More Inductees for the Top Echelon Hall of Fame

Our “Epic 95 Days of Summer” are off and running (where is the year going?), and we’ve already had nine inductees into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame’s 2024 class.

And there are many more inductees to go!

In fact, we have three more this week. Two of them are active members and one is a former member who has since retired. Those three inductees are listed below:

1. Terry Rhodes of NewCareers
2. David M. Sgro, CPC of True North Consultants, Inc.
3. Kristy Staggs of Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc.

And of course, since the summer isn’t even one month old yet, we have many more inductee announcements to go. So be sure to follow Top Echelon on social media and read The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog every week to see which recruiters are inducted next!

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FAITH AND FAMILY: While Bruce Ramstad may have been an old-school recruiter, Terry Rhodes of NewCareers was also a dyed-in-the-wool search consultant, both at heart and in practice.

However, Terry—who retired from the recruiting profession two years ago—is also a man who uses the twin pillars of faith and family to succeed in life, just as he succeeded in the profession. Terry started recruiting in April of 1994 and in November of that same year, he joined Top Echelon Network.

“I had no background whatsoever,” he said. “I was just self-taught, and I learned from my mistakes. The smartest thing I did [as a recruiter] was join Top Echelon. Without TE, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Terry was one of the most prolific producers in Top Echelon during his 28-year tenure in the Network, making over 200 placements and ranking among TE’s All-Time Cash-In Leaders. However, those 28 years weren’t all “sunshine and rainbows.” Terry made only one placement annually in TE from 2009 to 2011. The Great Recession and his hesitation to adopt various technology tools contributed to this slowdown. However, Terry’s resilience and adaptability eventually paid off. By the end of 2011, he had revamped his business model and reignited his success until his retirement in 2022.

Before his recruiting career, Terry spent nearly 25 years in corporate America, holding various positions across seven companies. This extensive experience informed his transition to recruiting, where he found a way to blend his corporate knowledge with a passion for connecting talent with opportunity. “I used recruiters to find jobs and talent,” Terry explained. “Then I decided to do my own thing.”

Also integral to Terry’s success is his wife and assistant, Mary Beth Rhodes. Their partnership, both personal and professional, has been pivotal. “None of this would have been accomplished without Mary Beth,” said Terry. “A lot of people have asked us, ‘How in the world can you work with your spouse?’ It was just a natural transition. Mary Beth was a homemaker while the kids were growing up, and when the children left, she worked in the business.”

Terry and his wife have four children, all grown.

“They all graduated from different Virginia state universities, without any debt at the end,” said Terry. “I thank God and the business for that. I feel that God has blessed me during these many years, and I certainly want to acknowledge that.”

For his production, split-minded mentality, commitment and dedication to excellence, and loyalty as a Network member, we’re pleased to induct Terry Rhodes into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame!

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ALL IN: Perhaps nobody has embraced the philosophies and practices of Top Echelon Network like David M. Sgro, CPC of True North Consultants, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio.

Not that Dave was “all in” with Top Echelon from the beginning. He actually joined the Network twice before seriously “digging in” to what TE had to offer. And once he did that, the rest (as they say) is history.

Dave, who primarily specializes in Information Technology and Software Development, is a member of Top Echelon’s exclusive 100 Placement Club. In fact, he’s made 144 TE placements during his tenure in the Network, allowing him to become a perennial top producer within Top Echelon. (Dave’s father, David J. Sgro, has made 31 TE placements.)

And if there’s one thing in which Dave believes, it’s that networking face-to-face is the best way to build and cultivate trading partner relationships with other recruiters. Dave attends nearly every Top Echelon conference, convention, and Regional Core Group meeting that he can, all in an effort to maximize the value of his Network membership.

For his part, Dave is grateful for the opportunity to network with other recruiters and form business relationships and friendships that have enhanced both his professional and personal life.

“Top Echelon Network has been such an integral part of my business, I can’t imagine doing my business without the support and partnership of my fellow members,” he said. “It’s a blessing, and I consider many in the Network my best friends and part of my company.”

We’re pleased to induct David M. Sgro, CPC of True North Consultants, Inc. into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame!

“It’s an honor to have been selected to be a part of this elite group,” said Dave. “Thank you!”

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THE NATURAL: Forty years ago, Robert Redford starred in a movie titled The Natural about a baseball player who had a natural talent for the game.

Kristy Staggs, President/CEO of Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc. has a similar natural talent for the recruiting profession. Kristy started her career path in college, majoring in Elementary Education, with the goal of becoming a teacher.

However, that all changed when she joined Byrnes & Rupkey as an intern in 1998. She enjoyed success almost immediately, and that was the starting point for what has become an impressive career in the recruiting profession, both inside and outside of Top Echelon Network.

“The previous owner said to me, ‘You’re a natural at this, and we’d like you to become a recruiter,’” said Kristy, who specializes in Manufacturing, Engineering, Human Resources, and Operations Management. “So I became a full-time employee and just fell in love with recruiting.”

Coincidentally, Byrnes & Rupkey became a member of Top Echelon Network in 2014. The owner at the time, Lois Rupkey, became very active in the Network, as did Kristy. Then, six years ago, Lois retired after selling the business to Kristy.

The transition has been seamless, and during those six years, Kristy’s production within the Network has increased. In fact, she’s a member of Top Echelon’s 100 Placement Club, as she’s made 120 TE placements during her Network tenure.

So not only is Kristy a natural in terms of the recruiting profession, but she’s also a natural in terms of being a split-minded recruiter and networking member of Top Echelon Network.

“We have long-standing relationships with many other recruiters in TE,” said Kristy, “and these relationships have helped us be more successful than we would have been otherwise. This is why we’ve been a part of Top Echelon and we’ll continue to be.”

We’re pleased to induct Kristy Staggs of Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc. into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame!

Be sure to check The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog–as well as Top Echelon’s official LinkedIn account–for future announcements regarding 2024 inductees into Top Echelon’s Hall of Fame!