Our Leadership Team
Michelle Sims
Michelle’s leadership at YUPRO Placement is driven by a powerful “why” – a personal understanding of the transformative impact of support and opportunity. Growing up as a “latchkey kid” instilled in her a deep empathy for individuals facing systemic challenges and a lifelong dedication to creating pathways to economic stability through skills-first, inclusive hiring practice. This commitment is rooted in her 17 years as an instructor at Houston Community College, where she witnessed the potential unleashed through guidance and mentorship for individuals that did not have the means or opportunity to pursue a 4-year degree.
Since joining YUPRO Placement’s Board in 2018 and becoming CEO in March 2020, Michelle has translated this passion into tangible results. Her 25 years of experience in human resources, sales, and operations leadership have propelled the organization to significant achievements, including four consecutive years on the SIA Fastest Growing Staffing Companies list and five consecutive years as a Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction recipient with ClearlyRated.
These successes are not just about business growth; they reflect Michelle’s unwavering focus on the mission of empowering individuals and building stronger communities through skills-first advocacy. Her early experiences and her dedication to nontraditional education provide a unique lens through which she leads YUPRO Placement, understanding the critical role organizations like ours play in building strong families and communities.
Michelle shares, “My belief in the transformative impact of empowering individuals and the crucial role of socially responsible organizations in fostering economic stability is not just a professional conviction – it’s a deeply held one shaped by my own experiences. Leading the dedicated team at YUPRO Placement, who reinforce this vision daily, fuels my commitment to advocating for equality and building pathways to opportunity for overlooked talent.”
Katie Breault
Katie is a nationally recognized leader in skills-first hiring and workforce strategy. She advises executive teams on how to build hiring models that reflect the demands of today’s labor market while aligning with long-term business growth. Her work focuses on solving complex talent challenges through practical, scalable solutions that prioritize performance and potential.
With a background in workforce development, public policy, and organizational design, Katie brings deep experience leading large-scale initiatives that drive both impact and outcomes. She has spent her career building systems that open access to high-performing, overlooked talent and strengthening how companies attract, retain, and advance early career professionals.
Her approach is informed by years of working across sectors and her own firsthand experience mentoring a young adult who would have been screened out by traditional hiring practices. That moment became a catalyst for her ongoing work to shift how companies define and measure talent.
Katie shares, “If you’re only hiring who shows up on paper, you’re missing who shows up in performance.”
James Krouse
James Krouse serves as Chief Marketing Officer at YUPRO Placement, where he leads brand, growth, and go-to-market strategy in support of the organization’s mission to expand access to opportunity through skills-first hiring.
A marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience, James specializes in building scalable marketing systems that connect strategy to measurable results. His background spans staffing and workforce solutions, industrial B2B, technology, and innovation-focused nonprofits. Across his career, he has led national growth initiatives, repositioned established brands, launched marketing teams and platforms from the ground up, and helped organizations translate purpose into performance.
At YUPRO Placement, James focuses on aligning brand, demand, and storytelling around the realities of today’s labor market—supporting skills-first advocacy with practical, high-performing marketing programs. His work includes building integrated SEO and content engines, leveraging AI-enabled workflows, optimizing martech ecosystems, and strengthening collaboration between marketing, sales, and delivery teams. James is particularly drawn to organizations navigating change—scaling, rethinking traditional models, or building something new. His approach blends strategic clarity with execution, ensuring marketing serves as a true growth driver while reinforcing YUPRO Placement’s commitment to long-term workforce impact.
Rocki Howard
With extensive experience leading talent acquisition and operational transformation across sectors, Rocki Howard brings a unique blend of strategic rigor, people-first leadership, and business-impact mindset. Certified in Lean, Project Management, and HR, she has built frameworks that scale talent strategies into operational excellence.
Rocki has led teams, optimized processes, and built systems that drive efficiency, retention, and measurable business outcomes. As the Founder of Diversiology IO, she has created scalable programs that help organizations align their talent strategies with operational goals, enhance culture, and embed equity into business processes. Her thought-leadership has been featured in HR Executive, Harvard Business Review, ERE, HR Brew, and on ABC News, highlighting her ability to translate people strategy into executive-level results.
Recognized by the industry, Rocki was named a 2022 & 2023 Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) Diversity Influencer and is among SIA’s Global Power 150 Women in Staffing. She serves in advisory and consulting roles for Textio, WedgeHR, EQ App, and Informed Decisions, leads the Inclusive Leaders Collective for the Transform community, and is a member of the Forbes HR Council.
Rocki leads with clarity, authenticity, and heart. She is committed to unlocking performance through both people and process. Her guiding belief: “We change the world, one story, one conversation, one action at a time.”
Tirranny Nettles
With over a decade of experience in staffing and workforce development, Nettles is an innovative and impact-driven leader dedicated to creating equitable career pathways for traditionally overlooked talent. She leads national recruitment strategy and client delivery operations—partnering with mission-aligned employers to design and execute forward-thinking, skills-first hiring solutions.
Her expertise spans healthcare, professional services, and IT staffing, and she is widely recognized for building trusted client relationships, aligning talent strategy with business goals, and driving results at scale. Nettles brings a consultative, people-first mindset to every partnership, helping clients unlock untapped talent pools while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes.A passionate advocate for skills-first hiring, she believes in shifting focus from résumés to real-world potential: “When we hire for skills, we break down barriers, unlock innovation, and create lasting change—for individuals, communities, and the future of work.”
Emily Schaffer
Emily Schaffer is a passionate advocate for economic equity, dedicated to creating career opportunities for historically marginalized communities. Her journey began as a Teach for America teacher in Compton, CA, where she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education. This experience, coupled with her role as an early team member in a tech startup, solidified her commitment to harnessing market forces for social good.
In 2011, Emily joined Year Up United, initially leading program initiatives before stepping into the role of Executive Director for the Bay Area region in 2016. Her impact continued to grow as she took on the national role of Managing Director of Technology in 2020. Before her role with the YUPRO Placement team, she served as CEO of ChooseU, formerly known as Generation USA, where she led a national workforce development nonprofit recognized for its rapid scaling of technical training programs.
Today, Emily is focused on expanding YUPRO Placement’s footprint in the Bay Area and across the nation, driving solutions that help companies identify, develop, and hire mission-driven talent.
Emily shares, “It’s been my honor to directly support thousands of young adults, whose talents might otherwise be overlooked, launch their careers. Their drive, adaptability and persistence has held outsize value for their employers. Our world is rich with talented individuals and organizations eager to hire. YUPRO Placement exists to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, enabling both to realize their fullest potential.”
Andrew Cousin
Executive Profile
Andrew J. Cousin is an accomplished executive and seasoned CEO with a robust track record in leading operationally intensive businesses and driving organizational transformation. With over three decades of leadership experience, he specializes in driving growth, mergers and acquisitions and business optimization. Andrew is known for his expertise in both B2B and direct-to-consumer markets, as well as his ability to spearhead margin improvement initiatives through supply chain and lean manufacturing practices.
Leadership Experience
- Circle Graphics, Inc. & Sensaria (Longmont, CO, 2012–2023):
Served as Chief Executive Officer of North America’s largest grand-format printer. Led the company through significant market expansion and revenue growth, taking annual sales from approximately $70 million to $370 million. Orchestrated 10 strategic acquisitions and managed a successful exit to private equity, remaining CEO for four years post-sale. - Triple Creek Capital, LLC (Boulder, CO, 2011–2012):
Managed acquisition searches that resulted in acquiring Circle Graphics, laying the foundation for subsequent growth and industry leadership. - Amersham Corporation (CA, CO, FL, TX, China, 1993–2011):
Founded and led a private C Corporation focused on manufacturing acquisitions and integrations across industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense, and medical devices. Drove business growth from $17M to $48M in revenue; boosted EBITDA margins from 5% to 12%. Launched offshore sourcing operations in China to further expand capabilities.
Community Leadership
- YUPRO Placement, subsidiary to Year Up United (2015–Present):
Chairman of the Board for a Public Benefit Corporation committed to advancing skills-based job placements and supporting socioeconomic mobility through workforce development.
Education
- Master of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, England