Joanna Monroe

is a senior legal executive and C-Suite adviser with a proven track record of helping companies transform and grow profits while reducing risk. A legal and compliance expert with over 25 years of experience, Joanna is highly regarded for implementing large scale operational, compliance and legal initiatives that contributed to high-performance business results and improved the bottom line.

Joanna is passionate about providing companies with access to affordable, solutions focused advice. With 25 years in staffing, she recognized that many staffing firms need access to an experienced general counsel, but not on a full time basis, and not at a full time cost. She loves to partner with companies to help them drive down their legal expense and make risk informed decisions to move their business forward.

Prior to launching Staffing GC, Joanna served for 15 years as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Chief Compliance and Risk Officer at TrueBlue, Inc., a publicly traded staffing company. There, she partnered with the board of directors, C-Suite and cross-functional teams to transform Labor Ready, a $1B staffing company, into TrueBlue, a $3B international, diversified workforce solutions company with five divisions, 700 branches, 6,000 employees and 500,000 temporary workers.

Joanna led legal, compliance, enterprise risk, internal audit, social responsibility and government relations functions and implemented enterprise-wide programs that reduced risk and strengthened reputational resiliency. As an acquisition team member, Joanna evaluated and integrated 17 strategic acquisitions resulting in $1B in newly acquired revenue. Joanna was a crucial contributor to the internal merger of three divisions into PeopleReady, a $1.6B company. She also participated in numerous international expansion initiatives and advised operations on business and legal issues. As part of that, Joanna implemented compliance policies and programs across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia the United Kingdom and India.

Joanna holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Puget Sound, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University at Northridge. She resides with her family in Washington.

Lia Elliott

is an attorney and C-Suite advisor with 20+ years of boots-on-the-ground executive and legal experience in the workforce solutions and staffing industry. Lia is solutions-focused and works with clients to achieve business objectives while aligning legal compliance within risk tolerance and budget. A constant critical thinker and firm believer that “no” is seldom the answer, Lia simplifies legal complexities enabling growth in a mine-filled environment.

An accomplished executive and attorney, Lia’s diverse experience in both the practice of law and executive management offers unique value-add legal solutions to her clients.

Prior to launching Staffing GC, Lia served for 15 years as General Counsel to Elwood Staffing, one of the largest U.S. light industrial staffing and workforce solutions firms. With Elwood Staffing, Lia served on the Executive Committee and partnered with the board of directors, officers, shareholders and other cross-functional team leadership to help grow and scale Elwood Staffing from a $160MM company to a nearly $1B enterprise with more than 250 service locations, 130,000+ contingent employees assigned across more than 6,000 diverse client facilities and 1,000 internal corporate employees. Lia led legal strategy, compliance, litigation management, department operations and implemented enterprise-wide systems, solutions, procedures and programs to protect profit and reduce risk. Her C-Suite experience coupled with in-depth understanding of the staffing industry present a value adding combination to organizations.

Lia is a committed community leader in her inspirational hometown of Columbus, Indiana. She serves on the boards of Community Animal Rescue Effort, Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus Visitors Center. She also volunteers as a foster and has rescued/placed hundreds of animals.

Lia holds a Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science, Business from Purdue University.

Shannon Shields

is a senior legal and compliance consultant with over 20 years of experience in staffing. Shannon helps firms reduce legal risk and expense by strengthening compliance including conducting risks assessments and implementing mitigation programs to bring operational forms, systems and processes into compliance. She is also highly regarded for developing operationally integrated training, auditing and monitoring practices – helping staffing firms avoid a “one-and-done” approach to sustain compliance over time.

Shannon’s deep understanding of the staffing business makes her the perfect strategic partner to provide an objective perspective for compliance on wage and hour, EEO, I-9, E-verify, background checks and other common risks. In addition to leading compliance initiatives, Shannon provides staffing firms with support during DOL, E-Verify and I-9 audits.  Shannon helps firms master the complex and ever-changing regulatory landscape to achieve sustained competitive advantage.

Before becoming a consultant with Staffing GC, Shannon was a key contributor at TrueBlue Inc., a publicly traded staffing company.  After beginning her career in operations and receiving national recognition for sales and service achievements, Shannon saw the opportunity to transform her passion for operational excellence into compliance. As Director of Compliance Shannon led  large scale, global and complex initiatives to deliver reduced litigation and millions in saved legal expenses. Examples of initiatives include the design and implementation of a field-based audit program, California Wage and Hour Awareness Campaign to reduce class action risk, and the rollout compliance policies and practices across five divisions, with 6,000 internal employees and over half a million temporary associates.