Kimberly Huffman Re-elected RPI Board President
RPI, the world’s leading recognition organization, announces 2026 leadership. Click here to subscribe to RRN weekly, and here for an RRN media kit.
Recognition Professionals International (RPI) has announced the re-election of Kimberly Huffman, CRP, Vice President of Talent, Learning and Culture, VCA Animal Hospitals, as the 2026 RPI Board President. This will be her second consecutive year serving as president of the board.
According to the RPI release, Huffman has brought her expertise in organizational development, leadership and employee experience strategies to the RPI Board for seven years. Before joining VCA Animal Hospitals, she was Vice President of Human Resources at Banfield Pet Hospital. In her current role at VCA, she leads the teams responsible for learning and development, employment branding, inclusion, talent and culture.
“As President of the Board for Recognition Professionals International, I am most looking forward to growing our membership in 2026 and continuing to expand the incredible value we offer our RPI community,” says Huffman. “Investing in RPI is essential because as the workforce evolves, so do the ways leaders must engage, motivate, and recognize their teams. RPI brings together a community of forward-thinking professionals who are passionate about sharing best practices and discovering new ways to elevate recognition.”
Throughout her career, Huffman has been passionate about expanding the impact recognition has on company culture through employee development and the overall employee experience. While she was Vice President of Human Resources at Dollar General, Dollar General received the prestigious RPI Best Practice Standards® Award due to her dedication to implementing recognition and engagement strategies in the workplace, according to RPI. Through Huffman’s ability to enable leaders to model recognition behaviors that inspire their teams, she has also maintained the challenging Standard 5 of Recognition Training as part of RPI’s 7 RPI Best Practice Standards®.
“In my second term as Board President, I plan to focus on amplifying our work in certifying recognition professionals, deepening engagement across our exceptional network, and creating even more relevant, impactful content for our members,” says Huffman.
In addition to Huffman, RPI elected Beril McManus, CRP, American Airlines, Executive Vice President; Matt Neylon, CRP, SHRM-CP, The Mount Vernon School, Vice President; Lauren Gagne, CRP, C.A. Short Company, Treasurer; and Janet Skolud, CRP, TD Bank Group, Secretary.
New directors are Neely Adkins, CRP, RecogNation; Dennis Dion, CRP, E.A. Dion; Jackie Gracia, O.C. Tanner; Adrian Jefferson, CRP, Kaiser Permanente; and Brandon Major, CRP, PMP, ACM, Atlantis Resort Paradise Island.
Returning directors are Jim Bittner, CRP, Centricity; Cori Champagne, CRP, SHRM-SCP, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Emily Gatton, CRP, Engage2Excel; Ashlee Green, CRP, CPIM; Theresa Harkins-Schulz, CRP, CCP, SPHR, Inspirus, LLC; Marlene Johnson, CRP, Dash Solutions; David Klein, CRP, Universal Destinations and Experiences; Angela McNichol, CRP, Virtua Health; and Rachel Rump, CRP, Greencroft Communities.
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