Who are We?
Selected for our diverse business backgrounds, education, and perspective, our Board of Directors is comprised of the best in our industry.
PRESIDENT: Daphne Phalon
Daphne Phalon joined the MSA Board of Directors in 2014 and became our President in January of 2020. In addition to providing Association and industry leadership, Daphne is President and Founder of Ardent Staffing Solutions, a Massachusetts based skilled manufacturing and professional staffing agency.
Daphne has committed her entire career to staffing, beginning back in 2000 at The Davis Companies, a large National firm headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts. After leaving The Davis Companies, Daphne held the positions of Vice President of Eastern Operations at The Job Center and Chief Operating Officer for United Personnel. In both of these roles, Daphne was responsible for driving operational efficiency, profitability. compliance and growth in the light industrial staffing sector.
Daphne is highly involved in compliance and legislative matters facing the staffing industry. She works closely with the American Staffing Association (ASA) and Massachusetts Staffing Association and is a member of NEHRA and SHRM. She is a regular public speaker and training facilitator on topics facing the industry such as worker’s compensation insurance, safety, and hiring practices. Additionally, Daphne is a member of the ASA Safety Committee and OSHA/ASA Safety Alliance. Through this partnership with OSHA, Staffing Industry leaders work toward creating safe work environments for all of our workers, contract and permanent alike.
Daphne is a graduate from the University of Massachusetts with a BA in English and a Minor in Psychology. Additionally, Daphne has held her SPHR Certification since 2005 and achieved both her CSP and SHRM-SCP certifications in 2014.
Contact Information:
Daphne M. Phalon
President
Direct: (508) 530-7209
Email: daphne@ardent-staffing.com
5 Mount Royal Ave, Marlborough, MA
VICE PRESIDENT: Maura Mann
Maura is President of The Nagler Group and KNF&T Staffing Resources where she is responsible for the client service strategy and execution that has resulted in award-winning growth and achievement for both companies. She also oversees the Strategic Accounts teams for the BANKW Staffing companies. Prior to joining BANKW Staffing in 2011, Maura held leadership roles with multiple local and international staffing and recruiting organizations where she led teams focused on accounting & finance, legal and administrative staffing. She loves meeting new people and always networking, professionally and personally.
Maura is a member of ProVisors, a national networking organization where she is the assistant group leader for the Boston Women’s Affinity group and sits on the Executive Committee for a group based out of Woburn, MA. She also sits on the board of the Massachusetts Staffing Association and is actively involved in the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the Diversity Workforce Coalition and founded BANKW’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee.
Maura is a proud Boston College alumna, a member of the Boston College Club and is involved in a local charity, 100 People Who Care. Outside of work, Maura is a diehard Boston Bruins and New England Patriots fan as well as a busy hockey and lacrosse mom. She lives in Tewksbury with her husband, son, and adorable labradoodle named Loki.
Contact Information:
Maura Mann
781-405-4438
mmann@naglergroup.com
TREASURER: Bill Diana
Bill Diana is Chief Financial Officer. He oversees all financial matters and strategies. He joined the firm in 2000. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an MBA from Babson College, and is a licensed CPA in Massachusetts.
He resides in Medfield with his wife and three children.
SECRETARY: David O’Connor
David M. O’Connor is the principal of O’Connor & Associates, LLC, an AV-rated law firm with offices in Boston and MetroWest. David, a Massachusetts SuperLawyer in several practice areas, speaks nationally on issues affecting the firm’s staffing, construction, and insurance clients. The firm’s lawyers counsel and represent employers and institutional interests across Massachusetts in administrative, judicial and MCAD/EEOC proceedings. David is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University and Boston College Law School and was recently made a member of the MSA Board of Directors.
Contact Information:
David M. O’Connor O’Connor & Associates, LLC
Boston/MetroWest
617-723-7201
doconnor@oconnorllc.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Mark O’Hara
Mark is the Chief Revenue Officer at Whitridge Associates, Inc. Whitridge Associates provides expert IT, Engineering and Life Sciences talent to a diverse group of businesses throughout the country including technology companies, financial services, defense contractors, medical device, and healthcare/life sciences. With a history of unparalleled service to both our clients and consultants, Whitridge is one of the most highly regarded staffing companies in New England.
Mark is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. He resides in Acton, MA with his wife and two children.
Contact Information:
Mark O’Hara
Whitridge Associates, Inc.
50 Thomas Patten Dr., 2nd Floor, Randolph, MA 02368
(617) 657-6907
m.ohara@whitridge.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Janet Santa Anna, CSP
Janet is the President and CEO of The Resource Connection, Inc. (TRC) which she co-founded in 1987. TRC is a full service staffing company headquartered in Middleton with a branch office in Boston. TRC provides temporary help services specializing in office support and administrative personnel. Janet is a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) with over 28 years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry. Prior to starting TRC, Janet was an Area Manager for an international staffing firm for eight years.
Active memberships include: The Commonwealth Institute, Center for Women & Enterprise, Middleton Board of Trade, North Shore Chamber of Commerce, American Staffing Association, and Massachusetts Staffing Association. Janet holds a Masters of Management degree and a specialized graduate certificate in Organizational Development from Cambridge College School of Management.
Contact Information:
Janet Santa Anna The Resource Connection
161 S Main Street, Suite 300
Middleton, MA 01949-2485
978-777-9333
janet@resource-connection.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Patrick McNamara
Patrick McNamara is an 18-year veteran of developing IT workforce solutions for companies of all sizes. Since joining Atlantic Associates in July 2010, he has served as the company’s Market Director, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business as well as overseeing the company’s business development and growth strategy. Under McNamara’s leadership, the company has achieved year-over-year growth annually despite operating in a challenging financial and business market. At AAI, McNamara has successfully implemented new sales strategies and also brought the company into a cutting-edge technology platform that has increased efficiencies throughout the entire recruiting and sales process. Prior to joining AAI, McNamara spent more than 15 years at TAC Worldwide. There he rose from an account manager to the company’s Market Director where he was responsible for overseeing the IT staffing company’s $25M Northeast region and managing a team of 25 account executives and recruiters.
Contact Information:
Pat McNamara Trillium Technical
1208 VFW Parkway
West Roxbury, MA 01032
617-477-5254
pmcnamara@trilliumtechnical.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: John Bogosian
John Bogosian, President and a principal of King & Bishop, as well as the CEO of Biomedical Search Consultants Division, brings over 25 years of well rounded entrepreneurial experience in Management Consulting, Coaching, Staffing, Human Resource Consulting, and Business Development. With John’s innovative approach, vision for the future leadership and guidance, King & Bishop is growing nationally and internationally offering a portfolio of services designed to meet clients’ needs.
Before John joined King & Bishop in 2004, he was a national recruiter and gained increasing responsibility in managing the New England Region for B&M Associates, a national temporary technical staffing firm. From there, he went on to start up a local temporary staffing firm. He was recruited to take his experience in staffing and business development to one of the larger international career and executive coaching companies. During his tenure, John was Vice President and responsible for career coaching, facilitation and new business development. He developed an appreciation and passion for assisting organizations and individuals at all levels through the coaching process.
John earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston University and completed MIT Sloan School’s program, “Reinventing Your Business Strategy.”
Contact Information:
John Bogosian King & Bishop
333 Wyman Street, Suite 175
Waltham, MA 02451
781-530-1117
jbogosian@kingbishop.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Kevin Donovan
Kevin joined TradeSource, Inc. in 2006 as the Director of Risk Management & Benefits from TAC Worldwide Companies (Advantage Staffing). Kevin is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the company-wide safety program, all insurance coverages, benefits and compliance with all regulatory and legal issues.
Kevin has over nineteen years of experience in the Temporary Staffing Industry and twenty-five years in Insurance and Risk Management.
Kevin is OSHA 500 Certified (Trainer) in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry and has an accredited Supervisor License in Asbestos Abatement under the Toxic Substance Control Act.
Kevin is a member of the Safety Committee for the American Staffing Association.
Kevin holds a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Anselm College and is a Notary Public.
Contact Information:
Kevin Donovan Director, Benefits & Risk Management, TradeSource, Inc.
205 Hallene Road Unit #211
Warwick, RI 02886
1-401-921-6008
fax 1-800-741-3859
Kdonovan@tradesource.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Kyle Davidge
As a Senior Sales Executive, Kyle Davidge has assisted Kronos in developing and delivering SaaS solutions as well as other tools which assist the Staffing Industry in navigating the ever changing landscape of Employer Compliance and Labor Law. Prior to joining Kronos, Kyle spent 8 years partnering with the Staffing Industry as a National Account Manager at Monster. As part of his previous roles, he has also maintained a seat on the Georgia Staffing Association’s Board of Directors since 2011, and has actively been engaged with numerous state chapters across the country, as well as the American Staffing Association, Staffing Industry Analysts and Techserve Alliance. Kyle has spent the majority of his professional career working closely and learning the day to day operations of the Staffing Industry. He has experience and built relationships with staffing companies of all colors, shapes and sizes.
Kyle attended Framingham State College, and currently resides in Franklin Massachusetts with his wife and 3 young children.
Contact Information:
Kyle Davidge Kronos Inc.
900 Chelmsford St.
Lowell, MA 01851
508-243-6268
Kyle.davidge@kronos.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Robert J. Mocerino
Mr. Mocerino currently serves as Senior Vice President, Managing Director for White Oak Commercial Finance and is responsible for originating and developing opportunities within the staffing and government contract communities.
Having extensive experience in providing working capital solutions and promoting client and partner relationships specific to the staffing industry. After operating his own accounts receivable management company for 18 years. Mr. Mocerino began his career at Sterling National Bank in 2003 and was responsible for managing the portfolio and credit and collections area for the payroll finance division. While at Sterling he transitioned from credit into client originations with a focus on staffing and government contracting.
Robert serves on the board of directors for the NY and Massachusetts Staffing Associations and is an active member of the American Staffing Association and California Staffing Professionals Association.
Contact Information:
Robert J. Mocerino
Senior Vice President, Managing Director
Staffing and Government Originations
White Oak Commercial Finance, LLC
1155 Avenue of The Americas, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Direct (516) 998-6000
Email: rmocerino@whiteoakcf.com
Website: www.whiteoaksf.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Mim Zayas, CSP
Mim Zayas is the VP of Operations at United Personnel and was promoted to this role after beginning with United as the Director of Talent Acquisition. Mim has spent much of her career in the Staffing Industry, with over 15 years of experience in recruitment, operations and account management.
In her role as VP of Operations, Mim focuses on the operational objectives of the organization focusing on recruitment, fulfillment, and compliance, spearheading significant internal initiatives including the implementation of a new ATS and quality assurance programs.
Before joining United Personnel, Mim worked for Fujitsu as their Vendor Manager where she had oversight of multiple vendors to their MSP Program, both international and domestic. Prior to her work at Fujitsu, Mim served as Agile1’s Director of On-Site Services overseeing MassMutual’s MSP Program. Under her direction that program saw tremendous growth, tripling its weekly billing and growing the profit more than 210% over projections. Mim’s introduction to the staffing field was as a recruiter for both Light Industrial and Professional contract and contract to permanent placements for an agency in Nashua, NH where she also had the opportunity work on direct hire placements.
Mim is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Chamber’s Executive Committee. Her focus with this non-profit is to assist with several important community initiatives as well as a member of the Shining Stars Committee which generates significant revenue for the chamber.
Mim graduated from College of Our Lady of the Elms with a BA in Business Management. Mim also holds her CSP and is working to assist United Personnel with the OSHA Safety Standard of Excellence for 2019.
Contact Information:
United Personnel
293 Bridge Street, Springfield MA
Phone: 413.314.6059 | Fax: 413.730.4264
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Jamal Mahijibhai
Everyone deserves to have their voice heard. For some, speaking up for themselves is not always easy. In my experience, this is especially true when candidates are trying to find meaningful employment that does not just “pay the bills” – but is also fulfilling and rewarding.
I founded MSG Staffing in 2005 as a place that inspires ordinary people to do extraordinary things and to let their passion shine. Over the years I have trained my staff to be stalwart advocates for our candidates and the clients we send them to. Our staffing professionals are passionate about gaining a deep knowledge of our candidates’ experience, current situation, and what they are looking for in a new position. With that information, we can eliminate the traditional hiring process barriers for applicants so we can work on matching the right candidate with the right opportunity faster.
A critical lesson I learned from working as a Registered Nurse is the importance of providing quality care to improve patients’ lives. I took this lesson and made it the foundation of my company’s mission: improve the lives of our internal team, the Healthcare Professionals we employ, and the client facilities we serve.
My professional values can be summed up as:
- Offer Care and Support
- Strive for Improvement
- Always be Humble and Work to Earn Trust
MSG Staffing has been honored with the Best of Staffing award in both the Talent Satisfaction and Client Satisfaction categories. We also have earned the Joint Commission certification as a testament to our continued dedication to providing quality staffing services, and we are one of only three staffing agencies in Massachusetts that hold that distinction. MSG Staffing has been recognized in our community for our ongoing commitment outside of work to improving lives – this has been done through our support of charities like Safe Home, VNA Care, Worcester County Food Bank, Veterans Inc, various homeless shelters, and Rebuild Worcester Together.
My personal hobbies include running, hiking, and traveling with my family.
Contact Information:
Jamal Mahijibhai, CEO of MSG Staffing, Inc
25 Union St., Suite 105
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone or Fax: (508) 799-6674
Jamalm@msgstaffing.com
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Shannon Gallagher
Shannon Gallagher Gaudreau is the Director of Alliances and Business Development for Bullhorn, Inc., a global leader in software for the staffing industry headquartered in Boston. In this capacity, Shannon and her team work with businesses that serve the staffing industry, helping them to ensure their offerings are helping firms solve their most pressing challenges.
In her 5+ years as part of the Bullhorn Alliances team, Shannon has worked closely with staffing firms of all sizes, segments, and industries. As the newest member of the board, Shannon is enthusiastic about the opportunity to deepen her service to the industry.
Contact Information:
shannon.gallagher@bullhorn.com
Bullhorn Inc, 100 Summer St. 17th floor, Boston, MA 02110
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgallagherbullhorn/