A couple of years ago, Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group won the Recruiter of the Year Award in TE Network for three straight years.

Last year, Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting stopped Michael’s streak by claiming the top spot. And now Brad has earned Recruiter of the Year honors for the second year in a row!

Brad’s cash-in amount for 2025 was $523,600. Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing was runner-up. She earned $311,845 on the 20 split placements she made in TE Network last year. Michael Stuck rounded out the top three, finishing with 26 splits and $201,329.

Not too shabby considering this represents just the split placement business on the desks of these recruiters in 2025. They also made non-split placements, as well.

Before we unveil the full list of top-producing recruiters, I must trot out our usual disclaimer regarding these rankings:

Our annual list of the top recruiters is determined by TE Network members’ cash-in total in our split network on a rolling 12-month basis. The order of the list below reflects the recruiters’ cash-in totals for the 2025 calendar year, which ended at midnight on December 31, 2025.

So congratulations to the recruiters listed below and congratulations to every Network member who made a split placement during the year of 2025!

Recruiters of the Year – 2025

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First Place

Recruiter: Brad Dodge
Agency: iLocatum Recruiting
Placements: 61
Commission: $523,600
Career Top Echelon placements: 248
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $2,028,606

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Second Place

Recruiter: Amy Chapman
Agency: Key People Staffing
Placements: 20
Commission: $311,845
Career Top Echelon placements: 114
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $1,421,492

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Third Place

Recruiter: Michael Stuck
Agency: Gables Search Group
Placements: 26
Commission: $201,329
Career Top Echelon placements: 612
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $4,409,115

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Fourth Place

Recruiter: Steve Kohn
Agency: Affinity Executive Search, LLC
Placements: 18
Commission: $180,246
Career Top Echelon placements: 579
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $5,285,260

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Fifth Place

Recruiter: Sara Alexandroff
Agency: Sterling St. James, Inc.
Placements: 17
Commission: $154,594
Career Top Echelon placements: 99
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $877,113

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Sixth Place

Recruiter: Clint Martz
Agency: A to Z Search Group
Placements: 8
Commission: $126,312
Career Top Echelon placements: 9
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $141,000

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Seventh Place

Recruiter: Jim Strickland
Agency: BioSource Recruiters
Placements: 11
Commission: $110,110
Career Top Echelon placements: 246
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $1,950,441

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Eighth Place

Recruiter: Chuck Cole
Agency: Cole Professional Search
Placements: 9
Commission: $105,999
Career Top Echelon placements: 57
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $699,513

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Ninth Place

Recruiter: Teresa Pernini
Agency: Pernini Recruiting Company
Placements: 8
Commission: $100,580
Career Top Echelon placements: 13
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $138,415

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10th Place

Recruiter: Sarah Katz
Agency: First Search, Inc.
Placements: 7
Commission: $99,312
Career Top Echelon placements: 38
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $436,946

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Join us in congratulating the top-producing recruiters listed above. And here’s to hoping that 2026 is a better year for every recruiter in TE Network!

If you’re looking to make more placements with your Top Echelon split recruiting membership, then contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

You can do so by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

Recruiter Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing knows how to earn big split recruiting fees as a member of TE Network.

For instance, Amy was part of four of the top 10 largest split fees in the Network in 2024. And as you can see below, she was part of three of the top 10 last year. . . and they just happened to be the three largest fees in TE Network in 2025!

Amy made the largest split fee with Jeff Katz of JSK Recruiting. The dynamic duo placed a Vice President at 25% to claim a recruiting fee of $75,000.

Amy was part of the second-largest fee, as well, placing a Sr. Director of Operations with Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, LLC. Amy and Steve earned a fee of $63,250 for making that placement.

In terms of the third-largest split fee of the year in TE Network, Amy placed an Equipment Design Engineering Manager with Chip Yaggi of Chip Yaggi. Amy and Chip earned a fee of $56,250 for making that placement.

So congratulations to not just Amy, but to all of the recruiters on the list below who were part of big recruiting fees in TE Network in 2025!

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Largest Split Fees of 2025

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First Place

Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing and Jeff Katz of JSK Recruiting

The position for this split placement was a Vice President and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Amy was the job order recruiter and Jeff was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $75,000.

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Second Place

Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing and Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

The position for this split placement was a Sr. Director of Operations and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Amy was the job order recruiter and Steve was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $63,250.

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Third Place:

Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing and Chip Yaggi of Chip Yaggi

The position for this split placement was an Equipment Design Engineering Manager and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Amy was the job order recruiter and Chip was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $56,250.

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Fourth Place:

Bruce Widnes of The Recruiting Group, Inc. and Paul Danowski of Grace Search Service, Inc.

The position for this split placement was a Manufacturing Site Director – Food Manufacturing and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Bruce was the job order recruiter and Paul was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $51,875.

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Fifth Place (Tie):

Jeff Katz of JSK Recruiting and Rebecca Lucas of CPG Talent Management, LLC

The position for this split placement was a Director of Sales and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 20%.

Jeff was the job order recruiter and Rebecca was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $50,000.

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Fifth Place (Tie):

Ron Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates, LLC and Donna Coleman of Donna Coleman and Associates

The position for this split placement was a Vice President of Operations and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Ron was the job order recruiter and Donna was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $50,000.

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Fifth Place (Tie):

Sara Katz of First Search, Inc. and Derek Hilbert of Kingfisher Recruiting

The position for this split placement was a Vice President of Engineering and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 20%.

Sara was the job order recruiter and Derek was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $50,000.

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Sixth Place:

Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting and Ann Boland of The Boland Group

The position for this split placement was a Chief Executive Officer and the fee percentage associated with this placement was flat.

Christina was the job order recruiter and Ann was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $49,000.

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Seventh Place:

Clint Martz of A to Z Search Group and Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search

The position for this split placement was a Product Development Leader and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Clint was the job order recruiter and Nick was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $48,750.

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Eighth Place:

Tom Christensen of C.H. Thomas Search, LLC and Hani Mussa of Knowhirematch, LLC

The position for this split placement was a General Manager (Manufacturing/Distribution) and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Tom was the job order recruiter and Hani was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $46,250.

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Ninth Place:

Phil Hurd of Oculus Search Partners (inactive) and Rick Gallin of Gallin Associates

The position for this split placement was a Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 20%.

Phil was the job order recruiter and Rick was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $46,000.

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10th Place:

Pam Ratz Deville of Selective Resources, LLC and Maggie Wolgamot of Ridgeback Management Services, LLC (inactive)

The position for this split placement was an Executive Director, Actuary and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 22%.

Pam was the job order recruiter and Maggie was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $44,000.

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If YOU want to make more money through Top Echelon’s recruiting network, then contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

You can reach Drea by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

As you can see by the title above, this article is the first of what will be a multi-part series about why you should share ALL of your job orders and search assignments with Top Echelon Network. (You can call them job orders or you can call their search assignments . . . either one is fine with us.)

First of all, the top producers in Top Echelon Network share all of their job orders. And you can see how much money they made in 2025 because they do just that. They’re not worried about earning full fees. If they do, great. If they don’t because they made a split placement, great. They’re only worried about finding the best job candidate possible in the shortest period of time and doing over and over and over again.

That is why they are successful. That is why they bill a tremendous amount of money, both inside and outside of the Network, year after year.

But let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? Below are five reasons why you should be sharing ALL of your job orders with Top Echelon Network:

#1—Filling Job Orders More Quickly

Recruiters often find themselves working against the clock to fill critical job positions for their clients. In a competitive industry, speed can make all the difference.

Sharing job orders within the network accelerates the recruitment process by widening the candidate pool. With more eyes on the job requirements, recruiters can identify suitable candidates faster, facilitating quicker placements.

#2—Enhanced Client Satisfaction

Client satisfaction is the cornerstone of any successful recruiting firm. When recruiters promptly fill job orders, clients benefit from a streamlined hiring process, minimizing the impact of vacancies on their operations.

Satisfied clients are more likely to trust and continue working with recruiters who consistently deliver results. By sharing job orders, recruiters contribute to client success, fostering long-term relationships and repeat business.

#3—Building a Positive Feedback Loop

Sharing job orders sets in motion a positive feedback loop within Top Echelon Network. As recruiters successfully fill positions and satisfy clients, they are likely to receive more job orders in return.

This continuous cycle of success reinforces the collaborative spirit of the network and positions recruiters as reliable partners. The more job orders shared, the more opportunities for placements arise, creating a self-reinforcing mechanism that propels recruiters to the top of the Network standings.

#4—Expanding Business Opportunities

In the competitive world of recruitment, expanding business opportunities is a constant pursuit.

By actively participating in the network and sharing job orders, recruiters open doors to new collaborations, partnerships, and potential clients. The network becomes a thriving ecosystem where recruiters not only support each other but also uncover avenues for growth and diversification.

#5—Establishing a Reputation for Excellence

Top producers within the Top Echelon Network often share a common trait – a reputation for excellence.

By consistently sharing job orders and achieving successful placements, recruiters build a positive reputation within the Network. This reputation becomes a valuable asset, leading to another positive feedback loops in terms of your Network membership. You can never have too many positive feedback loops!

As I said, this is just the first of multiple articles I will be writing about the subject of sharing ALL of your job orders with Top Echelon Network. Sharing all of your jobs is how you fill more job orders, make more placements, get more job orders, and get more clients . . . so start sharing today!

Top Echelon offers a free monthly webinar as part of its Expert Recruiter Coaching Series.

These webinars touch upon a variety of recruiter-related topics. These topics deal with both job candidates and clients. As always, our goal with these webinars is to help agency recruiters and search consultants just like YOU make more placements.

We record these webinars for recruiters who can’t attend the live presentation, and we’re now pleased to offer the video from our most recent webinar by industry trainer Diane Prince.

The title of that webinar (and corresponding training video) is “How to Create Irresistible Sales Content That Converts.”

Below is the official description for this training video:

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Recorded versions of our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series webinars are posted on our website as free online recruitment training courses in the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Library.

Keep an eye out for the next free webinar in our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series!