Alcott HR names Edwards and Bradley as vice presidents and Michael as a benefits specialist; Firm also hires Schultz as a payroll specialist, Western New York division

Alcott HR, one of the nation's leading professional employer organizations (PEOs) providing a total Human Resources (HR) solution, has named Cindy Edwards as VP of business development, John Bradley as VP, WNY division and Tracey Michael as a benefits specialist, WNY division. Alcott HR has also hired Cathie Shulz as a payroll specialist. Edwards brings over 28 years of executive and management level experience in business development, including: sales team training and development, strategic partnerships and related continuing education initiatives, and regional market build-out. In her new role at Alcott HR, she will be leading the development of an expanded sales team, new marketing and sales initiatives, and strategic alliances. Prior to joining Alcott HR, Edwards served as VP, business development for AlphaStaff Inc. (Fort Lauderdale, FL), an HR outsourcing company. During her five-year tenure with the company, she earned the distinction as a consistent president's club achiever attesting to her high performance in driving increased revenues, strategic alliances, and new business development programs. Her varied responsibilities in this former role ranged from managing complex contract negotiations, and developing and implementing Continuing Education Unit (CEU) program for insurance brokers, as well as creating and negotiating broker contracts, to developing and implementing educational programs for the sales team, creating effective co-marketing programs, and coordinating and optimizing round-table sessions with clients, prospects and management. In addition, she was directly involved in corporate presentations at the one-to-one level and before audiences of over hundred attendees. A former special education teacher for the Bergen County Special Services (Bergen County, N.J.), Edwards taught socially and emotionally maladjusted high school students and was also a teacher of the deaf. Edwards earned her a bachelor of arts, Special Education from William Paterson University. She holds Life and Health Insurance Licenses and is a member of the National Association of Healthcare Underwriters. Bradley formerly served as the director of operations and sales, WNY division. According to Alcott HR president and co-founder Louis Basso, "Under John's leadership, the WNY division has experienced double digit growth each year for the past five years." During his over 16-year tenure with Alcott HR, Bradley, a 20-year HR veteran, has effectively applied his broad knowledge and experience to oversee day-to-day operations and new business development for the company's WNY division. He is credited with maintaining Alcott HR's high standards of client service, while securing new accounts across diverse industries for U.S. companies, as well as Canadian and Latin American organizations doing business in the U.S. Prior to joining Alcott HR, Bradley was a sales representative with MetLife. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a petty officer 2nd class - electronic technician and upon discharge, took a position with frequency electronics as an electronic technician. Michael brings over a decade of employee benefits and HR administrative experience to the position.Prior to joining Alcott HR, Michael served as the HR business office coordinator with ElderWood Assisted Living at Heathwood where she had responsibility for the organization's payroll, recruiting, and HR support to the healthcare facility's 90 employees, as well as managing residential accounts and handling some accounts payable functions. Her career also included her role as HR generalist for Time Warner Cable (formerly Adelphia Communications), serving the organization's 450-600 corporate call center employees. In addition, she served as a regional HR assistant for the company with a client group of 2,200 employees. She holds a bachelor of arts degree, double major with highest distinction, Psychology and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo from which she graduated summa cum laude. Additionally, she holds both an associate degree and Human Services certification from Erie Community College. Schulz brings employee benefits and payroll administration experience to her new role. Prior to joining Alcott HR, Schulz served as a payroll administrator with Enterprise Holdings (Tempe, AZ). Schulz's career also included a two-year computer and administrative contract assignment with the payroll and benefits department of ACS (Xerox) Corp. (Tempe, AZ), as well as her roles as HR payroll administrator and HR benefits administrator with The P.B. Bell Cos. (Scottsdale, AZ). Schulz graduated from the Roney Career Institute with an associate degree in Business. Additionally, she has completed various computer courses at Mesa Community College earning her software skills in numerous programs, including: Report Smith, Report Writer, ADP, Excel, ACCESS, Outlook, PowerPoint, MS Word and Publisher.