Organic Valley's People Chief on 25 Years in HR: What She'd Change

Twenty-five years into her HR career, Kimberly Turnmire has reached the top of the people function at Organic Valley, the nation's largest farmer-owned organic food cooperative — and her verdict on the profession is blunt: HR spends too much time as the "villain" enforcing policies that line leaders themselves ignore.

Turnmire serves as Executive Vice President of People at the La Farge, Wisconsin-based cooperative, which represents approximately 1,500 family farms and produces organic dairy, eggs and other food products. She leads enterprise-wide human capital strategy there, overseeing learning, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, culture and talent.

Her path to the role was unconventional only in its first turn. Turnmire is one of the rare professionals in the L&OD field (Learning & Organizational Development) who formally studied adult learning. Jobs were scarce straight out of college, so she adapted: she earned an insurance license and took a sales job at a company known for heavy investment in employee development. The bet paid off. Two years later, an instructional designer position opened and she moved into the work she had trained for.

How did one manager shape a 25-year career?

That start launched a decade at Summit Credit Union, where Turnmire rose from instructional design and training roles to Vice President of Financial Education and Business Development. In 2015 she joined Organic Valley as Director of Learning & Organizational Development, advanced to Vice President of Organizational Development, and later stepped into the EVP of People role.

Asked about her biggest industry influence, Turnmire names Tracy Nelson, now President & CEO of Aspire Talent Group, who managed her early at Summit Credit Union. "I think, at times, she believed in me to take on new challenges when I didn't always see those opportunities myself," Turnmire said. "While we are all responsible for our own growth and development, I would not have taken those early steps with the same confidence without Tracy's support and guidance."

What does she want to change about HR?

Her favorite part of the profession, she says, is the chance to affect people and business outcomes at the same time. "Few functions have the privilege of impacting every stage of an employee's journey, from recruitment and development to leadership growth and career advancement," she said.

Her least favorite part cuts closer to the bone. Too much of HR's time goes to reacting to immediate issues rather than building the workforce, developing leaders and shaping culture for the long term. Worse, HR is often expected to enforce policies that leaders do not consistently hold their own teams accountable for — leaving the function "positioned as the 'villain' rather than a partner," in her words.

Her proposed fix is shared ownership: HR provides strategy, tools and guidance; leaders become equally accountable for modeling expectations and reinforcing policies. That shift, she argues, would free HR for proactive, strategic work and build a stronger culture of accountability across the organization.

Where is the profession heading?

Over the next five years, Turnmire expects workplaces to keep moving away from one-size-fits-all models toward flexibility, personalization and purpose-driven work. Employees want autonomy in how, when and where they work — but also a connection to mission and impact. At Organic Valley, she says, flexibility works best when paired with trust, accountability and purpose; the farmer-owned structure gives employees a direct line to meaningful work, whether supporting family farms, strengthening rural communities or advancing organic agriculture. Organizations that balance flexibility with culture, collaboration and engagement will be best positioned to attract and retain talent.

What advice does she give newcomers?

Spend as much time learning the business as learning HR. The most effective HR professionals understand how the organization creates value, not just people practices. Build relationships, stay curious, listen deeply — "trust is your most valuable currency in this profession," she said. And remember that HR does not own culture or engagement alone; every employee shapes it, especially leaders, who should be equipped and influenced to create strong employee experiences while balancing business needs.

The closing instruction is a growth mindset. HR keeps evolving, and the professionals who make the greatest impact, in her assessment, are the ones who keep learning, adapting and finding ways to serve both people and organizational success at once.