Our Team

As the President of Advance Employment Services, I assist in leading our staffing team and act as a liaison between our external customers and our internal staff.  I began my career with Advance Employment in 1992 as a front desk coordinator and have worked my way to holding the president’s position by taking on any projects or tasks that have come my way! The variation of my roles during my 27+ years has allowed me to become a skillful coach and trainer to Advance Employment’s professional staff, who are the real secret sauce that drives our success and provides me the wonderful opportunity to be a benefit in both operations and customer service for the staffing industry. 

I am passionate about meeting our clients’ expectations and I am committed to training our team on client satisfaction. I work hard to ensure every member of our team fully understands the unique needs of each of our clients. In my time with Advance Employment I have helped grow our Staffing division to new regions, markets, and states. 

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, children, and especially my grandchildren. I am also very active in and working with local rescue organizations to assist in the rescue and placement of abused or abandoned animals. 

Hometown: Mesick, Michigan 

Education: Western Michigan University 

Favorite Quote: “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to no one.” – William Shakespeare 

Fun Facts:  

• Favorite movie is Steel Magnolias  
• Favorite band is Rascal Flatts  
• I can’t live without my husband, my grandchildren and my dogs  
• Favorite vacation destination is any lake that my boat can float on!  

As the C.O.O. of Advance Employment and one of the founding shareholders, I strive to lead by serving.  I am the chief cheerleader for our business development, administrative, finance, and operations teams (Air game/Ground game) responsible for collaborative day-to-day leadership, strategic planning, and team development. 

I have been in the staffing industry for over 28 years, starting with the Advance Employment in 1991. In my twenty-two years at Advance, I was an owner and served in a variety of leadership roles including Controller, CFO, Executive Vice President, and President. In 2014, I joined AccessPoint, retaining oversight and leadership of the Staffing division as AccessPoint  and acquired the ongoing Advance operations in Staffing, Outsourced HR and Charter School services. 

In spring of 2019, AccessPoint sold the staffing division back to Advance Team, which re-established Advance as an independent entity once more. 

Prior to my work in the staffing sector, I started my career working in accounting, first at Lindell Drop Forge in 1988, then as Controller of the Michigan Republican State Committee in 1990. 

When not at the office, I enjoy traveling to new places, good food, a good book, and good company! 

Hometown: Midland, Michigan 

Education: Michigan State University, BS Accounting 

Favorite Quote: “If serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.” 

Fun Facts:  

• Favorite sports team is the Michigan State Spartans Basketball  
• Nicknames “Schultzie”, “El-Guapo” 
• Favorite holiday is Christmas (I still love getting presents)  
• Favorite childhood memory was waking up at midnight outside of Atlanta, GA on family vacation. We would refuel at a truck stop and the smell of diesel and the sight of moss in the trees always takes me back. Atlanta meant we were less than a day from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  

As the Controller for Advance Employment Services, I oversee all of the financial operations of our business including accounting, cash management, reporting, payroll, benefits administration, and insurance management.

I began my career with Advance in 2004 as a Corporate Accountant fresh out of college. I worked my way up to different roles throughout the years and became the Controller in 2019 when Advance was re-established as a separate entity. I have enjoyed spending my professional career learning and growing in the Staffing industry.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and children, traveling, camping, and reading.  

Hometown: Eaton Rapids, MI

Education: Olivet College, BA Business Administration – Accounting 

As the Pay/Bill/Credit Manager of Advance Employment Services, I am involved daily with leading our payroll team to produce accurate and timely payroll for associates, and invoices for customers. The payroll team takes great pride in that, and also in the relationships we have built with our own local business office staff and customers alike. I have 28 years of experience as a payroll manager and began my career with Advance in 1994 as a payroll clerk. I worked for Advance for 21 years, took a six-year hiatus with a local Road Commission, and because of the great love for this company, returned in February of 2021. Among many responsibilities, my job also includes accounts receivable management, unemployment claim oversight, and assisting with payroll. It is common in the staffing industry for the front and back offices to have different ideas and mindset when it comes to the daily operation of an organization. One of the things I enjoy most is the opportunity to strategize, compromise, and find common ground that works best for both of those areas of our business, while continuing to improve our entire process for all involved.   

In my free time I very much enjoy being with family and friends, walking, riding a bike, and spending time outdoors.

Hometown: Lansing, Michigan 

Education: Lansing Community College

Favorite Quote: “It Is What It Is” – Patricia Fox (my mother)

Fun Facts:  

• My two favorite movies are Christmas Vacation and The Hunt for Red October 
• 80s music is still the BEST 
• I am a college basketball junkie, and the Michigan State Spartans are my team  
• Nicknames: “JP”, “Moose”, and “Nutty”  

Favorite Vacation Spot: Take me to the beach, but Cinnamon Bay, St. John, USVI is #1. 

I am Brandi Brown, I have been a part of the Advance team for 14 years.  I am able to say that have grown up working at Advance Employment so this company is something I am passionate about. I started off as a recruiter, moved to Account Manager, then Service Manager, then Onsite Manager, and now I am working as an Administrative Manager to our team. I am the person behind the scenes creating social media content, creating orientations, training schedules, training videos, fixing things as they break, creating manuals, processes, and many other things that you don’t think about but need. I like to think of myself as the super glue that holds the ship together, sometimes in rough winds but mostly calm weather. Working for a company like Advance, allows me to be a mother, wife and a business women and I am blessed to be able to do all the things I love.

In my free time you can catch me at swim, baseball, basketball, football, gymnastics or target. I am that extra mom doing pinterest crafts, planning visits to pumpkin patches, reindeer farms, and anything that will bring joy to my family.

Hometown: Hillsdale, MI

Education: Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Favorite Quote: 
“I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday”

Fun Facts:

• I bake really cool cakes
• I am an ordained minister, I can Marry you, take pictures, make the cake and for extra do the worm on the dance floor
• Being a wife and mother is my favorite season of life
• Favorite vacation- Disney, The nostalgia of when I went there as a kid to now being able to take my kids is the best!

Hi!  I am Stacey Alexander, the Regional Onsite Specialist for Advance Employment in the Great State of Ohio!  I came to Advance, a little more than 4 years ago – after retiring from the Automotive Industry and have found my niche!  I love being able to help people and get them the jobs that they need to be successful, to care for themselves and for their families.  I am always available to lend an ear and a hand – and will help our candidates and associates out, in any way that I can – as we are a TEAM!   I also work with an amazing team – together we make the hiring process painless, easy and quick!    “Together Everyone Accomplishes More”    – I love my 2 – sweet, obnoxious, large dogs and every other animal that happens to dance through my yard. I am also an avid OSU fan and Alum – you can catch me every Saturday – outside watching the football games and will forever be a “Brownie”!

If you are looking for a new job and are in the Jackson Center or Medina areas – give me a call, shoot me a text or email me?  Call/Text:  937-419-4375 – Email:  salexander@advanceteam.com – we will get you that job!

Hello! My name is Courtney! I am an Account Manager for the Three Rivers Advance Employment Office! I originally started with Advance Employment fresh out of Highschool. I was placed at a client and was hired in after I completed my trial hire. Shortly after I decided to work with Advance Employment as a front desk coordinator/ recruiter and now I am currently an Account Manager with Advance Employment. I have been with Advance for nearly 3 years now. My job is to advocate for YOU! I believe in the many benefits of work including improving your financial situation as well as giving you a sense of pride and accomplishment.  Working not only improves the lives of you and your family but your contribution to the economy improves the community as a whole. My view about work falls right in line with our motto, “serve first and serve without exception.”

About Me: I have lived in Three Rivers my whole life. I have 3 fur babies, 3 nieces & 1 nephew who I adore! I enjoy kayaking in the summer with my Fiancé, Best friend, Dad & Siblings. I love listening to country music (Morgan Wallen to be specific) & murder podcasts.  

Please, if you are looking for work give me a call or apply to this job. I would love to connect to see if this is a long-term solution to your career needs.

Hi!  I am Michele. 

I am the service manager of the Three Rivers Advance office.  I have been with Advance Employment for over 13 years total and I have enjoyed being able to help many people on their path to bettering their situation for themselves and their families.  My job is to be your advocate and to help you better your financial position.  Our mantra at Advance is to serve first and serve without exception.  If you are looking for work give me a call or apply to this job.

A little about me: Advance has been a part of my life for many years.  First in 1994 for 10 years, then returning 3 years ago after raising my family. Advance has helped me grow from a part time office assistant with minimal experience to a manager with years of experience in this industry.   I am a Mother of a large family and now enjoy caring for, cooking for and being supportive to my adult children and my many grandchildren.  I hope that we can be a part of your story as well.  I look forward to hearing from you. 

Hi my name is Sunshine, yes that is my real name and yes my parents were hippies? I am a part of the Direct Hire team at Advance Employment. I work hard every day to connect qualified applicants with their forever employment home. Maybe this is not the right position, but reach out to me, I have lots of opportunities we can review together. Let’s find you the right job!

I am the Account Manager for Advance Direct Hire.  My years as a Senior Corporate Level Manager gave me the experience to make connections and create long-term relationships based on trust.  In turn this creates a Service Level of experience that generates repeat business.  My former CEO experience as an Independent Multi Restaurant Franchise Owner & Consultant of 15 years gave me deep business partner talent experience which included building & managing 3^rd party vendors & client relationships.

Listening to you and understanding your culture and priorities as well as responding with a sense of urgency including the Reach and Resources to make it happen. It would be my pleasure to be your personalized Account Development Specialist.

My name is Allison Hagerty and I am an Account Manager for Advance Employment. I started at Advance Employment September of 2022. Over the short time that I have been here, I have been able to build new skills and see the passion that those I work with have for helping potential employees work towards employment and personal growth. When I am not in office, my time is spent furthering my education and being a chauffeur to my son for school, friends, and sports. I enjoy reading and learning new cultures and languages.

Hello! I am Christie Hale, Service Manager for Advance Employment Jackson and Ann Arbor locations. I started working with Advance in 2001 as a temp-to-hire associate for a client, then got hired and became the Client, now I am the Service Manager. My career has been tremendously rewarding! I have experienced every aspect of our industry. I’ve come full circle and wouldn’t change one bit of my journey. Currently, I am taking on the Director of Business Development. My growth opportunities continue to flourish, and I am blessed to be part of it all. I am also an Ambassador for the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce since 2009 and enjoy serving the Jackson community and all its people.

Personally, I am a proud mother, wife and grammie. I enjoy gardening and doing anything outdoors. I volunteer with community events as often as possible.

If you are looking for work or find yourself needing a new staffing partner, my team and I stand ready to help. Please give us a call at 1-888-Job-Team or email at chale@advanceteam.com.

My name is Kelsee Hilyard and I am an Account Manager for Advance Employment. I joined the Advance family in June of 2022, and I have learned so much about the staffing industry since then. I am supportive and passionate about helping as many people as I can, I am very understanding of different circumstances and always do my best to find my associates’ the right fit. When I am not in the office, I adore spending time with my boyfriend and our two dogs. We love to go on long nature walks and having bonfires, spending time with family and friends. 

Hey there, I’m Meagan. Chief of Organization. Branch Manager. Problem Wrangler. Creator of Happiness. Born and raised in Cereal City (Battle Creek, Michigan) for almost 30 years. When I’m not working, I love to take my 2 dogs Wicket & Apollo for walks or spend time reading. I’ve been with Advance Employment for 6 years. I started as an Account Manager/On-Site Manager and currently I’m the Service Manager of our Battle Creek office. I have successfully helped many people find long-term careers through our company! I enjoy making the process of starting a new job quick and painless for our candidates turned associates. There are not many things I can think of that are as stressful as trying to find a job! That is why – I’m always here to help, to listen and to hold a hand, no matter what! After all, our mantra at Advance Employment is to “Serve first and serve without exception”! A part of my job is to motivate my employees to work hard but also advocate for them in tough situations, and I stand firm on that!

Please – if you’re looking for work, give our office a call 888-JOB-TEAM or send me an email mlatty@advanceteam.com and I can get you started!

Hey ya’ll, I’m Sharon! Job hopper to stay-at-home mom & now, professional staffing specialist. We’re talking 6+ jobs in a single year, one being the Midland Mall’s Easter Bunny. Have you noticed those bunnies don’t talk? Guess you can say I was paid to keep my mouth shut. I’m a “Girl Mom,” who knows nothing about makeup. They keep me going through this short adventure we call life. I originally joined Advance Employment in 2012 as a temp before hopping into something else. I reapplied in 2017 for the same position & was unexpectedly offered a recruiter position. What an opportunity that was! I have worked for 6 branch locations throughout Michigan. Currently, I am the Service Manager & Director of Business Development for the Grand Rapids & Kalamazoo markets. At Advance, we strive to Serve First & Serve Without Exception- Our teams have successfully assisted countless individuals, just like you, find long-term employment. Apply now or call our office to discuss any questions you may have. We can’t wait to hear from you to start the next step in your career!

My name is Farron Lee-El and I have been with Advance Employment for over 15 years.  I currently reside in Kalamazoo, where I have lived most of my life.  I have 3 young kiddos who keep me very busy outside of my work life as they are all into athletics and orchestra.  I have held numerous positions within Advance and am currently a member of Advance Employments Direct Hire Talent Acquisition team.  I have several years identifying and engaging with top talent in the automotive, manufacturing, financial, construction, and real estate industries.  We are a service-driven organization, and we look forward to partnering with you to meet all of your direct hire staffing needs.

Hi, I am Pete O’Connell, I am the Director of Direct Hire Talent Acquisition here at Advance Employment.  I have been with Advance employment for 2 years.  I have over 30 years of experience in Operations Management and 7 years of experience in Direct Hire Recruiting before coming to Advance Employment.  My years of experience give me the ability to connect and communicate with Candidates at every level.  From Janitor to CEO, I can focus on their experience and strengths for our positions.

I am proud of our growth in developing a Team of Direct Hire professionals.  Our mission to perfectly match outstanding Candidates with Clients and present Candidates in a professional manner.  We always follow up during the interviewing process to schedule interviews and assure Candidates are prepared and committed to the process.

A little about me.  I am spiritual and believe that destiny brought me to this wonderful supportive family of professionals, and I have a Cat.

Hey there future employee! Just wanted to take some time to tell you all a little about myself. I am a mother of a wonderful 8year old who loves to always keep me on my toes! Being a full time mother and full time employee helps me understand the hurtles that parents have to cross every day which makes me love my position even more it pushes me and allows me to provide a pathway of success for others, I have always had a big heart for helping people starting from my younger years, being the eldest out of 6 girls and 1 boy I have always been looked at to lead. I even grew up to put that experience into my career path. I have been with Advance Employment for almost two years now and I feel that finally I found the path for me when I was fresh into the work field, I was that employee on the other side of the table hoping for a chance. Now that I am an Account Manager over seeing two offices in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, I welcome everyone with an open mind and encouragement that I feel any seeking employee needs to strive for success and that is what Advance Employment represents, looking for a job or even career is hard enough so why not have a team that has your back through the journey.

Hello! I am Mara, I have been with Advance Employment for the past two years and have helped  many people become full time employees with our clients. My job is to be your advocate. I am here to help you! Our mantra at Advance is to serve first and serve without exception. Please, if you are looking for work, please give me a call or apply to this job. I would love to connect to see if this is a long term solution to your career needs. A little bit about me? I am a aunt to four wonderful kids and a mom to two fur babies, Eleanor and Theodore (Roosevelt, of course). Fall is my favorite season and I love a good movie night after a good day at Advance Employment. I hope to hear from you soon!

I am an account manager for Advance Employment. I have over 10 years’ experience in the staffing industry. I started my journey here with Advance Employment in 2009 as a front office coordinator and worked my way up to account manager. As an account manager I assist with screening and interviewing candidates, recruiting, orientating new associates and fulfillment of client orders. I truly enjoy the sense of fulfillment when I find quality candidates for our clients and assisting candidates with work placement. In my free time you can find me spending time with my family, painting or drawing or enjoying outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and fishing.

As the Payroll Specialist of Advance Employment Services, I am involved daily with our payroll team to produce accurate and timely payroll for associates, and invoices for customers. The payroll team takes great pride in that, and also in the relationships we have built with our own local business office staff and customers alike. I have 8 years of experience in payroll. Among many responsibilities, my job also includes Child Support Orders, National Medical Support Notices, Verifications of Employment, Payroll, and Invoicing clients.

A little bit about me? I have two grown children, four wonderful grandchildren. I work from home in Tennessee. I love the mountains and the warm weather. In my spare time, I like to relax and spend time with loved ones.

Hello, my name is Kayla Graham! I have been a Recruiter with Advance Employment for the last 11 months. I started off with recruiting for the Lansing office and then slowly made my way to join the Jackson & Ann Arbor team! When I am not working, I am taking care of my fur baby, Dash, spending time with family, or have my head in the books while I finish Nursing school. Working for Advance Employment has allowed me to take my passion for helping others in my community and making their job search quick and painless. For all new and past employees, I am always willing to help you find a better opportunity or be the ear to listen to your story. I am delighted to be a part of a team that has the motto; “serve first and serve without exception”!

Please, if you are looking for you in your area, reach out to me and I will ALWAYS put your needs first while we search for your future career!

I’m Brittany! I have been with Advance since 2018, starting as a recruiter and now I am the Director of First Impressions. My journey with Advance Employment has been so uplifting and encouraging to push myself to do the best I can do to help the public, and my amazing coworkers every day. A lot of what I do consists of sending/replying to emails, answering our offices phones, parsing in resumes, and I do a few different audits for our offices to make sure everything is in tip top shape.

In my free time I enjoy spending time outdoors, my friends and I are really into disc golfing, camping, kayaking, and any excuse to have a cookout. I also enjoy spending any time I can get in with my family, the older I get the more I realize how precious that time really is!

Hometown: Farwell, Michigan

Favorite Quote: “if you’re already thinking of a response, then you weren’t really listening”

Fun Facts:

• I really enjoy cooking/trying new recipes
• It’s been a dream of mine since I was little to one day have a job where I can work with animals in some way
• Cleaning is my biggest stress reliever 

Hello! My name is Michael I am a Recruiter here at Advance Employment. If I am not here, you will find me working on my house or in my garden. Everyone hates looking for a job. Let’s not make it a bad experience but a great one just imagine working somewhere you love and appreciate those you work with. The job is out there, I found it, lets find yours. With the wealth of knowledge and experience in the Advance team and abundant resources I am sure we bound to find your success. Let us help find your joy and the rest will be easy!

I am Zac Thacker, the Account Manager & one of the on-site representatives here in Jackson Center, OH. I first started with Advance Employment in 2021 shortly after my transition out of the armed forces. I was a Human Resources Specialist in the Army, taking care of the other soldiers & their families. I was the one behind every promotion, award, finance issue being resolved, as well as any & every personnel action that you could think of. I very first started as a recruiter here with Advance, but since then I have quickly developed into someone who can, as I always like to say, “hold down the fort” here onsite. Over time, I have gained much experience, learned new skills, picked up many responsibilities, and worked so hard to perfect my craft. My number one goal each day is to not only provide new associates being brought in, a wonderful experience, but to also provide any assistance whatsoever, to every single employee we have here on-site. Even if that includes giving someone a ride home when needed. If you asked me what my favorite thing to do is in my position, I would tell you it’s helping people, and most importantly, making them happy. You never truly know what anyone might be going through at home, but getting them a job, providing an “escape from reality”, and even just making them smile, might just make all the difference.

On my free time, most people know me for being the “Reptile” or “Snake guy”. Therefore, if I am “Off the clock”, I most likely I am taking care of my reptiles. You might even be reading this & I will probably be cleaning an enclosure. I always attend my local reptile shows, not just to buy cooler stuff, but occasionally selling at the shows as well to spread the passion & love for reptiles.

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Favorite Quote: Steve Irwin- “The only difference between beautiful and scary, is knowledge.”

Fun facts:

• Yes, it’s true, I breed & sell reptiles!
• I love movies in general, comedy, horror, you name it!
• I’m that person who loves to see cool tattoos, and am interested in them, but at the same time I am not willing to spend the money to get any.
• Lastly, I just love making people laugh & sharing knowledge on the things I am passionate about. I am an open book. 

My name is Adrienne, I feel like I have been a part of the Advance Team for as long as I can remember. I used to go into the office with my mother while she worked. I would pretend to type on the computers and “work” for the company. Now as an adult I have been working for the company for about 4 months. I am currently a Recruiter and I answer calls of those searching for work. Helping to answer questions and concerns.  

In my spare time I like to learn to create things from scratch; food, soap, art, clothing, etc. I also enjoy gardening, spending time with my family of course and occasionally reading (if I can find the time). 

Hometown: Three Rivers, MI 

Education: Some courses at GOCC 

Favorite Quote: “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” – Carl Jung 

Fun Facts: 

• Favorite Season: Fall 
• Growing up I wanted to be: Artist 
• Favorite Food: Sushi