of a more suitable profession. I like the challenges payroll provides, with its ever-changing laws, assisting employees with their questions, and mentoring other payroll professionals. I especially love the community this profession has built. Having made a lot of friends attending Congress each year, I know I can reach out to my payroll friends for help and receive it.
How long have you been involved with APA and local chapters?
I went to my first Rainier Chapter meeting in the summer of 1996. That led me to the APA, which I joined later the same year. I was excited to learn about payroll certification, which I earned in 1997.
Both locally and nationally I volunteered to be on committees from day one. I have been President (three terms), vice president, government liaison, conference chairperson (for eight years), vendor relations, membership chair, website administrator, on the road meeting coordinator, and newsletter editor for the Rainier Chapter.
At the national level, I started with Hotline Referral Service, then ventured out to other committees: Electronic Payments Committee, CHAMPS (Chapters Helping APA-chapters Make Payroll Shine), Strategic Payroll Leadership Task Force - Global Issues, and on the Government Relations Task Force I have served on the State and Local Topics and Federal Issues Subcommittees. I was invited to join the National Speakers Bureau and was a speaker at APA's Congress. I have received the Meritorious Service Award, Special Recognition Award, and was honored to be named 2019 Payroll Woman of the Year.
I became a Regional Advisor in 2020 and look forward to mentoring and helping chapters with their growth and continued success.
What advice would you like to give to the chapters in your region?
Listen to your chapter members and solicit feedback. As a chapter leader, it is your responsibility to ensure members’ expectations are being met. Ask for meeting topic and speaker suggestions, I've seen chapters fail because member feedback wasn't taken seriously or meeting topics were not relevant to the audience. When that happens, membership drops.
Encourage members to volunteer with direct contact. My chapter found that generally asking for volunteers didn't always get the results we had hoped for. When we contacted a member personally, we found them more willing to volunteer than not. It was that personal connection that provided the gentle push needed for a member to step up.
What APA resources would you recommend to the chapters in your region?
There are many resources to tap into on the APA website. The main resources to consider are the ‘Grow Your Chapter’ page, which contains a wealth of information to help guide your chapter, and the Chapter Leaders Blog. If you have an issue or question, the answer may have already been addressed in the blog.
Most important are the Regional Advisors. You are welcome to contact us directly. We are here to help, mentor, and support your chapter.
Are you a proud chapter leader in Region 4? Introduce yourself to Kristine in the comments or send her an email.
Kristine Willson, CPP began her 2-year term as the Region 4 Advisor in May 2020.
