ALISON Davis
Alison Davis
Westaff
Career Highlights:
Westaff
Branch Manager
- Oversee branch operations and internal staff.Project yearly recruitment expenditures for budgetary consideration and control.
- Responsible for yearly branch budget and weekly reporting in Account Receivables, Account Payables, Payroll and Collections.
- Managed all Workers Compensation including hands-on managed care within a self insured system.
- Address civic and social groups and attend conferences to disseminate information concerning possible job openings and career opportunities.
Community Involvement:
Beginning in High School I started attending watershed meetings in efforts to help improve the water quality of the Souhegan River, a river which had been growing more and more polluted. This led to encouraging fellow classmates to participate in the town Green Up Day thru a 2 day Environmental Fair at the school conducted solely by 2 students (myself and one other student).
I was an active member of the E-Club, the environmental club on campus at KSC, helping with Green Up Day on campus, as well as personally devoting a day a month to cleaning up Robin Hood Park & Reservoir. Later at KSC my volunteering efforts focused on assisting with tours at the ThorneSagendorph Art Gallery, where I would later work as a Technician. As a volunteer docent I led groups of all ages (K-Retirement!) thru the exhibitions explaining where the pieces fall in Art History. Being heavily involved with the Arts Department also led me to help revive the student Art Collective which had become defunct over a series of years. Within two years the Art Collective had enough members to be recognized by the college and was also able to win a grant to bring a Visiting Artist to campus for talks, shows, and critiquing of the student bodies’ work.
After moving to Vermont I was employed at Select Design - a big supporter of United Way. While at Select Design I was on the planning committee for a large fundraiser benefitting United Way, helping coordinate a luncheon with music and entertainment. My next employer, Westaff, is also a United Way fan and 100% of the staff supports UW with donations thru-out the year. Westaff is a locally owned family business and all of the family members are actively in the community whether it be the church, Rotary, BBA, etc. The Mount family actively supported my membership to the Burlington Sunrise Rotary Club where I am now the acting President for 2011-2012. The Sunrise Rotary volunteers at many local events like the Discover Jazz Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, Partners in Adventure, the Dismas House, the Boys & Girls Club, and we support a Champlain College Single Parent during the holiday season. Our literacy project encourages reading at a young age with parents and children in Burlington by sending a free book once a month to any child who enrolls thru Dolly Pardon’s Imagination Library.
After participating in the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Champlain I have an interest in becoming more involved with the Legislature. Because I work in staffing and a for-profit company I have a great interest in keeping business here in Vermont as well as helping current Vermontemployers to grow and flourish in the ever changing economic atmosphere. While the nonprofit companies in Vermont are invaluable to our population for-profit companies play an equally significant part in our infrastructure and the rising cost of unemployment and payroll taxes, healthcare, etc. could affect our VT businesses negatively. In staffing we see the immediate gratification of a skilled job seeker being connected with an employer who has abundance of work and needs help quickly! This is an abbreviated ideology of employment but “work” does play an enormous role in the definition of a society and it’s culture, which is dually important to Vermont as our landscape is. Favorite part of job? My favorite part of my job by far is when our temporary employees find career paths with our client companies. While temporary positions are the bulk of our business many of our employees are hired permanently after temping at some great local companies.
Most inspiring mentor?
Fran Mount, former Westaff owner and past nominee of the Burlington Business & Professional Woman of the Year award, has been a great mentor since I began working for her 6 years ago. Fran is highly committed to the Burlington community and her family. She was very devoted both professionally and personally to her business before retiring in 2008.
Who is your living hero? Katie Chandler, the Projects Director of the Etta Projects, is my living hero. I met her earlier this year and admire her devotion to the Etta Projects (whose mission is to partner with Bolivian communities to identify, prioritize, and implement sustainable solutions to the health, education, and economic challenges of poverty). She has amazing motivation and goodwill to impoverished communities-a true heroine!
Favorite downtime activity?
If I’m not at home painting or reading in my downtime I’m out enjoying Burlington’s great music scene.
Favorite Vermont Escape?
We have a ton of great escapes here in Vermont, but since I moved to Burlington from surrounding towns a year ago I enjoy the Burlington Bike Path when I have time to get away. The bike path is an awesome way to see Burlington’s waterfront and has many great stops like North Beach and Colchester’s Airport Park.
Favorite social network?
While social networks are instrumental in communication I don’t have a favorite one. My favorite social networks are natural, organically formed ones like Rotary groups, Shriner’s, Toastmaster’s, etc..
Favorite website?
7dvt.com for what’s happening around town & livingsocial.com for deals, big and small, around Vermont.
Vermont Business Person you would most want to network with?
Tough one! The Chamber and BBA offer a lot of opportunities to network with the business community. One person I’ve yet to meet and would like to is Doreen Kraft, Executive Director of the Burlington City Arts.
VBM's Publisher John Boutin, Alison Davis and Lt. Governor Phil Scott