American Staffing Association Also Conferred Industry Sector All-Stars
The American Staffing Association today announced that hospitality employee and professional actor and dancer Wendy M. Hobbie is the 2017 National Staffing Employee of the Year. ASA also named National Staffing Employee of the Year All-Stars in five industry sectors.
These announcements mark the beginning of National Staffing Employee Week, Sept. 19–25. The week honors the contributions of the more than three million temporary and contract employees who work for U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions companies during an average week.
National Staffing Employee of the Year
Wendy M. Hobbie
Hobbie is an employee of HMG Plus in New York City, where she works on assignment as a hospitality captain and waiter. The flexibility that staffing offers allows her to audition and teach dance to deaf children. Hobbie currently teaches hip-hop dance to students aged three to 15 at the Lexington School for the Deaf. Her association with the school led to the opportunity to also teach dance to blind children and teenagers at Camp Helen Keller in Farmingdale, NY. When Hobbie first moved to New York City she taught Sunday school to underprivileged students in low-income neighborhoods through Metro World Child, a religious organization committed to providing services to children living in adverse conditions in metropolitan areas in New York and around the world. She developed strong bonds with the children whose challenges mirrored some of the same ones she faced in her youth. Hobbie grew up in Montgomery, AL, as a disadvantaged youth raised by her single mother. She moved to New York City in 2008.
“I am honored to be the National Staffing Employee of Year, and hope that my personal story is inspiring to others considering work as a temporary or contract employee,” Hobbie said. “Being a temporary employee is perfect for me at this time in my life. Staffing lets me support myself financially while pursuing my professional dreams and sharing my passion for dance with children, which means the world to me.”
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Photo credit: Eric Vitale Photography
Engineering, IT, and Scientific Sector All-Star
DeWitt’s partnership with LaSalle Network in Chicago provides her with the flexibility to travel, continue her education, and volunteer in her community. She generously gives of her free time, leading pro bono IT engagements as an account director with Taproot, and has worked on projects for several Chicagoland organizations, such as Legal Council for Health Justice and Meals on Wheels Chicago. She has worked on several fundraisers and does hands-on volunteer work at a variety of homeless shelters and hospitals. DeWitt has broadened her skills and knowledge with an APICS certification in production and inventory management, and additional project management certifications—as well as through continuing education programs such as those offered by the Center for Creative Leadership. DeWitt currently is a contract program manager focused on enterprise process transformation with Reyes Holdings, the 12th largest privately held company in the U.S.
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Photo credit: Robin Subar Photography
Health Care Sector All-Star
Riser, a pharmacist, is a 13-year employee of Rx relief who has worked on over 500 assignments during her tenure with the staffing company. She currently is on assignment with Valley Children’s Hospital—a top rated U.S. children’s hospital in Fresno, CA—and has worked in a variety of other health care environments during her tenure with the staffing company. In part, Riser’s staffing success story is unique because of her long-term partnership with her staffing company. She first met an Rx relief vice president in pharmacy school in the 1980s, and decided to join the firm because of her friendship with the company’s executive vice president. As a single mom, Riser chose a career in contract work because the flexibility it affords allows her to enjoy extra time with her daughter and mother. As a tight three-generation unit, they enjoy many adventures and travel together extensively.
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Photo credit: Chance James Photography
Office–Clerical and Administrative Sector All-Star
After graduating from college and realizing that a career in teaching wasn’t what he expected, Berrini turned to Westaff, in Burlington, VT, for work. He was placed in a variety of temporary assignments, and recently bridged to a permanent job at Burton—a worldwide manufacturer of snowboards, bindings, boots, outerwear, and accessories. Berrini enjoyed being a temporary employee because it provided him access to a variety of companies and work experiences. Staffing also provided him with the flexibility to pursue his interest in music. Berrini regularly plays guitar and sings at Burlington-area venues. In addition to being a National Staffing Employee of the Year All-Star, he was the 2016 Westaff Associate of the Year.
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Photo credit: Mt. Mansfield Media
Professional–Managerial Sector All-Star
Burt first joined Corporate Brokers in 2010 to pursue a contract opportunity as senior art director with Bank of America in Wilmington, DE. Fast forward six years, and he remains on assignment with the bank’s in-house marketing agency. Burt enjoys the flexibility that staffing offers to freelance, travel, read, spend time with family, and pursue creative interests—such as drawing, making clocks, and photography. He has decided to invest in this long-term relationship not only because he enjoys the assignment, but also because he likes the work environment, his colleagues, and his relationship with Corporate Brokers.
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Photo credit: M.Redmond–MLR Images
“ASA congratulates National Staffing Employee of the Year Wendy Hobbie and all of the industry sector All-Stars for embodying the opportunities of working in the staffing industry,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “Each of these talented individuals has a special success story to tell on how staffing has empowered them, both personally and professionally, by providing work schedule flexibility and a bridge to permanent positions, when desired.”
Hobbie will be formally honored and celebrated by staffing industry professionals from around the country on Oct. 26 at a recognition ceremony during Staffing World® 2016, the ASA annual convention and expo.
To learn more about the National Staffing Employee of the Year and National Staffing Employee Week programs, visit americanstaffing.net, or follow ASA on Twitter (@StaffingTweets) and Instagram (@americanstaffingassociation) using the hashtags #NationalStaffingEmployeeoftheYear, #NationalStaffingEmployeeWeek, or #staffingstars.
Headshots of honorees are available upon request.
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About the American Staffing Association
The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.
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