Profile: Dani Kimlinger, PhD SHRM-SCP, MHA, SPHR

People are Dani Kimlinger’s passion and her career as well as volunteer work reflects it. SHRM has been part of Dani’s journey since the early years of her career. She started volunteering at the local Denver chapter, which is now known as Mile High SHRM in her early twenties, engaging in volunteer work at conferences and events. In 2012, a mentor of hers was on the Colorado SHRM State Council and serving as the Conference Chair for the upcoming conference to take place in Keystone, Colorado. She offered Dani an opportunity the role of exhibitor lead. The state conference gave Dani a flavor of the Colorado SHRM community.

The year following the conference, Dani was actively engaged in her doctorate program and was appointed as College Relations Director on the Colorado SHRM State Council. Working with the college students across the state was fulfilling and impactful for her. She held the role for five years and enjoyed the opportunities to help the universities put on state-wide conferences, build relationships with out-of-state universities, and assist in preparing students for state competitions. Following her term as College Relations Director, she moved into the Treasurer/ Secretary role and then was elected as the State Council Director and moved into the Director Elect Role in 2020 and is the 2022 State Council Director.

Dani graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology, she then completed her Master of Health Administration from Webster University and received her Ph.D. from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology from the School of Business Psychology in Organizational Leadership.

Dani started in HR while she was pursuing her master’s degree. Her position was being eliminated and she was offered an opportunity to explore two roles, one being in HR to serve in an assistant role, without knowledge of what HR was, she chose that role. Within a few months, her supervisor was promoted, and she became an HR Department of one and began applying what she was learning in her graduate program to the company. After her first year of moving into HR, she determined that an HR certification was essential and enrolled in a study program through Colorado State University. She now holds both a SHRM-SCP and an SPHR.

Currently, Dani serves as the Chief Executive Officer at MINES and Associates which is a business psychology firm headquartered in Littleton, Colorado. MINES provides award winning employee assistance programs, managed behavioral healthcare, behavioral health PPO, organizational mental health clinic services, and organizational psychology services in all 50 states as well as internationally. Dani and her dedicated team are invested in the interface between organizational psychology and behavioral health and well-being. In 2021, Dani was named a Titan 100 CEO, which is a program that recognizes Colorado’s top 100 CEOs and C-level executives. “I believe with my whole heart that the people make the organization. As the CEO of MINES, I see every day how our team impacts each person who interacts with our organization whether they are a client, a partner, or even someone trying to solicit business. Our people also make a difference for and to each other. I am deeply grateful for my team, they are the reason that we change lives, they are the reason we are growing, and they are the reason that I love coming to work each day! Through my organizational psychology consulting over the years, I have also seen how people can break down a culture and an organization’s initiatives. HR impacts all of this, HR is the heartbeat of the organization.”

Being involved in the community is essential for Dani. In addition to COSHRM, Dani serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Self-Insured Educational Foundation. She also serves on other non-profit boards such as The Lockwood Foundation, The American Obesity Association, and the United Labor Agency of Nevada. She serves on the National Behavioral Consortium’s Task force and is also part of a movement called the Colorado Inclusive Economy which is a statewide movement led by CEOs and leaders with intent and design to make Colorado the most inclusive economy in the nation. Most recently, she was appointed to serve on the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship for the State Apprenticeship Agency as a representative of an employee organization, Colorado SHRM.