Teams
Our Team Members
Our Executive Team

Al Simon
President & CEO
Al brings over 22 years of experience to his role as President of APS Solutions. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, including tactical initiatives, business development, P&L, insurances, recruitment, operations, and execution. During his career Al steadily rose through management and executive management at ProEnergy, Bluewater Energy, and PIC for being accountable, attentive, and possessing distinctive leadership skills putting him in a unique position to lead APS Solutions in the industrial staffing industry. Al earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University and numerous other Safety, Management, Compliance and Sales certificates.

Chris Cooley
Senior Vice President
Chris brings extensive recruiting and sales experience to his role as Vice President. He is responsible for leading the company in providing commercial guidance, sales solutions, and technical recruitment support to ensure APS's customers receive top service. Chris’s previous roles include Product Manager and Director of Recruiting at ProEnergy; prior, Chris served as the Sales and Recruiting Manager for Global Service Solutions where he specialized in providing staffing services to the Power and Energy industries. Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in Education from Pensacola College.

Ryan Potts
Vice President & General Counsel
Ryan brings 10 years of experience to his role as General Counsel / Commercial Director at APS Solutions. He began his career at ProEnergy in the role of Inside Sales learning the ins and outs of the Professional Services business. He later went on to earn his Juris Doctor and became a licensed attorney with experience in labor and employment law, healthcare compliance, and contract negotiation. His responsibilities include the development, management and oversight of contractual relationships, risk management and compliance of the company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Central Missouri and Juris Doctor from the Charlotte School of Law.

Doug Knull
Heavy Industrial Crafts Director
Doug brings over 25 years of technical, recruiting and sales experience to his role as Crafts & Utilization Director at APS Solutions. Prior to joining APS Solutions Doug worked at ProEnergy where he was instrumental in launching the Heavy Industrial Division and was promoted through the ranks of Staffing Manager, Manager of Heavy Industrial Services to Product Manager, while driving the Heavy Industrial Services business from initial start-up to successful multi-million-dollar division. Doug began his career as a craftsman, earning journeyman status as a machinist and specialty welder, before being promoted to shop foreman. Doug then transitioned to manpower management and was the corporate recruiter for an 8-location company in the Mid-West. Doug has extensive training and certifications in technical trades and safety and is an NCCER Master Trainer. Doug earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Central Methodist University.

Jayme Noble
Infrastructure & Operations
Jayme Noble started her career in the Power and Energy industry over nine years ago as a Recruiter Assistant. She quickly became acclimated and was promoted two months later to the role of Recruiter. While recruiting, Jayme excelled and was promptly promoted to the Recruiting Operations Lead then onto Operations Director where she now focuses on developing the infrastructure for the business while making important policy, planning, and strategy decisions, that involve implementing and reviewing policies and procedures and analyzing software and process flow on an ongoing basis. Jayme obtained her associates degree from State Fair Community College.

Mandy Root
CFO
Mandy brings over 15 years of progressive responsibilities and experience to her role as CFO of APS Solutions. Mandy worked for over 10 years as a multi-divisional Finance Manager at ProEnergy, where she developed her accounting skills to include Project Based Accounting, International Accounting and Labor Accounting. Mandy has extensive experience in Great Plains and other accounting software. Mandy earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Accounting from University of Central Missouri.

Sherri Meyer
Commercial & Compliance Director
Sherri brings over 20 years of business and proposal development experience to her role as Commercial and Compliance Director at APS Solutions. She is well versed in all phases of business development including opportunity identification and assessment, capture management, and proposal development. During her career, Sherri has focused on the on-time delivery of quality and compliant responses to opportunities in the private and public sectors including over 15 years in the Energy and Heavy Industrial Industries.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Missouri State University.
Our Sales Team

Paul Fergus
Strategic Account Executive
Paul brings over 20 years of experience in developing short-, medium- and long-term managed staffing contracts to the power and process industry. He’s developed and managed projects domestically and internationally ranging from 1-175 personnel at various clients. He prides himself on aligning his clients with best-in-class resources and service. He spent 19 years at another services provider in the power industry prior to joining APS. He graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management.

Chad Wiseman
Senior Account Manager
Chad brings eight years of sales experience in Power Generation and Oil & Gas markets. Prior to supporting those heavy industrial clients, Chad worked in a Retail Management role for six years. Chad prides himself on developing strong personal relationships with his clients, being very responsive, and staying heavily involved throughout all stages of a deal. Chad earned his bachelor’s degree in Business from Missouri Valley College.

Wayne Ackerson
Senior Account Manager
Wayne has been in the Professional Staffing arena for over 6 years specializing in power, pulp/paper, and industrial construction. In addition to his industrial experience he has over 15 years’ experience managing medium to large teams in other lines of business. This experience allows him to develop successful strategies for his customers no matter the size of the project. He maintains customer focus and ensures their complete satisfaction, which has helped Wayne build successful relationships that are beneficial for everyone long term.

Marc Robson
Senior Account Manager
Marc brings over 20 years of Staff Augmentation experience within the Power, Energy, and Heavy Industrial Markets and has extensive experience working with Utilities, Owner’s, EPC, and OEM providers within these Markets. Throughout his career he has been responsible for Business Development, Account Management, Proposal Development, and Recruitment. Prior to joining APS, Marc was with two other Staff Augmentation firms within the Power, Energy, and Heavy Industrial Markets and held titles of Director of Southeast and Sales Leader. Marc has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston.

Britt Smith
Senior Account Manager
Britt brings over 15 years of experience in the Power Industry in sales and marketing. Prior to joining APS, Britt worked for ProEnergy and APG supporting the Gas & Steam Turbine businesses. Britt has been involved with all phases of a project, from development to execution. Britt's number one focus is providing excellent customer service and helping customers achieve their company goals. Britt has a bachelor’s degree in business Management/Finance from Missouri Valley college.
In his spare time, he enjoys time with family and friends. Britt enjoys his time outdoors golfing, hunting, Kansas City Chiefs, and grassroots racing.

Irena Sultanov
Customer Service Representative
Irena brings over 5 years of experience as a customer service representative. Prior to joining APS Solutions, she worked in a heavy industrial shop where she worked her way up to customer service. Irena will be responsible for creating the right action plan for her clients. She prides herself in developing strong relationships to fully understand her client’s unique needs. Irena earned an associate’s degree in Business Management from State Fair Community College.

Dayton Martin
Sales Associate
Dayton joined APS Solutions as a bright addition to our team during our inaugural internship program. Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Business and Professional Sales at Missouri State University, Dayton has fully immersed himself in the world of recruiting, sales, and business operations within the energy and heavy industrial sectors through our internship program. With his exceptional education and hands-on experience, Dayton is uniquely equipped to collaborate with our clients and provide tailored staffing solutions that perfectly align with their specific needs.

Denise Martin
Senior Marketing & Business Analyst
Denise joined APS as the Senior Marketing & Business Analyst. She is responsible for marketing, sales metrics, streamlining business systems and market research. She has a proven record working across all functional departments and aligning functional strategies to support corporate goals. She has worked on several projects in her career coordinating between marketing, sales, finance, information technology and operations that resulted in providing qualitative and quantifiable metrics and market models used for business decisions. Denise earned a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science from Central Methodist University and a Masters in Business Administration with a Concentration in Data Analytics from Louisiana State University Shreveport.

Emilee Simon
Marketing Creative Assistant
Emilee joined APS Solutions in June 2022. She graduated from State Fair Community College with a 64-hour AAS in Marketing and Spanish. She is currently attending the University of Central Missouri to complete her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Communications. While in school she has had experience in retail managerial roles and some hands-on experience as a Marketing Assistant. This experience has given her the ability to create and market events, produce and publish ads; as well as, create new graphic designs.

Taylor Burlingame
Commercial Assistant
Taylor joined APS Solutions in July 2023, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. With a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from the University of Central Missouri, Taylor's passion for sports and writing guided her towards a successful career as a sportswriter. Following her graduation, she further honed her skills as a marketing intern, where she played a crucial role in creating and implementing innovative digital marketing strategies. Taylor's background has equipped her with exceptional communication, analytical, and detail-oriented skills, making her the perfect fit for her role as a Commercial Assistant.
Our Recruiting Team

Gabe Norman
Recruiting Manager
Gabe has been supporting power and heavy industrial customers with their staffing needs for over 7 years. Prior to working in this industry, Gabe was an Account Manager in the agricultural industry. Gabe’s primary focus has been supporting customers with best-in-class skilled craftspeople – Millwrights, Electricians, Welders, Pipefitters, etc., as well as Safety, QA/QC, and Project Controls positions. Gabe’s project headcounts have ranged from as low as 1 person to more than 30. Gabe prides himself on responding to needs quickly, tackling issues head on, and supporting his customers with all aspects of their staffing needs. Gabe earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Missouri Valley College.

Gary Leath
Staffing Manager
Gary brings extensive experience to his role of Staffing Manager at APS Solutions. Prior to joining APS Solutions, Gary held various positions in the power and construction sector to include, Vice President of Administration, Director of Recruiting and Staffing, Director of Domestic Sales, and Recruiting Manager. Gary also spent 21 years in the Navy, where he was a plant Auxiliary Mechanic/Operator aboard Nuclear Submarines and a Career Recruiter. He recruited for various sectors to include the Navy Construction Battalion, Naval Hospitals, and Naval Intelligence. Gary graduated from the Navy’s Propulsion Engineering School, was a Navy Certified Master Training Specialist, and a Certified Achieve Global Sales instructor. He also holds a Master’s Degree from Troy University.

Kim Proffitt
Crafts Staffing Manager
Kim brings over 25 years of experience in recruiting, staffing, and project coordination in the craft labor industry. Throughout her extensive career in the heavy industrial field, she has staffed and recruited for talent in craft labor, specializing in electrical, welding, crane, carpentry, ironwork, and her main field of expertise, millwrights. Additionally, she has worked and trained as a resource coordinator, while managing an office staff and continuing to staff and recruit projects for millwright mechanics and wind technicians. Prior to coming to APS, she staffed a new division and implemented all training requirements for wind technicians. Kim earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Houston Clear Lake.

Josh Asbury
Lead Recruiter
Josh brings 15 years of experience and knowledge in renewable energy to his role as Recruiter. He has operated power plants with an emphasis in Glascore and GE Jenbacher 320 and 420 reciprocating engines, and has facility management experience ranging from HVAC systems, cooling towers, plumbing, equipment operation, to welding, electrical, and more. In addition, he has a background in construction, steel erection, concrete, and is a Certified dryvit applicator. Josh received his Associates of Applied Science in Renewable Energy, with an emphasis in Biomass.

Robert Coggin
Senior Recruiter
Bob brings over 15 years of technical recruiting, account management, business development and field services experience, and is directly responsible for organizing, leading and implementing project support for various EPC, capital projects, and outage efforts for both domestic and global engineering firms and power utilities, including fossil, renewable, hydrogen and nuclear energy platforms. He has a strong level of operations and instrumentation experience including a decorated eight-year career as a Reactor Operator, Supervisor and Reactor Controls Leading Petty Officer for the United States Navy Nuclear Power Program. He has held previous roles of Systems Instructor at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and as Team Leader working with the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory where he was responsible for the successful conversion of power plant instrumentation and controls from analog to digital technology; including a full control room overhaul, and initial testing, alignments, and coordination of work packages and schedules with other disciplines/crafts for plant-wide testing, startup and calorimetric calibration teams. Bob has worked in procedure development, onsite project management, electrical and instrumentation field engineering and testing, and technical manual verification for maintenance procedures, operating procedures and casualty response actions. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and holds a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Energy Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State University.

Brea Shamsid-Deen
Senior Recruiter
Brea has 14+ years of dedicated staffing experience in the energy and oil & gas industries. She has staffed professionals for combined cycle, coal, nuclear, refineries, renewable and for various other projects to include both startup & commissioning as well as operations and maintenance. She has provided staff augmentation throughout North America and internationally. Additionally, she has experience managing the full-life cycle recruitment process to include supporting onboarding and travel coordinating processes. Brea’s background has included many roles with a progression in recruiting responsibilities to include management. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Grand Valley State University and is an ASA Certified Staffing Professional.

Elex Simon
Recruiter
Elex graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 2020, with a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science, minors in Legal Studies, Marketing and Business Administration. While Elex was at the university she interned as a legal clerk for Buckley and Buckley Attorneys at Law, and the Legal Clerk for Legal Aid of Western Missouri. As a law clerk Elex would support attorneys by assembling and organizing information for legal documents, researching, assembling case materials, and writing reports and memoranda. Elex plans to work as a legal clerk at APS while she studies for her Juris Doctor.

Zach Lutjen
Recruiter
Bringing a wealth of experience to his role as a Recruiter at APS Solutions, Zach combines 13 years of teaching and coaching expertise with 14 years as a heavy equipment operator in the Army National Guard. With a strong background in education and industry, Zach possesses the skills necessary to effectively communicate and collaborate with employees and clients, making him a perfect fit for this position. Zach holds a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Central Missouri.

Lorena Lopez
Bilingual Recruiting Assistant
Lorena joined APS in May 2022, bringing a little over 10 years of experience of translating with her. Starting as an occupational health interpreter for a local meat processing plant, then a Community Action Agency translator, Lorena has been the bridge between Spanish language barriers in many different settings. Lorena plans to help APS grow and expand by helping to facilitate clear and effective communication between APS and their employees.

Daegan Smith
Staffing Specialist
Daegan joined APS Solutions as a Recruiting Assistant. Her background experience in customer service has given her the ability to provide remarkable aid. Daegan will succeed in her role with her keen ability to communicate and her desire to achieve her goals. She wishes to further her education in psychology and has future aspirations in trauma therapy. Through her education and previous roles in customer service, she has gained leadership skills and qualities that will help her succeed in her role with APS Solutions.

Hanna Norman
Recruiting Intern
Hanna brings over 6 years of experience in customer service and work in trades. She has worked as an electrical assistant and as a farm hand to gain real experience into what APS field employees do on a project-to-project basis. Hanna is currently attending The University of Missouri to complete her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education and wishes to further her education with a masters degree. Through her education and previous experiences, she has gained leadership skills and real-world knowledge that will help her succeed in her role with APS Solutions.
Our Operations Team

Jennifer Simon
Executive Assistant
Jennifer brings 10 years of working in the education system serving as team leader, and head of several educational chairs. Jennifer has also been the President of Sedalia’s Women Service League, and has served on the board of countless committees. Jennifer continues to use her organizational and communication skills to support and build the Operations Department at APS. Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree in Education at Georgia Southern University.

Madelyn Fisher
Controller
Madelyn graduated from Truman State University in 2020 with a Masters of Accountancy. Following graduation she worked at Williams-Keepers as a tax and payroll employee, managing clients’ payroll, payroll taxes, business, and personal tax needs. She has also worked as a finance intern at A.T. Still University handling non-for-profit budgeting. Prior to A.T Still University, Madelyn worked as an internal audit intern at Central Bancompany auditing personal loans and federal banking compliance. At APS Solutions Madelyn is responsible for state and federal reporting and compliance on all payroll taxes and is involved in the preparation of the financial statements.

Brittany Kolkmeier
Operations Lead
Brittany joined the APS Solutions team in 2019, bringing more than 15 years of customer service, office management, and sales experience with her. Brittany supports the internal contract hiring for projects and assists her team members with projects, plans and execution when any need arises. Brittany earned her associate degree in Accounting from State Fair Community College and her bachelor’s degree in Business from Central Methodist University.

Velda Ellison
Operations Coordinator
Velda joined APS with 22 years of experience in the broadcasting and real estate industries. Her experience encompasses clerical, data entry and reconciliation with a focus on meeting clients’ needs. Velda has a keen ability with attention to detail and helping facilitate knowledge and growth. She brings with her experience in payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable and general accounting knowledge. At APS Solutions, Velda coordinates payroll activities and assists with Accounts Receivables and Accounts Payables. Velda studied Accounting at State Fair Community College.

Bobbi Wilson
Accounting Clerk
Bobbi joined APS Solutions in June 2022 as the Accounts Receivable Clerk. Bobbi has over 20 years of customer service experience which will aid in her ability to communicate with all customers regarding accurate and timely payments. She is skilled in AR/AP, bookkeeping and has an immense knowledge of management. She is highly skilled in maintaining customer accounts as well as maintaining solid relationships with customers. She has a vast knowledge of the collections process and has a proven track record of consistently maintaining account receivables at 90-98%, billed and collected. Bobbi received her Associates of Arts in Business Management at State Fair Community College

Courtney Cunningham
Payroll & Accounting Clerk
With over 7 years of customer service experience and 4 years of expertise in finance and operations, Courtney is the perfect fit for the role of Payroll & Accounting Clerk. As a former bank manager, she has gained extensive knowledge in management and consistently delivering exceptional service to customers. Additionally, Courtney is dedicated to furthering her education in business management.
Our HR & Safety Team

Michelle Rouchka
Human Resource Manager
Michelle brings nearly 20 years of management experience, most of that time in social services, steel manufacturing, and warehouse/distribution to her role as Human Resource Manager at APS Solutions. The last 6 years in Human Resource Management have primarily supported employees in safety sensitive positions. Her experience encompasses the employee life cycle, safety program compliance, worker’s compensation, and many other facets of HR. Early in her career she developed and edited training documents in the Energy industry, ensuring compliance with IACET, NERC and PIE. Michelle has always held roles that prioritized safety, compliance, and building relationships. She now provides project support in the HR department by focusing on continuous improvement to our policies, procedures, and safety compliance. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Missouri State University.

Amy Franklin
Onboarding & Travel Manager
With over 10 years of experience in the Power and Oil & Gas Industry. Amy’s experience includes employee testing & training, assisting with payroll and benefits, policy and procedure review, employee travel, assisting with Passports and VISAS, and updating and tracking candidates and jobs within the system. Currently, she specializes in the onboarding and retention of the company’s contingent contract and craft labor. She makes providing customer service and building relationships with all candidates her main priority. Amy has earned an Associates of Applied Science from State Fair.

Caitlin Duff
Human Resource Generalist
Caitlin brings a little over 7 years of customer service experience to her role as the Human Resource Generalist and prides herself on her excellence to create lasting client and customer relationships. She uses her organizational and communication skills to support the APS team and help build the Human Resources Department. She is the go-to-person for supporting the HR needs of APS employees. Caitlin earned her Associate of Arts degree from Metropolitan Community College and received her bachelor’s degree in general studies through Southeast Missouri State University in May 2022.

Barbara Whittle-Johnson
Safety & Claims Specialist
Barbara brings over 20 years of safety management experience to the APS team and is a United States Army Veteran. She is OSHA-trained in hazardous materials, fire, and safety and has worked in retail loss prevention, safety management, and the energy industry.