Meet The Team
The people at Talent Wave bring deep industry knowledge, specialized expertise, and experience across recruiting, client relationships, operations, and support.
Together, they reflect the knowledge, care, and professionalism that define the Talent Wave experience for our clients and candidates.
We Take the Work Seriously.
Ourselves? Not Always.
Talent Wave is a team of people who take pride in doing good work and doing right by the people we serve. Whether we’re helping a client find the right talent or a candidate find the right opportunity, our days are filled with solving problems, exchanging ideas, paying attention to the details, and taking pride in the work we do.
We learn from one another. We step in when things get busy. We celebrate milestones and successes, welcome new faces, support each other through the challenges, and make time to enjoy the people who make Talent Wave what it is.
Different backgrounds. Different personalities. One team.
Get to know the people behind Talent Wave.
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Adam Schlatter
Director of Professional Search
Adam Schlatter
Director of Professional Search
Adam Schlatter is a Director with Talent Wave Associates, bringing more than 25 years of recruiting and talent acquisition experience to his work with clients and candidates. After beginning his career in professional search, Adam spent more than 15 years leading corporate talent acquisition and talent management functions for organizations including O-I and Welltower.
That experience on the corporate side of the desk shaped Adam’s approach to search today. He understands the challenges hiring leaders face, the importance of finding the right fit beyond what appears on a résumé, and what companies should expect from a recruiting partner. His approach is built around relationships, straightforward communication, and treating people the way he would want to be treated.
Adam grew up in Northwest Ohio and now lives in Perrysburg with his wife, Kristi, where they will celebrate 30 years of marriage next year. They have three wonderful children (plus a great son-in-law) and a one-year-old Yorkie named Bowie. Outside of work, Adam enjoys riding his Harley with Kristi, watching football and hockey, and cooking. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his family and is up for literally any activity that involves his kids.
Brock Urbaniak
Professional Recruiter
Brock Urbaniak
Professional Recruiter
Brock joined Talent Wave with a passion for connecting talented people with opportunities where they can truly make an impact. He enjoys the relationship-driven side of recruiting most—getting to know candidates beyond their resumes, understanding what motivates them, and helping clients find people who are the right fit for both the role and the organization.
Throughout his recruiting career, Brock has developed experience supporting searches across a wide range of industries, with a particular focus on manufacturing, engineering, operations, safety, finance, and leadership positions. He takes pride in being persistent, approachable, and willing to dig deeper when a search requires finding the right person rather than simply filling a position.
Outside of work, Brock enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and following sports. He also appreciates a good conversation, a little friendly competition, and finding reasons to laugh whenever possible.
Something people may not know about Brock is that he genuinely enjoys the challenge of recruiting. For him, every search is a puzzle—and there’s nothing better than putting the pieces together and seeing a candidate and company both realize they’ve found the right match.
Cali Sudac
Senior Account Executive
Cali Sudac
Senior Account Executive
Cali has been in the staffing industry for over eight years, primarily working in the Engineering, Manufacturing, and IT spaces. What she loves most about what she does is simple: the people. She enjoys connecting with others, building genuine relationships, and being someone her team and customers know they can count on. Working alongside people who want to grow, support each other, and be their best is what brought Cali to Talent Wave and what makes her excited to be part of the team.
Outside of work, Cali is happiest spending time with her family, cooking, hosting, and making memories. She is a proud wife and mom to her two girls, and their mini Australian Shepherd, Kaia, definitely keeps them on their toes! She’s a big country music fan and loves all things fall, while football Sundays are a weekly tradition in their house.
Cali is also a big believer that just about anything is worth celebrating. She loves bringing people together and finding an excuse to make an occasion feel extra special. Give her a reason to celebrate, and she’s probably already thinking about the food, decorations, and all the little details.
Casey Trovato
Director, Digital Operations
Casey Trovato
Director, Digital Operations
Casey joined Talent Wave before its launch, having built longstanding professional relationships with its founders through years of collaboration. As an early member of the team, she helped shape the company's brand and establish the operational and digital foundation that supported its successful launch and continued growth.
As Director of Digital Operations, Casey works at the intersection of technology, creativity, and business strategy. With more than 25 years of experience across web development, design, marketing, software, systems integration, and operations, she has built a career around solving complex problems and helping organizations work smarter. Whether connecting systems, streamlining processes, or tackling technical challenges, Casey enjoys turning complexity into practical, effective solutions.
She often describes her work as high-stakes Legos®: understanding what each piece contributes, figuring out how everything fits together, and building something stronger as a whole. The same philosophy informs her leadership, bringing together diverse perspectives and talents to transform ideas into meaningful results.
Outside of work, Casey is an artist at heart who enjoys photography, painting, creating glass and smalti mosaics, spending time by the water, and making memories with the people she loves most.
Crystal Edens
Executive Assistant
Crystal Edens
Executive Assistant
Crystal is a natural helper who thrives on the organized chaos of supporting others, whether coordinating interviews, crafting spreadsheet magic, screening candidates, or prepping someone for their next big opportunity.
What drew Crystal to Talent Wave was the people and position itself. Her years as an Executive Assistant and Career Coach provided the perfect skill set, while she also wanted day-to-day variety and the chance to learn recruiting. It's an ideal fit for her, and most of all, she loves the supportive and fun team culture.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, she moved to the Toledo area in 2020 when she married her best friend and became a stepmom of four. Outside of work you’ll find her traveling to new places (especially those with beautiful beaches… her happy place!), road-tripping to thrift for amazing deals (she loves a good bargain!), attending musicals, taking walks with her pups, or simple playing games and watching movies with the fam. At the end of the day, Crystal finds the greatest joy in serving and encouraging others, making a meaningful impact both in her professional life and beyond.
Danielle Bartolotta
Senior Talent Partner
Danielle Bartolotta
Senior Talent Partner
Danielle found her way to Talent Wave after reconnecting with Emily Schlotman, someone she had worked with early in her career and always loved working alongside. Knowing how Emily approached business, relationships, and recruiting, when Danielle saw what she was helping build at Talent Wave, it didn’t take much convincing—she wanted in.
As a Senior Talent Partner on the contract staffing team, Danielle spends most of her time in the IT and technical world. That said, give her a niche or hard-to-fill role and she’s probably going to want to take a swing at it. With about eight years in agency recruiting across both individual contributor and leadership roles, some of her favorite work has centered around building recruiting programs, strengthening recruiter/AE partnerships, and helping newer recruiters learn the ropes and find their own style.
Outside of work, there’s a good chance Danielle is golfing, attempting a new recipe (Asian cuisines are the latest obsession), or hanging out with her pup, Koda, with a movie or true crime documentary on. She’s also a very committed early riser—which is great for productivity and significantly less great for anyone trying to make late-night plans with her.
Dave Currie
Executive Recruiter
Dave Currie
Executive Recruiter
Dave Currie brings more than 30 years of experience in executive human resources roles across the automotive and chemical industries. Throughout his career, he worked with public companies including Dana Corporation, Dow Chemical, and AlliedSignal Honeywell, developing deep expertise in HR and business operations.
After retiring from industry, Dave became involved in business development during the COVID-19 pandemic and began working with Mark and Greg in the recruitment industry. What started as a new opportunity gradually grew into a full-time role as an account manager and recruiter. Today, Dave enjoys partnering with clients to help address critical hiring needs, drawing on decades of HR experience to support their goals and help move their businesses forward.
Outside of work, Dave and his wife have been married for 41 years and enjoy traveling, playing disc golf, and attending concerts. They have taken two '80s cruises together and are looking forward to their first '70s cruise in 2027.
David Breininger
Professional Recruiter
David Breininger
Professional Recruiter
David Breininger is a professional recruiter specializing in the placement of manufacturing, operations, engineering, supply chain, and executive-level talent across a wide range of industries. With a consultative approach and a strong understanding of today's labor market, David partners with both candidates and employers to create long-term hiring success.
Throughout his recruiting career, David has developed expertise in identifying high-impact leaders for complex manufacturing environments, including finance/accounting, operations, industrial automation, engineering, facilities management, and skilled technical roles. He is known for building strong relationships, conducting thorough candidate assessments, and guiding professionals through every stage of the hiring process. His ability to understand both the technical requirements of a role and the personal motivations of candidates helps ensure successful matches that benefit everyone involved.
Based in Northwest Ohio, David is passionate about helping people advance their careers while supporting organizations in finding the talent needed to achieve their business goals. Outside of recruiting, he enjoys following workforce trends, leveraging technology to improve hiring outcomes, and continuing to develop his expertise in talent acquisition and executive search.
Dylan Alderson
Professional Recruiter
Dylan Alderson
Professional Recruiter
Coming Soon!
Emily Schlotman
Executive Vice President
Emily Schlotman
Executive Vice President
Emily Schlotman brings a relationship-driven approach and a passion for building strong teams and partnerships to her role as Executive Vice President at Talent Wave Associates. She plays an integral role in the firm’s growth, overseeing business development, client relationships, and internal team development. Known for her hands-on leadership style, Emily works closely with both clients and the Talent Wave team to understand their goals, solve challenges, and create lasting partnerships built on trust and results.
Emily is especially passionate about the people side of the staffing industry. Whether she’s helping a client build a critical team, developing the next generation of leaders at Talent Wave, or identifying new opportunities for the business, she brings energy, persistence, and a genuine investment in the success of those around her.
Outside of work, Emily enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, and their goldendoodle, Bailey, staying active, golfing, traveling, and tackling her latest home project. A lifelong lover of Broadway and the performing arts, she also sings, acts, and dances whenever she gets the chance. She’s happiest surrounded by family and friends, planning her next trip, or finding her way back to the stage.
Gordy Hunt
Director of Professional Search
Gordy Hunt
Director of Professional Search
Gordy brings a successful 25-year career in the industry to Talent Wave, where he has consistently been recognized as a top performer. What ultimately drew him here were the people and the vision. While he considered several strong opportunities, he was impressed by the caliber of the team, the supportive culture, and the company’s clear commitment to growth and success. It felt like a place where he could make a meaningful impact while continuing to grow professionally.
What Gordy enjoys most about his role is building strong relationships with clients and helping them achieve their goals. Every day brings new opportunities, challenges, and conversations that keep the work exciting, and he genuinely looks forward to coming in each day.
Outside the office, Gordy is a proud father of two sons and greatly enjoys the time he spends with them. He also loves cooking, traveling, and discovering great restaurants, and is always eager to experience new cuisines and cultures. A lifelong hockey enthusiast, he played collegiately at Ferris State University and was a draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings. During the winter season, he still spends time playing in an outdoor league with old hockey friends.
At the heart of it all, Gordy believes in being genuine and authentic, building trust and meaningful relationships, both personally and professionally.
Grace Cubberly
Marketing/HR Assistant
Grace Cubberly
Marketing/HR Assistant
Grace is Talent Wave's Marketing & HR Assistant, combining creativity and relationship-building to provide positive experiences for contractors and team members. From bringing marketing ideas to life through social media to supporting onboarding, she enjoys every opportunity to connect with people and make a meaningful impact.
What drew Grace to Talent Wave was the chance to join a growing startup where people genuinely enjoy working together. She was immediately drawn to the company's collaborative culture and sense of community. She loves being part of a team that values innovation and authentic relationships.
Outside of work, Grace is always looking for ways to learn, explore, and make new memories. She's currently learning Spanish, enjoys reading psychological thrillers, listening to podcasts, and capturing life's moments through photography. She also loves traveling, especially to warm destinations and vibrant cities, and spending time with family.
One of Grace's favorite traditions is cheering on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. For more than 20 years, her family has attended Notre Dame home football games together, thanks to her grandfather's season tickets. It's a tradition filled with lasting memories and one she looks forward to every year.
"Go Irish!"
Greg Dunn
Managing Director
Greg Dunn
Managing Director
Coming Soon!
Hannah Oberle
Systems and Process Specialist
Hannah Oberle
Systems and Process Specialist
Hannah brings more than a decade of experience in recruitment technology, a passion for helping others, and a lifetime of tech-loving, nerdy energy to her work. As our Systems and Process Specialist, you’ll often find her immersed in automation workflows, creating digital templates, posting jobs, troubleshooting, or simply tinkering behind the scenes to find a better way of doing things.
She’s passionate about connecting people and technology in ways that are practical, intuitive, and genuinely useful. Whether she’s streamlining a process, building a new workflow, organizing digital tools, or figuring out how to make a system work a little smarter, she loves finding solutions that save time, reduce frustration, and make everyone’s day a little easier.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find her spending time with her husband and their wonderfully chaotic circus of children, dogs, and cats. When she gets the chance, she loves video games, art and painting, home and yard projects, science, and music —especially when she can share those interests with her family. For Hannah, life is all about curiosity, creativity, family, and finding new ways to make things a little bit brighter.
Jen Flahive
Senior Talent Partner
Jen Flahive
Senior Talent Partner
Jen is a Senior Recruiter at Talent Wave Associates, where she gets to do what she loves most every day: talk to people, build relationships, and help make the job search a little less stressful. She has almost 10 years of recruiting experience and joined Talent Wave in 2024. She feels that recruiting is the perfect mix of people, problem-solving, and plenty of conversation (and if you know Jen, you know she’s always happy to talk!).
What she enjoys most about recruiting is getting to know the person behind the resume—what motivates them, what they’re looking for, and what will truly make them happy in their next role. She takes the same approach with hiring teams, getting to know their needs, their culture, and the type of person who will thrive on their team. Jen especially enjoys helping candidates feel prepared and comfortable throughout the interview process and being the person they can call when they need a little extra confidence.
Outside of work, Jen enjoys working out, going on walks, playing golf, shopping, traveling, and spending time with her husband and her black lab, Boomer. She’s also an early riser and has been known to start her day with a workout and a round of New York Times games before most people have had their first cup of coffee.
For Jen, recruiting is all about people—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Luke Maranka
Professional Recruiter
Luke Maranka
Professional Recruiter
Luke Maranka is a dedicated direct hire recruiter with a passion for connecting talented professionals with outstanding career opportunities. He takes pride in building strong relationships with both candidates and clients, helping create successful long-term matches that drive growth and success. Known for his commitment, professionalism, and people-first approach, Luke genuinely enjoys the recruiting industry and is excited about the future as he continues to grow his career with Talent Wave.
Outside of work, family is at the center of Luke’s life. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Raygen, and their son, Remi, creating lasting memories and embracing every opportunity to be together. His strong family values influence both his personal and professional life, shaping the way he connects with others and builds meaningful relationships.
When he is not recruiting, Luke enjoys staying active through fitness and spending time on the golf course. Whether he is working toward a personal goal, helping a candidate find the right opportunity, or enjoying time with his family, he approaches everything with enthusiasm, dedication, and a positive outlook. Luke is excited to continue making an impact in the recruiting industry and contributing to the growth and success of Talent Wave.
Mark Melfi
COO & Co-Founder
Mark Melfi
COO & Co-Founder
Mark Melfi is the COO & Co-founder of Talent Wave Associates, where he spends his days proving that finding the right people is both an art and a science. Equal parts strategist, problem solver, and professional matchmaker, Mark has built a career helping companies land top talent—and helping top talent find companies they actually want to work for.
When he's not making hiring look easy, you'll find him following his favorite football teams (or talking about his glory years of playing it himself), chasing the perfect golf shot, or out on the boat convincing everyone this is the day they'll catch the big one.
Fueled by coffee, competition, and a healthy sense of humor, Mark believes the best teams—whether at work or on the water—are built with great people.
Michelle Smith
Director, Finance & HR
Michelle Smith
Director, Finance & HR
Michelle Smith brings nearly 25 years of experience in human resources and more than 20 years of leadership experience to her role as Director of Finance and Accounting at Talent Wave Associates. She oversees the company’s financial operations and all aspects of HR, taking a hands-on approach to both while building teams and strengthening the systems that support the organization. Michelle brings a wealth of experience, a practical mindset, and a steady presence to her work, along with a genuine commitment to the people behind the business.
Outside of work, Michelle enjoys camping, antique shopping with her husband, and taking long walks with her best buddy, Duke. She’s happiest when she’s discovering a great antique, spending time outdoors, or simply enjoying a little time away from the everyday.
Mikaela Rios
Senior Account Executive
Mikaela Rios
Senior Account Executive
Mikaela Rios has been in the staffing and recruiting industry since 2017, bringing a relationship-driven and client-first approach to everything she does. A graduate of East Carolina University (Go Pirates!), Mikaela’s background in hospitality helped shape her passion for creating meaningful connections and delivering a high level of service to her clients and candidates.
She believes strong relationships are at the heart of successful partnerships and takes the time to truly understand the people and businesses she works with. Whether she’s helping a client find the right talent or building long-term partnerships, Mikaela is focused on being a trusted resource and making the process as seamless as possible.
Outside of work, Mikaela is a proud mom of two and a supportive fire wife. When she’s not helping her clients, you’ll find her working out, being a dance mom, or spending quality time with her family.
Natalie Abraham
Senior Talent Partner
Natalie Abraham
Senior Talent Partner
Natalie joined Talent Wave because she enjoys the people side of business and the opportunity to build genuine relationships while helping connect people with the right opportunities. She especially enjoys getting to know candidates beyond their resumés and taking on challenging searches where creativity, persistence, and attention to detail matter.
Natalie has recruited across a wide range of industries, including engineering, manufacturing, IT, cybersecurity, HR, and sales. One of her strengths is understanding what a client truly needs and finding candidates with the right combination of experience and potential.
Natalie has lived overseas for most of her life. Born in Toronto, Canada, she has lived in Ontario, Kuwait, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Calgary, Alberta, and now Boston, Massachusetts. Experiencing so many cultures and places has made her adaptable, open-minded, and comfortable connecting with all kinds of people.
Outside of work, Natalie loves watching her kids pursue their dreams through hockey, baseball, dance, gymnastics, football, and softball. And when she’s not at a rink, field, or gym, there’s a good chance she’s watching or listening to something true crime.
Shannon Collins
Director of Recruiting
Shannon Collins
Director of Recruiting
Shannon is an experienced recruiting leader who has spent most of her career recruiting in the technology industry. She loves being a matchmaker—connecting talented individuals with meaningful career opportunities. In her current role as Director of Recruiting, Shannon brings that same passion to mentoring and coaching recruiters, helping them build confidence, develop their skills, and grow in their roles.
She is passionate about the candidate experience and deeply committed to creating a positive, supportive team culture. Highly process-oriented, Shannon enjoys developing efficient systems and workflows that simplify day-to-day responsibilities, promote consistency, and enable the recruiting team to deliver an exceptional experience for both candidates and clients. She is proud to bring these passions to TalentWave, where collaboration, growth, and excellence are truly valued.
When Shannon is not at work, she enjoys skiing, spending time at the beach, watching sunsets, and gardening. More than anything, she loves being a mom to her three amazing sons.
Sidney Griffith
HR/Administrative Assistant
Sidney Griffith
HR/Administrative Assistant
Sidney Griffith is an HR Assistant at Talent Wave Associates, where she supports a variety of Human Resource functions, including onboarding, payroll, benefits, employee relations and compliance. She enjoys being someone employees can turn to for help and takes pride in creating a positive and supportive workplace experience.
A recent grad from the University of Toledo, Sidney earned her degree in May 2025 while also competing as a Division 1 softball student athlete. Her experience as a collegiate athlete taught her the value of teamwork, discipline, communication and balancing multiple priorities - skills she continues to bring into her professional life.
Outside of work, Sidney enjoys staying active, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and making the most of her time in Florida. She also loves being a dog mom and spending time with her puppy, Rosie. Sidney is naturally organized, outgoing, and always looking for opportunities to learn something new. She is excited to continue to grow her career in HR while building meaningful relationships and contributing to a workplace where people feel valued, supported and connected.
Tom Dawicki
CRO & Co-Founder
Tom Dawicki
CRO & Co-Founder
Tom Dawicki is a Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Talent Wave Associates, where he is focused on building great teams, developing leaders, and helping organizations find the talent they need to grow. With a career rooted in staffing, sales, and leadership, Tom brings an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for creating opportunities for both clients and employees. He believes the best businesses are built on strong relationships, accountability, and a commitment to doing what you say you’re going to do.
Outside of work, Tom is a husband and dad of three daughters who enjoys staying active, competing, and challenging himself through fitness and endurance events. A former player and coach, he naturally brings a team-first mentality to both his professional and personal life. Tom is always looking for the next challenge, whether that means growing a business, developing a future leader, or pushing himself to become a little better each day.
