Sheila Thomas - Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Sheila Thomas, founding partner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has over 25 years of business operations experience with specialized knowledge in human resources and customer service.

Ms. Thomas began her government service career with Astrid Contract Technical Services in 2003 serving as a Senior Technical Recruiter, whereas, she was responsible for resume and candidate searches and screening for Technical and Professional positions for Nuclear and DOE/DOD facilities. Her duties also included interview processes, wage negotiations, candidate submission and employee management.

In 2010, Ms. Thomas founded Pinnacle Specialty Group, Inc. (Pinnacle) where she currently serves as the CEO. She manages all business operations and contract service to the multiple government clients that Pinnacle has successfully acquired throughout the many dedicated years of service. Ms. Thomas is 100% active in the day-to-day operations of Pinnacle (a woman-owned corporation) and she stands proud with this accomplishment. Ms. Thomas holds a DOE “Q” Clearance and is fluent with all security requirements within the DOE.

Vernon F. Keszler, Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer

Vernon Keszler is a financial executive with more than 30 years’ experience in multiple industries, including public accounting, manufacturing and business services. His most recent tenure has been as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in the support service business, responsible for payrolls exceeding 2,000 employees and over $50M in contract management.

Throughout his early career, Mr. Keszler served in public accounting and then went on to work in the manufacturing industry, serving in various operations roles including financial analyst and systems manager. He has also consulted with several industry-specific small businesses assisting with the establishment of financial systems, internal controls and earn credibility with financial institutions. In 1995, Mr. Keszler began his experience in the support service industry then continued his career in 2006 as CFO with Astrid Contract Technical Services, Inc. (ACTS).

Mr. Keszler holds his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Sheila Petersen, Chief Operating Officer

Sheila is a talent acquisition professional who offers over 30 years of experience in managing, leading, and developing teams to execute business and employment strategies, including recruiting plans and processes. In addition to being a seasoned professional in the industry, she began her career at technical start-up companies holding leadership positions in Finance and Customer Relations. She worked for a global IT company for over 12 years where she was heavily involved in developing Diversity, Inclusion, Disability, Military, and University hiring programs. Sheila’s experience across many market segments has given her a broad understanding of business operations which enables her to provide Pinnacle Specialty Group with strategic and focused leadership.

Alesia Lee, Payroll and Human Resource Lead

Alesia Lee has been with the Pinnacle family since its conception and provides over 13 specialized years within DOE contracts. Her vast duties range from accounting processing, human resource management to contracts administration. She also supervises the weekly processing of over 100(+) payroll activities to include vacation management, benefit administration and the biweekly processing of expense reporting and payouts.

Ms. Lee brings over 30 years of payroll and accounting experience and has extensive knowledge with 5 accounting software systems. No job is too large for her capabilities. During the ARRA era, she administered and managed the payroll and expense operations for up to 450 personnel with a weekly processing of 12,000 employee worked hours.

Ms. Lee supports all Pinnacle employees with their new hire paperwork including benefits administration and payroll requirements. She is the “voice” of Pinnacle and maintains a positive relationship with all employees, no matter where they are located.

Kim Nelson, Senior Recruiter

Kim Nelson has over 20 years of business support experience in the recruiting industry with specialization in client service and employee management.  She performs specialized recruiting efforts for qualified candidates to multiple nuclear facilities throughout the United States.  Her professional recruiting style provides clients with a comfort of knowing that a seasoned recruiter is working on their efforts.   

In 2009, Ms. Nelson served as an Accountant Assistant with Astrid Contract Technical Services.  She was soon promoted to Account Manager, where she managed numerous contractors on several large business contracts.  In 2010, she transitioned her responsibilities to Pinnacle Specialty Group serving in multiple operation capacities.  With her thorough knowledge in the engineering, construction & technical service areas, she currently provides Senior Recruiter responsibilities with specialized efforts on environmental management projects throughout the Department of Energy and multiple commercial nuclear facilities

Stacey Biggerstaff, Recruiter

Stacey Biggerstaff is a professional and technical recruiter for Pinnacle Specialty Group. She has over 20 years of business experience with specialized focus on safety scopes of work in the nuclear and medical industry. Along with her dedication and commitment to quality, she quickly understands the needs of her candidates ensuring their path forward is the best for them. Her placements are made in an efficient and timely manner, and she is passionate about surpassing expectations and assisting in the talent acquisition process. Ms. Biggerstaff’s thorough attention to detail ensures the client is getting the best, highly qualified candidate for their request. Her determination is evident within everything she accomplishes. Ms. Biggerstaff has recruiting responsibilities for numerous Department of Energy sites throughout the complex.