Team Members and Bios

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, but raised in Florida, David is a proud graduate of the University of Florida. He spent 7 great years as a history teacher at Tampa Catholic High School before going to work for AXA Advisors in 2000 as a financial advisor. His entrepreneurial spirit was tested in this difficult commission-only field, but served him well when he co-founded Employee Leasing Strategies in 2010.

David’s innovative spirit was recognized by Ernst & Young when they selected him as a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2015. He also truly enjoys supporting local schools and charitable organizations.

Owner

David Siracusa

MOD

Kara Siracusa

Kara is a native Floridian who began working in her families’ business at the tender age of five. Over the years, her parents and grandparents taught her the importance of a strong work ethic as well as the value of positive customer service. After attending the University of Florida, Kara began a career in Product Development and Licensing which spanned a decade. She developed and maintained strong working relationships with high-profile licensors such as Disney, Warner Bros., Coca-Cola and Lucasfilm Ltd. It was these impressive connections which led the Home Shopping Network to hire her as their Entertainment & Licensing Buyer. Kara handled famous musical acts, high-profile movie properties such as Spider-Man and Lord of the Rings, and most of the licensed products sold through HSN.

After taking time off to focus on raising her daughter, Kara secured a mortgage origination license. Shortly thereafter, she was recruited into the PEO world as a broker. Kara easily maintains tight deadlines, pays close attention to detail and provides unparalleled customer service to all her clients and agents. Referrals by those agents and clients quickly propelled Kara to the top of her sales team.

The satisfaction of assisting insurance agents and business owners to secure workers’ comp coverage won out eventually, and Kara left the mortgage world completely behind to launch Siracusa Staffing & Leasing, LLC. As a respected industry professional, Kara strives to provide ethical, professional service to her clients and insurance partners.

After taking time off to focus on raising her daughter, Kara secured a mortgage origination license. Shortly thereafter, she was recruited into the PEO world as a broker. Kara easily maintains tight deadlines, pay close attention to detail and provide unparalleled customer service to all her clients and agents. Referrals by those agents and clients quickly propelled Kara to the top of her sales team.

Sabbina was born in Venezuela and moved to the U.S. when she was only two. This makes her naturally bilingual and has been in Florida ever since. She absolutely loves living here!

Prior to starting her new adventure here at SS&L, Sabbina was running the front office at a small private school. She is excited for this opportunity to be able to be part of a fun organization working with lots of great friends!

She loves going on new adventures with her husband to places that they have never been and doing things they’ve never done before!

Office Manager

Sabbina Barras

Sabbina was born in Venezuela and moved to the U.S. when she was only two. This makes her naturally bilingual and has been in Florida ever since. She absolutely loves living here!

She loves going on new adventures with her husband to places that they have never been and doing things they’ve never done before!

Team member

Naomi Jones

After being born in Indiana, Naomi moved around to a few different states before settling down in Florida. However, she still considers the mountains of West Virginia to be her home.

Before transitioning to SS&L, she spent a few years working in the same front office at the school where her co-worker Sabbina Barras had worked. She was then honored to become part of Florida State Representative Chris Latvala’s campaign in 2016. Over the years, Naomi has accumulated experience in secretarial work, customer service and multitasking, but she is always up for learning something new and she loves to challenge herself.

Exploring unseen places is one of her most prominent goals in life, and she looks forward to growing along with the company.

After being born in Indiana, Naomi moved around to a few different states before settling down in Florida. However, she still considers the mountains of West Virginia to be her home.

Exploring unseen places is one of her most prominent goals in life, and she looks forward to growing along with the company.

Originally from Iowa, Jen graduated from the University of Iowa with an English degree and minor in Professional Writing. After almost three years in the educational publishing world where she developed her outstanding communication skills, Jen moved to sunny Florida to pursue her aspiration to work as a certified tennis teaching professional at Innisbrook Resort. After taking time to raise her three young children, Jen embraced the opportunity to return to the workforce to begin her insurance career.

Jen’s main goal is to provide clients with outstanding service and accessible expertise with an honest and responsive approach to the complex world of insurance. Her keen eye for details, amazing research skills, and ability to nurture relationships aid Jen in her charge to obtain new business and manage renewal of Workers’ Compensation accounts.

Jen lives in Palm Harbor with her husband and three children, and her interests include tennis, running, and teaching AWANA at her church.

Team Member

Jen Siracusa

Jen lives in Palm Harbor with her husband and three children, and her interests include tennis, running, and teaching AWANA at her church.

Team member

Hannah Jenkins

Raised in Barcelona, Spain until the age of 19 (allowing her to become “native” fluent in both English and Spanish), Hannah moved to the United States to attend college. It was there that she met her wonderful husband. Since then, they have remained in Florida for the past 17 years.

Hannah has worked in the education system for 12 years, both as a teacher and as a therapist for students with learning disabilities. After taking 4 years off to raise kids at home, she is back and ready to work once again outside the home. She has always been very driven when working and is now very excited to take that drive and pour it into this position as a PEO broker.

Linda attended Bryan College, a small private school in Dayton, TN, where she studied Early Childhood Education. She graduated with honors and went on to teach for four years in the Tennessee public school system.

In 2010, Linda and her family moved to Clearwater, FL where she and her husband continued their careers as educators. After spending 8 years as a classroom teacher, working with students from Kindergarten to 7th grade in both public and private schools, she decided to make the exciting transition from educating young children to educating clients about the advantages and cost-saving benefits of partnering with PEO’s.

Team Member

Linda Jones

Team member

Brenda Cole

Brenda grew up on a small farm in Northern Wisconsin where she learned the value of hard work. She moved to Florida in 1989 and started a successful career in banking. She then became a full-time wife and mother for many years where she taught her children, via example, the importance of good work ethics, being on-time and honesty.

After the last child left college, she chased a fun passion and became a Brick Specialist at the LEGO store in Orlando. Now living in Clearwater, she is looking forward to using the skills she has learned to be the best PEO Broker she can be.

Leslie was born in the suburbs of NYC but has lived in Florida for the past 30 years. Following a career in the family publishing business, she spent over 20 years as a Director of Development and Special Events for various not-for-profits in the Tampa Bay area. Joining the Siracusa Staffing and Leasing team has allowed her to embark on a new and exciting career while affording the opportunity to stay connected to the various charities that are important to her. She looks forward to bringing the skills she has learned throughout her career to building new relationships in the PEO world.

Leslie has moved to San Antonio, Texas and will continue to work with her current Florida P&C agents, while cultivating new agents in Texas as well.

While not working, Leslie spends her time with her family. Leslie has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Team Member

Leslie DiPaci

Leslie has moved to San Antonio, Texas and will continue to work with her current Florida P&C agents, while cultivating new agents in Texas as well.

While not working, Leslie spends her time with her family. Leslie has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Team member

Otilia Canter

Otilia was born in the Republic of Moldova (former USSR) and studied semiconductors physics. Otilia has a Bachelor of Science from the State University of Moldova. In 1990, she taught high school physics before moving to Budapest, where her son Matyas Nicholas was born. She is fluent in Romanian, Russian, French, Hungarian and English. She’s worked in retail management and international relocations.

Arriving in the US in 2002, she worked at Eckerd College for four years. In 2005, she embraced the world of Human Resources with a sales coordinator job at Modern Business Associates (MBA). She’s worked in operations, sales and marketing, along with contract negotiations, workers’ compensation underwriting, payroll taxes, financial analysis, customer relations, talent recruitment and development.

She’s a 2018 graduate of Leadership St Petersburg (LSP), a former Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce director, a member of the Women’s Leadership Committee, a member of the Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort (T.R.E.E.), and a former Booster Club operations director for Countryside High School Football Team.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, I have migrated south, over the last 23 years, and I love living in the Sunshine State. After being in education for over 15 years, my season of life prompted me to consider a career with more flexibility and income, based on my family’s needs. While my husband works full time, it has been great to be introduced to Siracusa Staffing & Leasing at just the right time. Being a complete career shift, I am thankful for the staff here that has helped me adjust, feel comfortable and welcomed, and be entirely prepared to do the job set out before me.

I am a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, I love fall, thrifting, coffee, CrossFit, rainy days and chasing sunsets. I have a wonderful husband of 23 years, 3 children, an amazing church family, and incredible friends. And I love spending time with all of them.

Team Member

Wendy Barton

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Wendy has migrated south, over the last 23 years, and loves living in the Sunshine State. After being in education for over 15 years, Wendy’s season of life prompted her to consider a career with more flexibility and income, based on her family’s needs. While Wendy’s husband works full time, it has been great to be introduced to Siracusa Staffing & Leasing at just the right time. Being a complete career shift, Wendy is thankful for the staff here that has helped her adjust, feel comfortable and welcomed, and be entirely prepared to do the job set out before her.

Wendy is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, loves fall, thrifting, coffee, CrossFit, rainy days and chasing sunsets. She has a wonderful husband of 23 years, 3 children, an amazing church family, and incredible friends. And she loves spending time with all of them.

Team member

Brenda Thompson

Raised in Tampa Bay, Brenda enjoys spending time with her three children who are always active pursuing passions like soccer, robotics and painting. Brenda enjoys learning and was a summa cum laude graduate from University of West Florida in Interdisciplinary Social Science with a minor in Anthropology. She also earned a MBA in Economics with certificate in Latin American Studies at the University of South Florida. Go Bulls!

Traveling and meeting people from other cultures is a lifelong passion, having traveled to nearly 30 countries across Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean. She loves them all, but a favorite is Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil. The longest waterfall in the world, it has lush rain forest, flocks of toucans and every color butterfly. She also loves weekend roadtrips in Florida, theme park adventures, and unique stops, like Sweet Pete’s in Jacksonville and McGuire’s in Pensacola.

Brenda joins SS&L with many years of experience in performance evaluation research, nonprofit program development and healthcare. And she always serves with integrity, consistency and 5-star support.

Karla was born in Alabama and raised in a small town in Georgia. Being a “Southern Belle,” she grew up learning about the importance of family and hard work.

At the age of 18, she was thrilled to be able to relocate to Florida and pursue a career in office management. Moving to Clearwater in 2014, she took a few years off to devote to her family and raising strong, confident kids. Most recently, she was recruited into the PEO industry and is loving every moment of its sales aspect.

In her down time, you can find Karla in her favorite place, with her family, on the water, fishing.

Team Member

Karla Harrison

Karla was born in Alabama and raised in a small town in Georgia. Being a “Southern Belle,” she grew up learning about the importance of family and hard work.

In her down time, you can find Karla in her favorite place, with her family, on the water, fishing.

Team member

Stacy Mathis

Stacy is a dedicated worker with many years of Accounting and Finance experience.

She has an amazing eye for detail and accuracy, creating for a fantastic addition to our team.

She calls Tampa home and sincerely enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Stacy is a dedicated worker with many years of Accounting and Finance experience.

She has an amazing eye for detail and accuracy, creating for a fantastic addition to our team.

She calls Tampa home and sincerely enjoys spending time with family and friends.

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