Exciting Next Step of Life....!

Hi, Everyone!

With great joy & appreciation, I am happy to announce my retirement.

Thank you to my Ownership Group @ Workbox Staffing (Brian Paavola - CEO, Bret Roberson, Cormac Fox, Mark Silverstein) for their positive support over the past four years. We built a great team @ WBX, created & embedded a high performing Sales Pro culture, launched two additional specialized brands (Great Lakes Skilled & Revel Hospitality) and doubled revenue to about $100mm during incredibly turbulent times. We also won a prestigious national award from the American Staffing Association for our ongoing community service initiatives (ASA Care Award) and successfully launched innovations to our business model to maximize growth while improving our brand experience & digital reputation. It certainly was great fun playing up tempo on all fronts! And the results of “The Workbox Way” during our years together were truly extraordinary with strong double digit growth rates in revenue & profitability (and positive social impact). Good stuff indeed for all stakeholders. I also want to thank sales & marketing expert and friend of our brand Dr. Jim Eckert, Western Michigan University, for his many prescient thoughts, ideas & influence to help us create a dynamic sales organization too (you made a big difference for us, Jim!). Also, much appreciation to Robin Mee & Jill Balick @ Mee Derby for originally finding this leadership opportunity for me too.

To our Workbox Staffing, Great Lakes Skilled Trades, Revel Hospitality Leadership Team: Thank you for everything you continue to do to fulfill our mission to help people in our local communities to find work! I especially want to wish great success in the years ahead to Heather Shadley (newly promoted President), Ron Groen (CFO), Dustin Ide (VP & GM), Steve Dubicki, Chad DeMeuse, Angela Saunders, Caleb Vance, Stefanie Wagner, Jessica Bazzett, Stephanie Ryan, Billi Thielke, Kyle Kukla, Kurt Kukla, Trevor Hodgins, Aaron Hemphill, Kristen Beddingfield, Caitlin Cain, Lauren Hysell, Mike Bigney, Shane Mitchell, Lisa Dost, Jeremy Groen, Jamie Soderstrom, Sandra Edwards, Catherine Cole and Cally Wildermuth. I am excited for your futures and please know I am always cheering for each of you, your families, and the entire WBX/GLST/RH Team! I also want to say thank you to Jacqueline Johncox, Rachel Musser, Kathleen Wolohan for their efforts to establish our leadership development & training programs @ WBX too…..well done!

Additionally, during my years @ TrueBlue, it was a great honor to work with many of the best leaders in the staffing industry. Special appreciation to Steve Cooper & Wayne Larkin for their inspiring leadership, coaching and continuing friendship. It was also a privilege to work with world class executives: Taryn Owen, Kim Cannon, Noel Wheeler, Bob Breen, Jim Defebaugh, Derrek Gafford, Billie Otto, Ed Nubel, David Pearson, Frank Troppe, Jill Quinn, Jay Reid, Eric Feinberg, Patty Musolf, Mike Breit, Rob Murphy, Nick Ellis, Carl Schweihs, Joan Davison, Jane Hussey, Maggie Lower, Rick Betori, and Jerry Wimer too. Go TrueBlue (always)!

I would also like to thank my many former great teammates (& outstanding executive leaders) @ TrueBlue too: Shannon Kahn, Milana Milosh, Kurt Marzolf, Jen Herrbach, Tommy Hodgins, Scott Turtel, Shannon Manix, Mark Hettinger, Eric Lynn, Seth Chisom, JoAnna Monroe, Lisa Harris, Dottie Gallagher, Kim Castagnetta, Howard Aronsen, Abby Hipskind, Jared DeRuby, Mark Tower, Steve Ivy, Joe Flannery, Joe Marotta, Clint Bennett, Smitty Williams, Garrett Ferencz, Matt Parker, Todd Gilman, Darren McCallon, Mike Campagna, Patty Bears, Andy Fox, Neal Kearney, Ben Peternel, Scotty McKeowen, Nagel Lind, Norm Frey, Will White, Mark Winter, Darren Gentry, Jim Young, Maren Clifton, Hank Wylie, Matt Parker, Jeroen Decker, Shannon Davis, Jeff Wold, Lisa Chlebecek, Scott Nickerson, Sean Connelly, Charlie Spradlin, Kevin Ducey, Tim Neilsen, Chris Nelson, Cheryl Powell Fox, John Morgan, Shane Redden, Ron Miller, Dave Lorenzatti and Chris Miller. Thank you for for your leadership, inspiration and many friendships!?

And my appreciation for TrueBlue would not be complete without a warm & hearty thank you to all of my former Spartan Staffing teammates:?Tom Hodgins (again), Jen Herrbach (again), Scotty Turtel (again), Abby Hipskind (again), Mark Robinson, Missy Caudill, Mike Radcliffe, Dena Zorzos, Brian McKillop, Suzanne Carter, Allison Turner, Jen Senger, David Duffey, Gina Oliger, Michelle Rollo, Sandra Edwards, Lisa Hawkins, Dave Toothman, Tim Vise, Wendi Bausback, Lucinda Comer and Jenni Brown. We sure had fun growing from +$60mm to +$300mm…!! Many of you have become senior executives in the staffing industry with other major firms and I appreciate being friends with each of you so very much! And never forget: “the reward for hard work is more hard work with people you care greatly about….!”

Thank you also to Mike Price, CEO @ Insource Performance Solutions. Mike’s ongoing leadership influence, wisdom & mentorship over decades has made a huge positive difference in my life and I will be forever grateful to him and his family. With this chapter of my leadership career pivoting, I also want to say thank you to Dr. Ted Lower, Rick Shearer & Phyliss Savage for being outstanding role models for me at the very start of my career beginning @ Union Carbide Corporation.

I am very excited about this next step of my journey and wish everyone well in the years ahead. Will be spending a lot of more time celebrating life & having fun with family this upcoming summer and have big plans to be in the Colorado mountains with Patricia supporting her Ironman training with lots of swimming, biking and hobbling…..:). Thank you again, Everbody, for your support & friendship over these many years!!?

All-in (100/0), John