Meet the Team
Aside from our hardworking clinicians in the field, TNS would not run without its dedicated team of internal employees.
C-Level
Martin Vidal
Chief Executive Officer
Our fearless leader, Martin started Trusted Nurse Staffing in 2008. He built this company from the ground up is responsible for the impeccable reputation and amazing company culture that we live every day. Quite possibly the greatest boss in the history of bosses, he makes sure to listen to every employee (internal and external) and ensure that their voices are heard. In his (very little) spare time he loves playing tennis and spending time with his wife Sondra and their two children Luc and Lyla.
William Thomas
Chief Operating Officer
William, or Billy as most of us call him, has been with Trusted since 2015. He worked his way through the ranks and was promoted to COO in 2020. Trusted as you see it today would not exist without Billy, he has a clear and concise way that he likes to see business operate and makes sure that everyone is following policy and procedure at all times. Although he’s the “rules guy”, you would not be shocked to see him walking around the office telling jokes, socializing, and hanging out with the crew. He does a good job at getting to know everyone in the office and making them feel a part of the team. When he’s not working, you can find him playing video games, hanging out with the boys on the golf course or out for drinks with friends.
Michael O’Leyar
Chief Financial Officer
Michael, or Mo as we call him around the office, has been with Trusted since 2010. He’s the man behind the money and the guy you want to go to for daily motivational quotes. He surely knows them all. If he’s not crunching the numbers behind his desk, he’s out on the tennis court every chance he gets. Once he’s finally worked up an appetite, he’s either out on the town trying all the new trendy restaurants or getting pizza, because (and this is a direct quote) “of all the foods both near and far, pizza is the superstar.”
Human Resources/Administration
Kathy Pede
HR Manager
Kathy started in 2022 as our HR Manager.She is from West Seneca, NY and she studied Business Management and Accounting at Bryant and Stratton College. Previously, she worked at Rosina Food Products as their Senior HR Manager who managed employee relations, benefits, payroll, workers’ comp, and disability.
In her free time, Kathy loves traveling and spending time with her family!
Christine Kozlowski
Learning and Development Specialist
Christine joined the TNS team in 2022 as the Learning & Development Specialist. She is responsible for assisting in the design, implementation, and execution of internal training programs to ensure optimal employee performance. A lifelong learner herself, Christine is currently pursuing her MBA at Medaille College, which will come in handy in her new role at TNS! An interesting fact about Christine is that she is a triplet- and if you ask her what it’s like to be a triplet, she will complain about never getting her own birthday cake.
Paul Fenner, RN
Clinical Director
Pauly Steele (as we call him) started with Trusted in 2012 as a Travel Nurse! He loved Trusted so much that he eventually made the switch from bedside to be our resident clinical director and the company would not be the same without his expertise (or fashion sense). Paul loves outdoor activities like Golf, Kayaking and Tennis but is most known around the office as the guy who throws the best theme parties and has the most ridiculous, fashion forward wardrobe. If you’re ever worried that you’re overdressed, don’t worry because Paul will surely outdo you. He has every color of footwear known to man.
Chelsey Wexler
Operations Supervisor
Chelsey has been with Trusted since 2019 and actually started off in our home health division. She eventually was promoted to operations supervisor where she handles a plethora of tasks among both divisions. A.K.A she is great at multi-tasking. She’s super into crafting and even more into her new rescue dog, Dexter “The good boy” Wexler. If you need a smile just hit up Chelsey for some dog pics, she’s got them.
Alicia Fenner
Quality Assurance Assistant
Alicia started at Trusted Nurse Staffing in 2021 as an administrative assistant and was quickly promoted to QA assistant. She has a pitbull rescue named Rumble and she works hard to keep him happy and healthy. Outside of work she loves to hang out with friends, watch the Buffalo Bills play and hang out with her dog.
Sarah Foley
Administrative Assistant
Sarah has been with Trusted since 2022. Her job role focuses mainly on supporting our senior recruiters.
Sarah is from Attica, NY, and she worked previously as a store manager at Hibbett Sports in Rochester, NY. Sarah has a Pitbull named Bruiser, and she loves spending time outside – going on walks, kayaking in the summer – you name it!
You may find Sarah sitting at the front desk entrance of TNS – make sure to say hello if you come to the office to see us!
Shannon Schunke
Executive Assistant
Shannon is from Orchard Park, NY, and she previously worked as the Executive Director for PUCCS (Program for Understanding Childhood Concussion and Stroke). Before PUCCS, Shannon worked at Dent Neurologic where she handled purchasing, project management and facilities management. After 7 years at Dent, she decided to switch it up and stay at home with her kids, which allowed her the flexibility and creativity to begin her own baking business called The Devil’s Pantry – Check out her cookies on Facebook or on Instagram @devilspantrybakery. Shannon has two kids, and a 10-year-old dog named Bijou. Shannon is an avid reader (when she has time to read books!), and she stays busy hanging out with her active kids and family.
Marketing Team
Larry Sarzyniak
Director of Marketing
Larry has been with Trusted Nurse Staffing since 2022.
Jessica Mandrino
Marketing Manager
Jess has been with TNS since 2016 and (to quote Drake) she started from the bottom now she’s here! As the marketing manager, Jess makes sure TNS maintains a family environment while we grow from a small circle to a full-on brigade. She takes every opportunity to get us out and involved in the community wherever help is needed! If she’s not working, or organizing company gatherings, you can catch her with her documenting every moment of her pets’ lives. She always has a playlist for ANY event/mood, and you can test her on that. She says her passion beyond staring longingly at her pets is interior design. It would be her dream to have a home renovation show on HGTV.
Recruitment Team
Nick Morin
VP of Recruitment
Nick has been with Trusted since 2014. He started his career with us as a recruiter and eventually worked his way up to the VP of Recruitment position. Nick is responsible for the high-level activities that come with managing the entire recruitment team. You can find him in the office M-F sending out our open jobs to the pit and talking stocks with anyone who will listen. When he’s not in the office he enjoys going to garage sales, antique shows and would always be down for a good open bar karaoke night.
Tim Seel
Division Manager
Tim has been with Trusted since 2016, and actually started on a leap day. Although his work anniversary is only celebrated once every four years, he makes sure that everyone in the office gets their daily dose. You can hear him giving his daily greeting to each department with his famous sign off, “have a great day, make a new friend”. Tim’s warm friendly (and sometimes sarcastic) personality is what makes him a great leader, he’s very easy to talk to. When he’s not in the office you will find him out on the golf course. No doubt about it. He might be the best golfer in our office, I’m sure he’d love it if you challenged him to a round. He also loves to travel but hates flying….go figure.
Michael Nicolia
Senior Sales Manager
Mikey is the original recruiter. The OG. He has been with the company since it opened in 2008 and is basically the hilarious uncle to everyone in the office. He often refers to himself as the cellblock leader even though we have a CEO. He is extremely loyal and makes it very clear that he has your back. This is an amazing quality to have in a recruiter and co-worker. If Mikey is laughing, so are you, guaranteed. When he’s not running his book of business like a boss, you can find him talking about sports and listening to Chaka Khan. He also really likes Egyptology which no one knew about him, until right now.
Kyle Hartl
Team Lead
Kyle has been with Trusted since 2016 and works as recruiter as well as an account manager. His travelers describe him as up front, polite and truthful. We agree but need to add he’s got a great sense of humor. He has that perfect mix of serious and sarcasm that just makes you laugh out loud sometimes. He’s a young guy with an old soul and loves all things “outdoors”. His biggest hobbies are camping and fishing, but he also plays hockey. He plans to visit every national park in the country and has already started making his way through them.
Neal Smith
Team Lead
Neal has been with Trusted since 2018.
Alex McColgin
Team Lead
Alex has been with Trusted since 2018 and is one of our rock star recruiters. He’s probably one of the easiest people in the office to get along with and is always down for a good time. When he’s not making sure his travelers get the best contracts, he travels the country to play volleyball competitively. Alex is one of the guys that is annoyingly good at almost every sport he plays, but he’s extremely humble about it which is why we love him. When he’s at home he likes to hang out with his two dogs, an 8 pound miniature poodle and an 80 pound pit bull.
Tristan Ernst
Team Lead
Tristan has been with Trusted since 2018 and not only recruits travelers but runs a team of recruiters so they can be successful as well. Tristan’s got a great energy and will put his best foot forward for you. He loves spending time with his wife and adorable son but is also a huge Buffalo Bills and Sabres Fan. He even plays hockey himself. If you really want to see Tristan’s personality shine through, check out his website/ blog/podcast for Trainwreck Sports, where he and his friends give Buffalo the sports coverage it deserves.
Kyle Mackowiak
Team Lead
Kyle has been with Trusted since 2019, and although he’s a horrible golfer (by his own admission) he keeps playing at least twice a week. That dedication to getting better is a quality you want in a recruiter, someone to stick with you no matter what. He’s not a total masochist though, he also enjoys playing volleyball which he is pretty good at and played semi-professional Lacrosse after college. He mostly just eats sushi now though.
Same Kyle, Same.
Kara Donner
Learning and Development Team Lead
Kara has been with Trusted as a recruiter since 2019. She was promoted to Learning and Development Team Lead in 2021. She is responsible for training and developing all our new recruiters! Kara lives the wilderness life and absolutely loves tent camping. She’s traveled all over just to camp in new places. Her ability to rough it and survive in the wild is a great trait as a recruiter because you know she isn’t scared of a challenge. She is a super sweetheart but will also give it to you straight which is also an awesome quality for someone working in her position. She recently became a dog mom to the sweetest Rottweiler Pup ever, Hank Williams. If you want to smile from ear to ear, just ask her for a photo.
Drew Harding
Strategic Account Executive
Drew is the office lumberjack/ outdoor aficionado. He has been with Trusted since the very beginning and not only knows everything there is to know about travel nursing/health but also knows every trick to surviving in the wild (probably). The man can hunt, he can fish, and can do a mean kettlebell swing. Perhaps his greatest quality though, is that he makes a delicious Shephard’s Pie. (and chili). When Drew’s not in the office he’s being a Rockstar dad and all-around good guy.
Dan Bernier
Recruiter
Dan has been recruiting with Trusted since 2020. He hails from Massachusetts and is a Patriots fan (but we don’t hold that against him). He loves playing soccer and meeting people from different countries. He’s also really into fitness and running so he is used to going the extra mile, which you know translates into his recruiting style.
Shane Berger
Recruiter
Shane has been on the trusted team as a recruiter since 2019. He’s got an outgoing personality and will be happy to tell you about some of his crazy stories. For example, how he has been an extra in not 1 but several Hollywood movies like Pitch Perfect 2, Jurassic World and Terminator Genesys. Most interesting man in the world? He very well could be…. When he’s taking a break from his celeb status, he likes to play volleyball and do anything active.
Wanya Bruce
Recruiter
Wan has been recruiting with Trusted since late 2020. A Rochester native originally, he made the move down to Buffalo for College and decided he was going to make it his home. He loves sports, especially basketball. He even coaches youth basketball. He likes spending his free time with his friends, his pup Astro and volunteering. A weird fact about Wan is that he has never eaten Macaroni n’ Cheese, which makes sense because he doesn’t like cheese in general. We’ve decided to overlook this character flaw for an otherwise awesome guy.
Andrew Eggleston
Recruiter
Andrew or Egg as he’s known around the office has been with Trusted since 2020. A fun fact about Egg is that he can run a 5k in less than 23 minutes which means he can work just as fast to get you on your next travel assignment. He loves watching football and soccer, enjoys fishing and camping and has great taste in music. With so many interests he’s a guy you can talk to about anything whether it be work related or just for fun.
Emily Violanti
Recruiter
Emily has been recruiting with Trusted since 2020. So far in her time here she has proven to be a recruiter that works hard for her travelers and always go the extra mile for them. In her spare time, she loves to workout and make special dishes with her family. She makes homemade pierogis with her mom and claims they are the best in town and recently shared some homemade biscotti with the office that she made with her dad. If her career in recruiting doesn’t work out, we plan to keep her on as the resident chef.
Ben Madafferi
Recruiter
Ben has been with Trusted since the beginning of 2021 as a recruiter. He always shows up to the office looking fresh, which probably has something to do with the fact that he started his own clothing line “Just Dishin” with his best friend from high school. Ben will take this entrepreneurial spirit and help you take your travel career to the next level. In his spare time, he likes to play hockey and golf, make mixes, and occasionally even likes to produce his own music. Some people really can just do it all.
Elyssabeth Roetzer
Recruiter
Elyssabeth has been recruiting with Trusted since 2020. She has years of experience in customer service, and it translates heavily into her recruiting style. This girl has been known to be work hard even after hours and isn’t afraid to put up a fight to get her travelers the best contracts possible. In her spare time Elyssabeth loves to do her own nails, cuddle with her cat Bella who is her bestie, and hang with friends and family.
Nick Dillon
Recruiter
Nick has been with Trusted since late 2020. He played rugby in college and still plays today so he will be able to apply these rules to working with his travelers. He will always be “onsides” of his travelers, “try” hard for them and take an active part of getting them to their “goal”. As a child Nick was a fisher price model and although the modeling career didn’t take off, he still has some pretty cute pictures to show for it. In his spare time, he likes learning about Architecture and hanging out with his lifelong friends.
Aaron Nowak
Recruiter
Aaron has been with Trusted as a recruiter since 2021.He has two dogs that he would love to show you pictures of and will be equally as happy to see any dog pics you want to show him. He makes a mean pierogi, loves to play hockey and has weekly tuesday dinners with his grandpa. He’s also in the business of creating custom cornhole boards and has made some pretty great designs. A random fact about Aaron is that he’s color blind two ways. So, while he wouldn’t make a great pilot, he makes a great recruiter based on his down to earth personality and patience.
Ron Green
Recruiter
Ron started with Trusted in 2021 as a recruiter. Prior to joining the Trusted team he worked for 8 years in finance. He loves golfing and spending time with his family including his baby girl born in 2021. Ron’s is a
“client” advocate, and believes in fiduciary responsibility. He says the needs and best interest of the nurse are always the priority. Keeping this philosophy has led him to be a successful recruiter who nurses love to work with.
Tara Hanson
Recruiter
Tara joined the TNS team in June 2021 as a Recruiter. She is responsible for finding the best contracts she can for our travel nurses. A fun fact about Tara is that she is a die-hard West Virginia University sports fan! She will stop and sing Take Me Home, Country Roads any chance she can (her karaoke song of choice). Hail WV!
Justine Cardone
Recruiter
Justine has been with Trusted since October of 2021. She loves cooking, gaming and fitness. Her recruitment style involves getting to know her nurses and always trying to make herself available for her team. A random fact about her is that she is a dog whisperer. If dogs love her, then you will too!
Amber Keith
Recruitment Intake Coordinator
Amber is the recruitment intake coordinator with Trusted Nurse Staffing. She’s been with the company since 2021. It is her job to be first contact for any person interested in traveling with TNS that interacts with us online. She is excited to be a part of the growth and community Trusted offers. Amber loves binge watching early 2000’s movies, living her best life at concerts, Bills games and traveling. A random fact about Amber is that she interned with Disney in college and has two animal rescues, a Border Collie/Lab named Darby and a 22 pound cat named Leonard DiCATrio.
William Shaffer
Travel Team Coordinator
Billy is the Travel Team Coordinator with Trusted Nurse Staffing. He started in March of 2021 and has had a few promotions since then. He began working with us part-time while he was in college, and once he graduated was offered a fulltime position. He loves golf, hockey and playing video games….but is pretty bad at golf, hockey and video games.
Julia Manuszewski
Recruiter
Originally from Grand Island, NY, Julia studied at Canisius College, and has a bachelor’s degree in Education. Previously, she was a Restaurant and Events Manager at the Buffalo Launch Club on Grand Island, and a Member Receptionist at Park Country Club.Julia has a Golden Retriever Husky Mix named Kali, and she enjoys kickboxing, boating, and kayaking! She joined the Trusted team in 2022
Business Development /Account Management Team
Ron Cantrell
Director of Sales
Ron is in charge of the sales team and has been with Trusted since 2019. He’s the man responsible for ensuring that the business development and account management teams are putting their best feet forward for our hospitals. He loves hanging out with his son Ace, and golfing in the summer. In the winter he’s likely not missing a football game and is a big San Francisco 49’ers fan even though he’s a Buffalo man. When asked a random fact about himself he says that he was born on the same day and same hour as Prince William. (Random Indeed)
Kelly Giallella
Senior Account Manager
Kelly’s been with Trusted since 2019 and she has been an awesome addition! The senior member of our account management team means she’s the best person to go to for problem solving and account wisdom. When she’s not in the office she needs to be outdoors! She loves running, hiking, and taking care of her bees. Yep you heard that right, we have our very own Trusted Beekeeper.
Katie Stuart
Account Manager
Katie has been with Trusted since 2020. She started off as a recruiter and was quickly promoted into an account management role because of her ability to multi-task and problem solve. She is easy to talk to, and always participates in extracurriculars. Good vibes all around. Katie loves to bake and is a huge “Disney freak” in her own words. She’s been to Disney every year since she was 3 years old and even interned there in college. (I checked her Instagram, she’s legit)
Ryan Eggleston
Business Development Representative
Doug Mailat
Business Development Specialist
Originally from Canton, OH, Doug recently moved from the areas of Austin, TX and Santa Fe, NM to Buffalo, NY. He studied Business Administration and Sociology at Miami University in Oxford, OH. Doug started his career as a publisher of an integrated business-to-business (B2B) brand, and then he pivoted to take on various sales and business development roles within the Aerospace & Defense industry, primarily in-and-around avionics systems, components, and technologies. Doug enjoys running, yoga, biking, and spending quality time with his daughter. Doug is a music lover, and he finds solace in listening to live music.
Compliance Team
Emma Balcom
Compliance Manager
Emma has been with Trusted since 2018 and has worked in both the recruiting and compliance departments, so you can say she knows her stuff. This girl is the queen of “double checking” and making sure things are done correctly so it is only fitting that she would be in charge of getting travelers compliant for their new assignments. You can guarantee that when working with Emma, your credentials will never lapse, and you will always start on time. When she’s not cracking the compliance whip, she’s hanging out by her pool and playing with her dog Kingston. She’s a big animal lover and loves the outdoors. Emma is always scrolling Instagram for the best memes to share to give you a laugh..
Liz Santiago
Compliance Team Lead
Liz started with Trusted Nurse Staffing in 2021.She is a first-time mom so most of her hobbies surround her daughter, but she says she loves to always try something new and get out of her comfort zone with her. She loves crafting and each year has gained new skills which she says she hopes will help her to one day own her own small business.
Maggie Drier
Compliance Associate
Maggie has been with Trusted since 2019 and is an awesome and unique addition to our compliance team. She’s a sweetheart to talk and has a great laugh which can ease your tensions while working on your compliance. While onboarding her candidates she likes to listen to the peaceful sounds of heavy metal, eats weird snacks at her desk (like Slim Jim’s and French Onion Dip) and always has beverage with her. Outside of work she enjoys traveling to see the Chicago Cubs play at different ball parks and is irrationally afraid of snakes.
Kristine Rotunno
Compliance Associate
Timothy Stasierowski
Compliance Associate
Timothy has been with Trusted since 2021 in our compliance department. He decided to join the team because he was looking for a career change. In his spare time he does pitbull rescue care with the City of Buffalo animal shelter and Queen City Pitties. He loves reading and traveling and he has never owned a microwave.
Angelina Dellaneve
Compliance Associate
Taylor Jentsch
Compliance Associate
Taylor has been on the compliance team since 2021. She loves TNS because it provides her a great work life balance. Her hobbies include going to Disney and watching Bravo TV. She has a great memory when it comes to facts about people she’s met which she says can be a gift and a curse. This is a great skill to have as a compliance associate, when dealing with so many nurses and their specific onboarding needs. Fun fact about Taylor, she learned how to change car breaks when she was two years old and there is video footage to back it up. Ask her to see it.
Nicole Faulkner
Compliance Associate
Nicole has been with Trusted since 2022.
Payroll
Andrew Hahn
Financial Controller
Andrew has been with Trusted since 2022. A native Buffalonian, Andrew studied at Canisius College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance. He previously
worked for a company in California as a Finance and Operations Manager for a skincare brand. Andrew enjoys golfing, hockey, and traveling
Elan Fitzgerald
Payroll Manager
Elan is from Grand Island, NY and she is coming into TNS with a plethora of experience! Most recently, she worked at RRD, Inc. as a Financial Implementer and an Invoicing Solutions Specialist.You might be interested to know that Elan has been a Ballroom Dance Instructor with Arthur Murray, Inc. for 5 years! To mention another hobby, both Elan and her husband are avid boaters, and they own a 37-foot Wellcraft Martinique Cabin Cruiser.Elan loves kayaking and enjoying time on the Niagara River on her SUP (stand-up paddleboard). She is also a dedicated fur-mom to 2 Yellow Labradors (Porter and Rudder) and a black cat (Pinot). She enjoys cooking and experiencing different cultures through food, history, literature, and the arts.
Amber Goldfuss
Payroll Associate
Amber is a payroll associate with Trusted Nurse Staffing. Amber was attracted to TNS because of the Best Places to Work award title we’ve held multiple years in a row. She loves reading, antiquing, and checking out new coffee shops. She also collects vintage clothes which explains why she always looks so cute at the office.
Andrew Avino
Invoicing Coordinator
Andy is from Cheektowaga, NY and he previously worked at ACV Auctions as a Payments Specialist. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball and hockey, and he enjoys attempting to play golf. You might recognize Andy in the office right away, as his favorite thing to do (outside of playing sports) is wearing the most colorful and bright outfits people have ever seen!
Career Resources
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