Executive Bios
Richard A. Wahlquist
President and CEO
Richard is ASA's primary spokesman and is responsible for the overall direction and performance of the association. Before joining ASA in 1989 as vice president, administration and government affairs, Richard led and coordinated government affairs activities on behalf of the staffing industry in all 50 states; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; and Canada. He speaks regularly before business groups on employment issues and trends and has been a featured lecturer in Europe, South America, South Africa, and Japan. Richard was recognized by Human Resources Outsourcing Today magazine as one of the 100 Superstars of HR Outsourcing and by Recruiter magazine as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the staffing and recruiting industry.
Edward A. Lenz
Senior Vice President, Legal and Public Affairs
Ed is the staffing industry's chief legal advocate and a leading authority on the legal and public policy aspects of staffing. He has testified before Congress, state legislatures, and regulatory agencies, and written and spoken widely, on industry issues. He is author of the authoritative reference book on the subject of co-employment published by ASA. Before joining ASA in 1989, Ed was vice president and assistant general counsel of Kelly Services in charge of legislative and regulatory affairs and served as chairman of the ASA legislative committee. Prior to entering the staffing industry in 1982, he served in government and in private law practice in Washington. In 2001, he was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
Steven P. Berchem, CSP
Chief Operating Officer
Steve has general management responsibilities with principal oversight of the association's marketing, public relations, publications, research, and corporate alliance functions. An ASA spokesman, he is frequently consulted by business executives, industry analysts, government officials, and academics for his expertise in industry research, data, and economics. Steve writes an annual economic analysis of the staffing industry, ASA's most widely referenced publication. Before joining ASA in 1998, he held executive positions in Washington think tanks and associations. His background includes service in government and experience in advertising and public relations agencies, where he handled marketing and public affairs for food and pharmaceutical clients.
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