OKLAHOMA CITY — Celebrating 40 years of staffing success and record sales, Express Employment Professionals franchisees and their staff recently gathered in Washington, D.C., for the company’s annual International Leadership Conference (ILC).
The event featured basketball broadcast personality Ernie Johnson Jr. and USA Network’s docu-series star Nicole Walters, as well as workshops and trainings on staffing and workplace issues for the nearly 1,500 attendees.
“Express franchisees are an elite group of entrepreneurs, and celebrating the success they achieve every year is one of the greatest honors,” Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller said. “This year, it was particularly inspiring to witness the legacy of four decades of a proven system that has positively impacted millions of people across the globe.”
Showcasing the personal impact Express has on employees’ lives, Employee of the Year winner Cassandra Hughes was present to accept recognition for her dedication to both work and family through a challenging time.
Hughes began her partnership with the St. Cloud, Minnesota, Express office in 2020 where she applied for a customer service agent role for a company she had worked for several years prior. She excelled in her new role, but difficulties arose when her brother lost custody of his five young children. Knowing the importance of family, Hughes stepped up and offered to care for them.
“Cassandra worked tirelessly with her supervisor and Express on seamless communication so we knew what she needed so we could collaborate and adjust her schedule as needed,” said Dana Gruber, office manager for the St. Cloud, Minnesota, Express office. “As selfless as Cassandra is, she deserves a great deal of recognition for supporting her family in their time of need, while also balancing her professional dreams and commitments.”
For dedication to the company’s values of people, teamwork, build to last and integrity, Lance and Julie Turner also returned home to their Express franchises in Fort Worth with accolades from ILC.
The couple first joined Express in 1995 and for nearly 30 years, they have served as regional leaders and connectors. They have sought out volunteer projects and initiatives that help all franchisees, and have led these efforts with care, compassion and humor—always making sure to develop and mentor the next generation of owners while lending a hand to established offices.
“They have been described by friends and colleagues as a ‘rising-tide’ couple, which is a perfect image because these two franchisees have spent decades working to lift those around them as they’ve built a successful business for themselves,” Stoller said. “For nearly 30 years, this thoughtful couple has been seen as regional leaders and connectors, and like a pebble in a pond, their positive influence continues to expand outward to this day.”
Express boasts more than 860 franchise locations in five countries across the globe, garnering $4.46 billion in sales and employing 579,000 associates in 2022.
