Our professional staff is top notch, offering years of experience and knowledge, as well as friendly attitudes. Below, you’ll find a brief introduction to many of our staff and their roles with Applied Business Solutions.
JIM ANNIS – Managing Member of the LLC
Jim graduated with high honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1974. After moving to northern Nevada in 1981, he owned or was involved at a chief executive level in both small and medium-sized companies prior to opening Applied Staffing Solutions, LLC in 2002. Influenced by a combination of his experiences as an entrepreneur and 11 years in the staffing industry, Jim’s business philosophy is simple; there is joy in building a workplace which provides meaningful work, respects a balance of life for employees and fosters open communication. According to Jim, these three things are the reasons why you retain employees. It is not about money, it’s about these three things. In 2003 Jim established Applied Business Solutions (ABS), a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which affords northern Nevada small businesses access to big company benefits and centralized HR expertise. His vision and leadership have been recognized as The Applied Companies were named one of the 2008 and 2009 Best Places to Work (EDAWN and Quantum research) and were recently nominated for a 2008 Distinguished Business Award in the Innovation category of the Governor’s Industry Appreciation Awards (GIAA).
Jim is committed to northern Nevada as he is a Charter member of the Rotary Club of Reno Centennial Sunset and is that club's Charter President, belongs to EDAWN (Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada), is past President of the Northern Nevada Human Resource Association, is a former Deacon at St. John's Presbyterian Church, is past Secretary of Troop 107 of the Boy Scouts of America, is past Chair of the Reno Marketing Professionals, is on the Board of Directors of Nevada works and belongs to Western Industrial Nevada (WIN). Jim also belongs to the Sparks Chamber of Commerce and has served on the board of the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce.
CELESTE PETERSON, PHR (Professional in Human Resources) - PEO Division Manager
With more than 12 years of experience in the human resource field, Celeste has found the PEO division with Applied her most rewarding position due to “the diversity of the clients and the ability to assist small businesses with human resource support.” Under her management and guidance, ABS was named Most Innovative HR Department in 2008 by the Northern Nevada Human Resources Association (NNHRA). Originally from Iowa, Celeste came to the Reno/Tahoe area in the mid 90's and was awarded a degree in speech communication from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Celeste’s credentials include a certificate in Human Resource Management from the College of Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno and a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Celeste became Programs Director/Board Member for the Northern Nevada Human Resources Association in January 2007. She is a former member of the Diversity Conference Planning Committee, sponsored by the Northern Nevada Human Resources Association, serves at a committee level for the Young Professional’s Network (YPN) and is a member of both the Entrepreneur Organization (E.O.) and the Nevada Development Committee of Planned Parenthood Mira Monte. She has published various articles as an authority in Human Resources for the NNHRA newsletter and the Northern Nevada Business Weekly.
MEGAN LEE, PHR (Professional in Human Resources) - PEO Human Resources Supervisor
Megan graduated Cum Laude from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Communication Studies. Shortly after graduation, Megan moved to San Jose, California, where she secured a position in Human Resources with Google. At Google, Megan worked in benefit support, recruiting, staffing and Human Resource generalist activities. Upon relocating to Reno, it was a natural fit for Megan to work in an environment that utilized all of her experience. Megan says that "interfacing with clients and providing small companies with the human resource support that they need to better manage their businesses" are the most gratifying elements of her job. She is passionate about maintaining ABS’ high customer service standard and strives to go above and beyond for her clients on a daily basis.
Megan is currently a member of NNRHA (Northern Nevada Human Resources Association) and has published an article for their newsletter. She is a former member of the Diversity Conference Planning Committee, sponsored by the NNHRA. In 2006, Megan received her Human Resource Management Certificate through the College of Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. She then went on to earn her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) designation from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) in 2007.
MINDY STEWART - PEO Human Resources Partner
Mindy graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management emphasizing in Human Resources in 2005. While studying at the university, she spent five summers as a Summer Student in the Accounts Payable/Payroll department at Barrick Goldstrike Mines, Inc. where she was exposed to hands on training in several aspects of administration. Prior to joining ABS, Mindy was the Personnel Coordinator with Lithia Motors. Mindy is responsible for all new hires, workers’ compensation claims, pay rate changes and other administrative duties. She believes her organizational skills are an asset as “being efficient helps me get back to clients and employees quickly.” Mindy continues her love of learning and career development by working towards an HR Certification through the University of Nevada, and she recently received her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) designation from the Human Resource Certification Institute. She is also an active member of the NNHRA (Northern Nevada Human Resources Association).
ANGELA ATCHLEY, SPHR – PEO Human Resources Partner
Angela Atchley is a seasoned professional with over twenty years experience in Human Resources and over nine years experience in Unemployment Administration and Account Management. Prior to coming onboard with ABS, Angela served as the Employee Relations, Communications & Training Manager for Silver Legacy Resort Casino. She holds an Associate of Arts degree as a paralegal in Legal Administration from Morrison College/Reno Business College. She has also earned her SPHR, Senior Professional in Human Resources designation from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). In her role as Applied Business Solution’s Human Resources Partner, Angela provides professional, timely resolutions to complex issues. Angela says she enjoys “finding the balance” in both employees’ and management’s needs by assisting businesses in making sound human resources related business decisions. She realizes that although business is business and there are processes to adhere to, employees have wants and needs in their own life which require compassion on her part. She believes that employers can have higher employee engagement- and therefore a higher retention rate - through more effective employee communication. Angela knows that turnover can be prevented by employing the right dialogue, which can educate employees on how to become more of an asset to the employer. Angela is detail oriented, well organized, and she has a penchant for communications and customer relations. She uses these strengths to get favorable results for her clients, including her current record of100% favorable rulings on EEOC and NERC claims and over 85% favorable resolution record for unemployment appellate hearings.
Angela is currently a member of the Northern Nevada Human Resources Association (NNHRA), the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce, and Silver State Striders. She has been published as an HR expert in the NNHRA newsletter.
MICHELLE MILES - PEO Payroll Partner
Michelle was recently promoted from Director of First Impressions at The Applied Companies, where she had numerous responsibilities from greeting office guests to coordinating internal payroll, to her new role as PEO Payroll Partner for ABS. One of her key roles in the new position is to anticipate issues with her clients’ payroll processing - before they become issues. Capitalizing on her 15 years of customer service experience, Michelle’s attention to detail and keen follow up skills help her clients save time and money. Prior to ABS, Michelle honed these skills with careers in the signage, staffing, and finance industries, where she kept abreast of codes, laws, regulations, and technical requirements to ensure that her clients’ achieved their goals and objectives. While Michele “thrives on getting the job done efficiently, and accurately,” she does so with a human approach. Michelle believes that one of her greatest professional strengths is building and maintaining long term businesses relationships. In additional to her people skills, Michelle has a love for animals, which leads her to contribute to animal-based charities including the Humane Society, Wildlife Preservation, and ASPCA.
LINDA KUKUK – PEO Payroll Supervisor
In her role as payroll supervisor, Linda manages all payroll processing including check preparation, payroll records, background checks, state reporting and requirements, and handles confidential and sensitive issues with professionalism. In 1989, Linda and her husband developed a small business in Reno from the ground up. Still in business 20 years later, her payroll experience and perspective as a successful business owner offers unique insight into the needs of ABS customers. Linda says she respects her ABS clients, is aware of the types of challenges they face every day and therefore “treats their business as if it were my own.” Linda holds a B.S. in Psychology from University of California ,San Diego. She is currently working towards her MBA at the University of Nevada, Reno. Linda plans to receive her Payroll Certification, Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) from APA (American Payroll Association) and in the fall of 2009. She has served on the board of the Reno West Babe Ruth Youth Baseball League as Treasurer for four years, and volunteers at Reno High School.
BILL MCRAE – PEO Business Development
Bill uses his 30 years of sales and customers service experience to educate local business owners about ABS’s strategic solutions for their complex HR challenges. A seasoned PEO professional, Bill was previously responsible for business development and sales management for a northern Nevada PEO. He has seen first-hand the benefits that small and medium sized companies can derive by using ABS’s services, especially in the areas of employee benefit programs and regulatory compliance. He also knows the challenges that business owners face as he was responsible for membership for the National Federal of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s largest small business lobby and the third largest lobby in the country. Bill’s nine years of experience as an owner of an import export business has definitely given him empathy with his clients. Bill considers himself a “problem solver” and enjoys developing long term relationships with clients. He takes pride in helping clients “peel away the onion” to determine their true HR needs. Despite the economy, Bill doesn’t want his clients to settle for less and truly believes that ABS is the right thing for them. Bill dedicates volunteer time to his children’s sports activities and his local church in Gardnerville.
JIM ANNIS – Managing Member of the LLC
CELESTE PETERSON, PHR (Professional in Human Resources) - PEO Division Manager
MEGAN LEE, PHR (Professional in Human Resources) - PEO Human Resources Supervisor
MINDY STEWART - PEO Human Resources Partner
ANGELA ATCHLEY, SPHR – PEO Human Resources Partner 
MICHELLE MILES - PEO Payroll Partner
LINDA KUKUK – PEO Payroll Supervisor
BILL MCRAE – PEO Business Development
