James A. Essey

Since joining the TemPositions Group of Companies, one of the nation’s largest regional staffing firms, in 1985, Jim has focused the firm on developing a number of niche businesses, heading each with industry experts. He has also been responsible for the closing of 15 acquisitions. Through his efforts, TemPositions is one of the true full service staffing companies in the market today. In 2004, Jim was honored by his peers by being elected Chairman of the American Staffing Association (ASA), the industry's national trade association. Prior, he served as Chair of the National Chapter Leadership Council and served for five years as President of the New York Staffing Association (NYSA) where he was a recipient of the NYSA's New Yorker Award, for outstanding service to the industry. He now serves as Chairman of the ASA Legal/Legislative Committee. In that role, he has helped shape the industry’s position as relates to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and speaks widely on the topic to industry groups. On behalf of NYSA, Jim worked first with the NY City Council and then the Department of Consumer Affairs on the provisions of the Earned Sick Pay Act as they related to employees of staffing firms. Jim is also called upon often to comment on labor matters by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Crain’s New York business and other periodicals. He has appeared on CNBC and NY1. In recognition of his leadership role in the health care staffing industry, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) appointed him to its Task Force to create standards for a new health care staffing certification program. Additionally, in 2011, in 2013, and again in 2014, Jim was included Staffing Industry Review Magazine’s “Who’s Who in Staffing” list of the 100 most influential leaders in the staffing industry. Jim sits on the boards of the American Staffing Association, the New York Staffing Association, and the Eastern Region Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. He recently completed 20 years on the board of the Metro Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), where he headed their Community Participation Program. A strong believer in public education, he served three terms each as president of the Hunter College Elementary and High School PTAs, during the period when his daughter attended the schools. At Hunter, he was credited for introducing leading edge technology into the schools, including personal computers in all elementary classrooms, laptops for all the teachers and smartboards in every high school classroom. He also spearheaded the effort to renovate the entire facility, including all classrooms, the cafeteria, the schoolyard, the gym and the auditorium. For "creating opportunities that contribute to the growth and development of young people,” he was presented with the Corporate Leadership Award by New York Youth at Risk. With his wife he has established the James A. and Nina Zakin Essey Fund at the New York Community Trust to assist needy organizations throughout the country. Prior to joining TemPositions, Jim served in various product management and new business development positions with Clairol, Inc. He holds a BA from Trinity College (Hartford, CT), a General Course degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MBA from Harvard University.