Two payroll professionals who’ve epitomized exceptional leadership and teamwork were honored today during the General Session at the 44th Annual Payroll Congress in Nashville, Tenn.

Lisa Wachter, CPP, and Michael Dupuis, CPP, SHRM-CP, each received PayrollOrg’s Special Recognition Award for their exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication through their volunteer efforts.

Wachter, Director of Payroll for Dollar General Corporation, has been a payroll professional for more than 40 years. She has been a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) since 1997.

Wachter said she was thrilled when she got the news that she would be receiving a Special Recognition Award at Payroll Congress this year.

“I was deeply honored to learn that I had been selected as a recipient of the Special Recognition Award for my leadership and involvement on various committees,” she said. “Hearing this directly from Dan [Maddux]—whose leadership has guided the organization for so many years—made the moment especially meaningful. His letter was warm and genuine, adding to the significance of the surprise.”

Over the course of her career, she has held positions that include Payroll Manager at McClures Stores, Director of Human Resources and Payroll Management at the Texas Boot Company, Payroll Team Lead at Deloitte, and Senior Payroll Manager for the Dollar General Corporation.

She is an accomplished payroll professional with a successful track record directing payroll teams through daily activity and large-scale projects.

Her volunteer service includes PayrollOrg’s Ask an Expert Committee, CHAMPS Committee, Government Relations Task Force (GRTF), Immigration Subcommittee of the GRTF, the Strategic Payroll Leadership Taskforce (SPLTF), and the Retail Best Practices Subcommittee of the SPLTF.

In 2005, she received PayrollOrg’s Meritorious Service Award.

“This award validates the time and energy I have invested in the payroll community throughout my career,” said Wachter. “Payroll is a demanding profession, and the relationships I’ve built through committee work—learning from others, sharing knowledge, and collectively solving challenges—have enriched my life well beyond the workplace.

“This recognition reinforces the importance of giving back and highlights the power of collaboration. It inspires me to continue contributing—whether by mentoring emerging professionals, participating in future initiatives, or helping shape best practices that support accurate and compliant payroll for organizations and employees alike.”

Dupuis, who is the Oracle Cloud HCM Consulting Manager with Huron Consulting Group Inc., has been a payroll professional for more than 20 years. He became a PAYO member in 2016 and a Certified Payroll Professional in 2009.

“I learned that I would be receiving his award from PayrollOrg Executive Director Dan Maddux,” he said. “It was a wonderful and unexpected surprise.”

He has more than two decades experience implementing, upgrading and streamlining HR technologies contributing to a comprehensive understanding of leading HCM business processes and integration considerations.

However, his primary specialization is in payroll, where he has served in various roles ranging from PeopleSoft Payroll Analyst to Oracle Cloud Payroll Implementation Lead, HCM Functional Lead Consultant at KPMG, and Time and Attendance which includes several Kronos Workforce Central implementations.

He earned his MBA with a dual focus in Finance and Information Technology Administration and Management from American University-Kogod School of Business.

His volunteer service includes the Board of Contributing Writers and the National Speaker’s Bureau.

In 2017, he received PayrollOrg’s Meritorious Service Award.

“PayrollOrg has been a tremendous resource both professionally and personally. More than 20 years ago, early in my career, a coworker introduced me to PayrollOrg (then APA),” Dupuis said. “I quickly came to appreciate the job-related information and knowledge available, which has become more comprehensive and accessible with technological advances. I also became aware of the many volunteer opportunities within PayrollOrg, which enabled me to develop skills and knowledge related to my job, and to meet a truly diverse group of people from around the world who share a common interest.”

Bryan Kirk is the Senior Writer and Editor of Membership Publications for PayrollOrg