Meet the J. Morrissey Team

James D. Morrissey is an owner and a Co-Founder of  J. Morrissey & Company. His Executive Search, Contract Staffing and Consulting experience spans a period of over thirty years. He is nationally recognized as both a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) and a Certified Temporary Staffing Specialist (CTS), having successfully satisfied all testing and experience requirements necessary for these national certifications.

James is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Personnel Services, Inc. (NAPS) and has also served the Board as Secretary/Treasurer and District Director. He is a past member of the Executive Committee and has Chaired the Leadership Committee, the Finance & Audit Committee and Co-Chaired the Certification Committee. He is also a past Vice President for the Connecticut Association of Personnel Services.

He currently sits on the Board of Trustees of The Bushnell Performing Arts Center and Chaired their Human Resources Committee for fourteen years.

Prior to his career in the personnel services industry, James served as an Audit Manager for the international public accounting firm, Coopers and Lybrand. James is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Connecticut and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accounts. Jim earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the State University of New York at Albany.

Barbara A. Morrissey is an Owner and Co-Founder of J. Morrissey & Company.  Since the company's founding in 1986, Barbara was primarily responsible for charting the growth of the Staffing Services Division of J. Morrissey & Company from its initial beginnings in accounting temporary services to a full-service temporary staffing group.  Over the years her role expanded to include managing the growth of many company services.

Prior to her career in personnel, Barbara was the Accounting Manager at Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C., in Hartford.  Previously, she was Assistant to the Controller for Smith Kline Instruments, Inc., of South Windsor a division of Smith Kline/Beckman.

Barbara attended College at the State University of New York at Geneseo.  She is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), a Certified Temporary Staffing Specialist (CTS) and a member of the National Association of Personnel Services.  Barbara is a past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Staffing Association and a member of the Human Resources Association of Central Connecticut.

Erik J. Heller has over 20 years of experience in the Recruiting and Staffing industry and has been with J.Morrissey since 1994 holding various roles with increasing responsibility. He is nationally recognized as a Certified Personnel Consultant and Certified Temporary Specialist.

As the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President, Erik is responsible for the operations of all J.Morrissey offices (Windsor CT, Shelton CT, Springfield MA) as well as running a successful Healthcare Practice. He has experience placing Healthcare professionals into a variety of environments including: hospitals, managed care organizations, physician practices, management service organizations, home care agencies, and long term care facilities. In addition, Erik has a comprehensive understanding of Healthcare Reimbursement, the Revenue Cycle, Case Management and Managed Care.

Erik is a founding member and Chairman of the American Staffing Association’s Connecticut Regional Council, formerly known as the Connecticut Staffing Association, and is a Past President of the Connecticut Association of Personnel Services.  He served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee from 1999 to 2012 holding various roles such as Treasurer, 1^st and 2^nd Vice President Chairs. Other association’s Erik has involvement in: the National Association of Personnel Services, American Staffing Association’s Healthcare Section, Quinnipiac University Alumni Association, the Connecticut Medical Group Management Association, the Connecticut Case Management Society, and is a former Board member for the SummerWind Performing Arts Center.

Erik attended Quinnipiac College where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources.

Erik J. Morrissey, CPA, leads our Accounting and Finance Group, focusing on direct hire placements across all industries. Erik is responsible for representing top talented accounting and finance professionals at all levels of their careers. 

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Erik was an Experienced Audit Senior with CohnReznick LLP and worked with clients in manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, professional services, educational, and not-for-profit. As lead auditor on his engagements, he was able to learn various management styles and organizational structures which allows him to better understand the true needs of his clients as a recruiter. His knowledge of the accounting industry enables him to communicate effectively with his candidates to ensure the right fit for both parties.

Erik is actively involved in the Cherish the Children Foundation; serves on the Board of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce as Vice President – Community Relations; serves on the CTCPA Golf Tournament Interest Group and the CTCPA Future Professional Accountant Committee; Serves on the Bushnell Young Professionals Advisory Group and on the Post University Accounting Advisory Board.

Erik is also a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and Glastonbury Hills Country Club.

Erik obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. He also has his Master’s Degree in Accounting from Post University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Krisha joined J Morrissey in 2004 placing healthcare professionals in clinical and non-clinical roles on a direct hire basis.  She is a hands-on Recruiter who specializes in Clinical Informatics and Traditional Information Technology recruitment both in direct hire and contract placements.

Krisha also complements her searches in the areas of nursing, psych, and clinical trials & research, Billing, Data Analyst, Mid to Director Level and C Level.  She continues to stay connected with the evolving and complex industry through her membership with the New England Chapter of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

She formerly was an Admissions Officer, assisting students for entrance to The Univ of Saint Joseph's School of Pharmacy and was a Lead Staffing Coordinator for New England Home care and Health Resources earlier in her career.

Krisha has been continually recognized within our agency for achieving record-high placement activity.

Krisha majored in marketing with a concentration in Human Resources. Krisha’s industry knowledge, communication skills and passion for recruiting make her an invaluable recruiter here at J. Morrissey.

Ally Wachtel is an Assistant Director with our Healthcare Staffing Services group, and she has been with J. Morrissey since 2013. Ally focuses on temporary and temporary-to-hire positions. Some of the positions she recruits for are RN’s, LPN’s, Nurse Case Managers, Medical Assistants, Medical Coders, Medical Billers, Insurance Follow Up, Medical Secretaries, Medical Records, Patient Registration, Charge Entry, Payment Posting, Claims, Customer Service, and any other position, either clinical or non-clinical, in a healthcare or healthcare insurance environment. 

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Ally worked for over 20 years in the financial industry as a Life Insurance Underwriter holding an Assistant Vice President title. While there, she was responsible for a number of initiatives including various recruiting efforts across her department.

Melissa Cartier is an Account Manager in our J. Morrissey Springfield Office. Melissa has been with J.Morrissey for over 3 years and brings to us several years of career services and counseling experience. Melissa works with large and small companies in the Springfield area, and is responsible for managing new and current clients as well as recruiting and onboarding temporary candidates for temporary positions. 

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Melissa was the Director of Career Services at Premier Education Group where she performed various career development functions and achieved company benchmark placement rates. Melissa started her career as a Certified Medical Assistant, which has provided her with valuable insights into the healthcare industry and has helped her form strong connections with her clients and candidates.

In addition to her passion for recruiting and building relationships, Melissa volunteers her time public speaking in schools where she delivers presentations on career development and growth. Melissa also belongs to the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce. Her industry knowledge, commitment to quality service, and enthusiasm for people make her an invaluable member of the J. Morrissey team.

Colin Paterson has over 6 years of experience in the staffing industry and leads our Office Support team here at J. Morrissey. He primarily focuses on temporary placements of office and financial professional across all industries.

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Colin was a Contracts and Recruiting Manager at a national recruiting and staffing firm where he led a team of recruiters focusing on sourcing and filling skilled positions across manufacturing, engineering and distribution industries. While there he learned various management styles, industry trends, sales techniques and situational leadership skills.

Colin is actively involved with Quinnipiac Valley Chamber of Commerce, Bristol Continuing Education, and the Central Connecticut State University Alumni Association. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Central Connecticut State University. His recruiting and staffing industry knowledge enables him to communicate effectively with his candidates and clients to ensure good matches on both sides.

Katrina Lazerow is a Staffing Manager with our Healthcare Staffing Services Group. Katrina primarily focuses on temporary and temporary-to-hire placements of Healthcare positions, both Clinical and Non-Clinical, across many environments.

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Katrina specialized as a National & Strategic Accounts Manager in the manufacturing and logistics industry, where she excelled in high volume recruiting and client development.  

Katrina is no stranger to the importance of providing clients with exceptional care and consideration. She prides herself on having the ability to be versatile and is dedicated to sourcing strong and qualified candidates. Katrina is a person who understands how staffing truly works and has the personal touch to match a great employee, with a great job, at a great company. 

Chris Gamber Graduated from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York with a Bachelor’s Degree of Business Administration and was a member of the Men’s Lacrosse Team. Chris has a passion to help IT professionals with their career goals has joined J Morrissey to  represent our Information Technology recruitment team for Direct Hire and contract placements.

Jennifer Morrissey manages all of the marketing efforts for J. Morrissey & Company. She primarily focuses on maintaining and optimizing our website, managing our social media efforts, as well planning and executing the overall marketing strategy for J. Morrissey.  

Prior to joining the J. Morrissey team, Jennifer gained several years of experience working as a digital strategist and account executive in a marketing agency environment.  While there, she was responsible for building and maintaining client relationships, digital strategy and content creation for a variety of small and large businesses. Jennifer received her Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Arizona State University. 

Sue Osowiecki joined J. Morrissey team in June of 2015.  As Office Manager, Sue handles many important responsibilities at our agency including employment verifications, processing the temporary associate time cards, wage verifications, compliance, process improvement, contract agreements and a variety of other office service duties. 

Prior to joining J.Morrissey, Sue worked as a Branch Manager at a Federal Credit Union in CT, where she managed sales and overall branch operations. Sue’s exceptional customer service combined with her strong work ethic make her an invaluable member of our agency.

Marcia Hires is an Administrative Assistant with the J. Morrissey Windsor team. As Administrative Assistant, Marcia handles many essential responsibilities for our Windsor office including formatting resumes, processing temporary associate time cards, contract agreements, greeting visitors, answering phones, and a variety of other administrative duties. 
 
Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Marcia gained valuable administrative and customer service experience working as an Office Manager at a business valuation firm and also as an Administrative Assistant at a local school. Marcia’s approachable personality combined with her excellent attention to detail and strong work ethic makes her an important member of our team.

Jake Anderson joined our Firm as an Associate Recruiter and works directly in our Office Support Group as well as our Accounting and Finance Group, focusing on both Contract and Direct Hire placement.

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Jake worked at Glastonbury Hills Country Club, where he used his strong work ethic and passion for building relationships to develop his skills in communication and customer service. Jake is excited to be involved with a company that enables him to assist other people in finding their passions.

 Jake is a 2021 graduate from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Human Resources as well as a minor in Psychology.

Abby Rood is a Recruiting Coordinator with our Healthcare Staffing Services Group. Abby primarily focuses on on-boarding candidates who have been hired for Temporary and Temporary to Hire assignments and placements within Healthcare positions, both Clinical and Non-Clinical, within the Provider and Payer Communities as well as Profit and Non-Profit environments.

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Abby worked at a Multi- Site Orthopedic Physician Practice, where she developed skills in customer service and administrative duties. She is extremely excited to be joining our group where she can connect with people, continue to learn and grow, and further her Healthcare Administrative experience.

In Abby's spare time, she is the Head of the J. Morrissey fun Committee. 

Madilyn Lawson is a Staffing Manager with our Healthcare Staffing Services Group. Madilyn primarily focuses on Temporary and Temporary to Hire placements of Healthcare positions, both Clinical and Non-Clinical, on the Provider and Payer Communities with a focus on Out-Patient Services. 

Prior to joining J. Morrissey, Madilyn specialized as a Senior Healthcare Recruiter for staffing agency focusing primarily on In-Patient roles within the Acute Care Communities.  She excelled in a highly competitive recruiting atmosphere and built client relationships. She is very excited to be joining the J. Morrissey team.

Nick is a native of Connecticut, born and raised in Milford CT. After high school, Nick attended Springfield College to study business and play basketball. His first job out of college was in staffing, and he has been in the staffing industry now for 6 years. He is very passionate about recruiting and is dedicated to helping people find their dream jobs.

Nick will partner with a team of seasoned veterans and focus on developing strong partnerships with candidates to successfully fill clients’ needs across several different areas, ranging anywhere Accounting & Finance and Administrative roles. 

Away from work, Nick’s passion is basketball, and he is very involved in extracurricular sports. His second job is a high-level basketball official. Nick’s goal is to rise through the ranks and ultimately become a collegiate level official. He enjoys spending time with his friends and family, going to the beach, going to Red sox games, and trying new spots to eat.

Hilary comes to J. Morrissey with 7 years of recruiting experience in Temporary Placement and Direct Hire Placement. 

Hilary is well versed in a wide range of industries from her time running a full desk, in addition to, managing on-boarding processes. Her focus will be recruiting, account management and client development in the Office Support Group space.

Hilary is a Staffing Manager working out of the Southern CT Office.