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PBSA Journal PAGE 12 JULY/AUG 2025 Except where otherwise indicated, articles are copyright © by PBSA 2025. All rights reserved. Meet Your PBSA Team By Melissa Sorenson, PBSA Executive Director 2025 is off to an exciting start for all of us at the Professional Background Screening Association with the completion of a full transition in how we staff the association. This year PBSA moved to a primarily direct-staffing model in order to better manage the association and serve our members. I am thrilled with the transition we have made and team we have built, including some new faces as well as some familiar team members who transitioned from contracted positions to direct staff. Twelve years ago, I joined the PBSA staff team as an independent contractor. Shortly after leaving an industry role and coming to PBSA, Les Rosen reached out to me and shared that there was a vision in the very early days of forming the association, (NAPBS at the time), to bring someone with a legal background, and from industry, onto the team to run our association. Over the next several years we made significant changes to this association to allow us to grow and succeed – expanding accreditation, rewriting our bylaws including a name change to truly become global, adding government relations partners and committees, expanding our certificate and conference programming for end users, and so much more. In August of 2023 we added Michelle Leblond as another independent contractor to our team as the Director of Operations. This second addition of an industry veteran to our staff team positioned us to reconsider our staffing model, namely moving from all contracted staff to direct staff working solely for PBSA. With significant thanks to Michelle, we made that happen this year. I am thrilled to share with you that throughout the first 6 months of 2025 we have transitioned the following roles on our team from contracted positions (either through our Association Management Company, IMI, or independent contractors) over to PBSA direct staff positions: Director of Operations, Michelle Leblond; Director of Conferences, Katee Sissler; State and Local Government Relations Director, Rory Bogdon; Director of Programs and Volunteers, Angela Estes; Marketing and Communications Specialist, Kim McKenna; Conference Support Coordinator, Sarah Austin; and Member Services Coordinator, open position. The preparation, review, vetting, and planning in 2024 to make this move positioned us to build out the team much faster than originally planned, resulting in a PBSA team that includes the perfect combination of individuals with screening expertise and association management expertise to serve you, our members. As we look to 2026 and beyond, we look forward to continuing the service, support and teamwork you have come to expect from PBSA staff, but with a little more cohesiveness and coordination now that we are together under the same PBSA umbrella. Without further ado, let's get to know a little bit more about the team: Katee Sissler, Director of Conferences Time with PBSA: I began my role with PBSA(NAPBS) in 2007 as an Administrative Assistant, later moving to Assistant Account Manager and then Conference Coordinator. After stepping away in 2014, I was fortunate to return in 2020 to resume my role on a temporary basis as Conference Manager during COVID. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to continue with PBSA and transition into the role of Director of Conferences. Describe your role in 2-3 sentences: I collaborate with the team to plan and manage the Mid-Year Legislative & Regulatory Conference, Annual Conference, Europe Summit, Canada Conference, and APAC AGM. What is the most unexpected skill you use in your job? I like to work with technology and try to figure out new platforms and systems and this role has allowed me to do that while offering the speakers, sponsors/exhibitors and attendees a better conference experience. Describe your personality in three words: • Ambivalent • Self Aware • Solution Focused Something you loved as a child and still love now: I loved catching fireflies as a kid, and I still get excited when I see the first one of the season—I've passed that excitement on to my son, too. What would your job theme song be? Queen is my one of my favorites, so I am going to go with "Don't Stop Me Now." What is the best part of your role with PBSA? There are so many aspects of this role that I enjoy but a few do stand out. I enjoy working with our sponsors and exhibitors— helping them find the right fit and getting everything in place so they feel confident and prepared when they arrive on site. I get a lot of enjoyment from crossing off items from my to-do list in the final weeks leading up to a conference. During the event, I like to stand back and see all the members reconnecting. What is your favourite snack? I love pretzels and anything chocolate. Continued on page 13

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