Speech-language pathologist and Black family literacy advocate Dr. Kelly M. Byrd of Supplemental Health Care has been named the 2024 National Staffing Employee of the Year, the American Staffing Association announced today.
The announcement marks the beginning of National Staffing Employee Week, which runs this year from Sept. 11 to 17 and highlights the achievements of the millions of temporary and contract employees hired by U.S. staffing agencies each year.
“Dr. Byrd’s story is a testament to the power of staffing in fostering both personal and professional growth,” said Richard Wahlquist, chief executive officer of ASA. “Each year, the National Staffing Employee of the Year and Staffing All-Star awards provide us with an outstanding opportunity to spotlight individuals whose journeys exemplify the transformative impact of staffing.
“As we enter National Staffing Employee Week, we are excited to celebrate the millions of temporary and contract employees who contribute their talents to industries across the nation.”
Sponsored by StaffPro3, a division of PMC Insurance, the National Staffing Employee of the Year and All-Star awards honor current or former temporary or contract employees whose extraordinary stories of staffing success best exemplify one or more of the industry’s key messages of bridging and flexibility.
Byrd will be honored during a ceremony at Staffing World®, the ASA annual convention and expo, Oct. 3-5 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC.
National Staffing Employee of the Year
Health Care Sector All-Star
Kelly M. Byrd
Supplemental Health Care
Dr. Kelly M. Byrd always knew she wanted to work with kids and ensure they had their voices heard. As a child, she wanted to see characters in books that looked like her. As an adult, she turned to Supplemental Health Care, where her contract assignments provided her with the flexibility to go back to school and complete her doctorate degree. She also founded the nonprofit organization Love for Literacy, which promotes Black family literacy in her community, and wrote the children’s book Sunshine On an Otherwise Miserable Day.
In November 2022, Byrd partnered with SHC to create family literacy resources for Family Literacy Day that were shared with SHC speech-language pathologists, students, and school districts across the country. SHC has also donated hundreds of copies of her children’s books to school districts across the country. Byrd used staffing to grow her career and give back to her community, showing what can happen when talented people partner with staffing.
Engineering, Information Technology, and Scientific Sector All-Star
Meisha Millwee
Harvey Nash
Meisha Millwee helped make a difference in her community during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. After moving from Dallas to Nashville, Millwee turned to Harvey Nash to help her find a role in her new town. Just months into her contract as the project coordinator for communicable and environmental diseases and emergency preparedness at the Tennessee Department of Health, Covid-19 swept the nation. In the ensuing months, she oversaw efforts to help skilled nursing and assisted living facilities adjust to an online program that tracked available beds, services, and assets in the Volunteer State. Now, Millwee is a liaison to the White House Task Force for Communicable and Environmental Diseases team to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Covid-19 reporting. Millwee’s talents are changing the lives of others thanks to the opportunity she gained in staffing. Millwee was also recently awarded the first ever Harvey Nash Global Contractor of the Year from among 11,000 active highly talented and passionate contractors from around the world.
Industrial Sector All-Star
Kathy Stanifer
Employbridge
Kathy Stanifer is using the flexibility staffing provides to help people (and animals) in need. Affectionately known as “Granny” by her coworkers, Stanifer currently works as a CDL driver for Gleaner’s Food Bank in the Indianapolis area. After finishing her daily route in the afternoon, she cares for homebound patients by cleaning their homes and helping them with meals. Stanifer also rescues injured and neglected horses, rehabilitating them with her own money and then giving them to people within her community. Stanifer is an exceptional person who’s using staffing to improve the lives of everyone around her.
Office–Clerical and Administrative Sector
Cassandra Hughes
Express Employment Professionals
For Cassandra Hughes, staffing provided the flexibility she needed to deal with a major life change. After starting a role as a customer service agent, her world changed when she was granted custody of her five nieces and nephews—all of whom were under the age of 10. Hughes worked closely with the team at Express Employment Professionals to adjust her schedule so she could maintain a full-time weekly paycheck. A year after starting, Hughes was offered a full-time role with the client company.
Professional-Managerial Sector All-Star
Carla Monroe, PMP, CSM, CSPO, CSSGB, CMQOE, ITIL
Kelly Services
Staffing has allowed Carla Monroe to work remotely while spending time with her daughter. Through Kelly Services, Monroe is able to pursue her career as a technical project manager for a West Coast transit agency while spending time with her daughter in South Carolina. Her flexible schedule also allows her to regularly attend meetings of her local Project Management Institute chapter so she can further develop her leadership skills.
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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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