The Illinois Search and Staffing Association and the Michigan Association of Staffing Services would like you to join us for "Soaring Higher", an exclusive event for staffing Owners and Executives. Come along with us on October 14th and 15th, and experience Wingspread Retreat and Executive Conference Center  near Racine, WI. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and situated on 36 peaceful acres along Lake Michigan, Wingspread will delight and inspire you!

Retreat pricing is all-inclusive for the two days--meals, beverages, activities and overnight accommodations. Staffing Owners and Executives will stay on site Thursday night, in the recently renovated Sam and Gene Johnson Guest House. Each guest will have access to a private room (one queen bed per guest room) and bath, a community living room, outdoor patio and firepit, as well as complimentary beverages and snacks.

"Soaring Higher" Retreat Agenda

Thursday Oct. 14
8:30AM – 9:15AM	Continental Breakfast
9:15AM – 10:00AM	State of the Industry: Toby Malara, Vice President Government Relations, ASA
10:00AM—10:45AM	Group Activity
11:00AM -11:45PM	Economic Outlook: Jason Turner, Great Lakes Advisors
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Wisconsin Tailgate Lunch and Games
1:30PM - 2:30PM	Keynote: “A Leader Worth Following: The Real Take on Real Leadership” – Randy Fox
2:45PM - 3:45PM	“Attract, Mentor, Motivate, Retain” - Kim Whiteley, Mee Derby
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Wingspread Narrated Tour
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM	Cocktails / Dinner
8:00PM - 10:00PM	Outdoor Fire Pit - Smores and Social Time
	Owners and Executives - Overnight stay at Wingspread
Friday Oct. 15
7:00AM - 8:00AM	Breakfast Buffet
8:00AM – 8:30AM	Group Activity
8:30AM - 9:30AM	“It’s a New Cyber World. Is Your Staffing Company Prepared?” – Jerry Grady, UHY
9:30AM - 10:30AM	"Harnessing AI and Automation to Build a Powerful Recruiting Machine" - Pankaj Jindal, Sense
10:30AM -11:30AM	“Balance Sheets: Are You Growing or Selling?” – Joe Priola, Coveted Financial
11:45AM - 12:45PM	Owners Panel Roundtable Discussion
12:45PM – 1:00PM	Wrap-Up

Attendance at this event earns 8.75 CE Credits

toward ASA and NAPS Certification

Keynote Speaker and former NCAA basketball official Randy Fox will present: 

"A Leader Worth Following: The Real Take on Real Leadership"

The world is starving for leaders that make a difference, that change the world and that are worthy of following. Hear Randy's most requested and highly acclaimed keynote, which transforms the way people live, work, and lead. Journey with Randy to learn the key leadership qualities.

Randy Fox, Keynote Speaker

Randy Fox's incredible energy, leadership expertise, and undeniable stage charisma all come together to engage audiences and help people transform their professional and personal lives. Audiences love his authenticity, humor, and captivating stories. Meeting planners appreciate his ability to tailor keynotes to their needs, as well as his professionalism and pursuit of excellence. Prior to becoming an international award-winning speaker, author, and coach, Randy earned his stripes with 23 years as an NCAA basketball official and 20 years filled with much success (and some failure too) as a corporate operations and sales leader. He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association Florida Chapter, has written several prestigious books, and is fully aware that his 8-year-old has more artistic ability than he.

Toby Malara, Vice President Government Relations, American Staffing Association

Toby Malara is Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Staffing Association. In his role, Malara directs ASA’s government relations, lobbying, and political activities, including the operations of the associations’ political action committee, StaffingPAC. He also advises members on immigration/I-9, paid sick leave, sales tax, and per diem issues. Malara graduated from Georgetown University and earned a J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University.

 

Kim Whiteley, Director and Executive Recruiter, Mee Derby

Kim brings more than 20 years of staffing industry and search experience to Mee Derby. She and her team focus nationally, with an emphasis on the professional services sector, working with both privately-held and national firms to help increase their footprint and attract senior leadership, working on both a retained and contingent basis. Prior to joining Mee Derby, Kim spent 15 years with Randstad in sales management and sales in the areas of IT, Professional services,and Managed Solutions. Her work experience includes managing and selling staffing services in the Washington, D.C. region and nationally. Kim is a graduate of McDaniel College.

Pankaj Jindal, Co-Founder, Sense

Pankaj is a staffing industry veteran and the co-founder of Sense, the first candidate engagement platform designed specifically for the Staffing Industry. Before founding Sense, Pankaj spent 15 years running staffing companies, becoming an expert on candidate experience, recruiter productivity, redeployment, and understanding the day-to-day problems faced by recruiters. Pankaj used this practitioner’s knowledge to create Sense, which can help transform the consultant-care paradigm for staffing companies.

Prior to founding Sense, Pankaj was the CEO of Akraya, President of Aditi Technologies and Aditi Staffing, and completed the Advanced Management Education Program from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He routinely speaks at Industry Conferences on candidate engagement, employer branding and increasing retention.

Jason Turner, Chief Operating Officer, Head of Multi-Asset Strategies, Great Lakes Advisors

Jason Turner joined Wintrust in 2009 and currently serves as the head of multi-asset strategies at Great Lakes Advisors, a Wintrust Wealth Management Company. In this role, Jason has oversight for asset allocation, manager selection, and investment strategy for the firm’s Multi-Asset Strategy investment approach.  He is also a member of the firm’s Investment Committee and Management Committee.

In 2015, Jason became one of the first global recipients of the Yale School of Management-EDHEC Risk Institute Certificate in Risk and Investment Management. This rigorous post-graduate course incorporates the latest research advances and state-of-the-art practices in the areas of risk and investment management. He also holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 Licenses, an MBA with distinction from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University, and a bachelor’s degree in finance and communications from North Central College.

Joe Priola, President, Coveted Financial Services

Joe Priola, President of Coveted Financial Services, has over 30 years of banking experience. He founded Coveted in 2011, a fractional CFO firm that empowers business owners and helps companies increase their value. 

Jerry Grady, Partner, UHY LLP

Jerry Grady is the Ann Arbor Office Managing Partner for UHY LLP and board member of UHY Advisors, Inc. He has acquired a wealth of knowledge throughout his more than 35 years in public accounting. Jerry is a leading member of the firm’s National Management and Technology Consulting Services Group as well as a member of the National International Financial Reporting Standards Committee. He is also the chairperson of the firm’s National Staffing Practice that provides services to more than 140 staffing companies across the U.S.

Bryan Tweed, Senior V.P.,  Sales and Key Accounts, IMS People Possible

Panel Moderator

Bryan Tweed, Senior Vice President of Sales & Key Accounts for IMS Group, is passionate about providing customized, value-added workforce & talent solutions for IMS customers. He brings to the team 15+ years of experience building global recruitment teams, overseeing workforce management operations, and generating an unparalleled experience across his IMS Group client portfolio.

Bryan previously spent 8 years with Volt Workforce Solutions in progressive recruitment and account management leadership roles at local, regional, and national levels. His relationship with IMS Group began while serving as the National Account Manager for Channel Partnership at Volt, in which he managed the outsourced delivery model for more than 25 enterprise customers. Prior to joining IMS, Bryan served as the Director of Recruiting at CyberSearch, an international technology staffing and consulting firm in which he was accountable for the global recruitment delivery management for the organization. Bryan attributes much of his career success to the 6-year partnership with IMS as a customer and he is particularly excited about sharing these best practices with strategic clients to design recruiting solutions which meet all IMS customer needs.

Patrick Dolan, Area Developer and Franchise Coach, Express Employment Professionals

Panelist

Patrick Dolan is an Area Developer for Express Employment Professionals, the largest franchised staffing company in the world, with 825 franchises in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and $3.5 billion in annual revenues. In this role, Dolan acts as an internal business consultant and coach to 20 Express franchises in the Chicagoland area, helping them grow their businesses through strategy, marketing, sales, sales management, hiring & leadership.

Dolan began his career in staffing as Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 1998 when he joined the family staffing business begun by his father in 1962, Olsten Staffing of Chicago, the first, and eventually largest, franchise in the Olsten network. The Dolans sold the company, consisting of 21 Chicagoland offices and almost $80 million in annual revenues, to Adecco, in 2000.

Dolan previously served as a Corporate Accounts Executive in the Global Sales Group of Kelly Services, selling MSP and VMS solutions, and Regional Vice President for Adecco, managing the Chicagoland business operations. Dolan is a past-President of the Illinois Search & Staffing Association (1999-2000).

Dolan earned his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where he double majored in Organizational Behavior and Marketing and has a BA in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Dolan resides in Chicago.

Laura Hanoski, Owner of Premier Physician Services 

Panelist

In 2002, Laura Hanoski co-founded Premier Medical Staffing Services, LLC (“Premier”), a Wisconsin Certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise, with her husband, Mark Hanoski. Laura is a nurse by trade and has worked in a variety of specialty areas as a pool nurse, including 6 years in orthopedics. She has a passion for healthcare and improving quality of life for patients. Laura oversees all the clinical aspects of Premier, from medication teaching to maintaining Joint Commission standards. She works alongside Mark to help grow and plan the future of Premier.

Under Laura Hanoski’s leadership, Premier Medical Staffing Services has earned numerous recognitions including Diversity-Owned Staffing Firm, Wisconsin Marketplace Governor’s Outstanding Large Business, Fastest-Growing Staffing Firm, Largest Wisconsin-based Women-owned Business, Milwaukee Business Journal Best Places to Work, Military Spouse Employment Partner, and more.

While working with the Department of Defense and Veteran facilities over the past several years, Laura discovered that having a healthcare job while in the service does not necessarily translate to the ability to obtain a healthcare job in the civilian world. In 2017, Laura Hanoski started the non-profit, Heroes for Healthcare. This organization helps military personnel transitioning to civilian life and Veterans find their career in healthcare. Learn more by visiting heroesforhealthcare.org.

Paul Russo, Vice President at Sterling Engineering

Panelist

A seasoned industry professional with more than 20 years experience, Paul Russo serves as Director of Employee Engagement and Recruiting. Joining Sterling as a Technical Recruiter in 1993, he quickly moved through the ranks performing roles in Recruiting, Sales, as a manager, and into his current role.

Paul holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and is an active member of their Alumni Association.

Paul is proud to be a part of the following:

• Illinois & Wisconsin ESOP Association chapters
• Sterling’s ESOP and Employee Engagement Committees
• Marquette University Alumni Association

Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this event possible!

Cocktail Hour Sponsor: Coveted Financial Services

Tailgate Lunch and Games Sponsor:  World Wide Specialty Programs