Expertise

Julie-Ann Blazei

Julie-Ann Blazei joined Tricom in 1991 and was quickly promoted to Director of Cash Management. Over the next several years, she took on the roles of Co-Manager of the Payroll department, Director of Information Systems and Vice President. In 1998, Ms. Blazei launched a new division for Tricom, CHECKmate, a payroll processing service for small companies. In the fall of 2002, Ms. Blazei was promoted to President of Tricom Funding.

Prior to joining Tricom, Ms. Blazei attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Milwaukee Area Technical College and worked 6 years in retail management.

Ms. Blazei is an active member of the American Staffing Association and American Payroll Association and sits on the Tricom Funding Board of Directors.

Rick Gehrke

A member of the Tricom team since 1998, Rick Gehrke holds a Bachelor of Finance degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Mr. Gehrke played an integral role in launching our payroll division, CHECKmate, in his first year with the company.

After working as a payroll specialist for the first few years, he became a lead in 2001. Mr. Gehrke was promoted to Director of Cash Management in 2002.

Mary Jo Heim

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Mary Jo Heim came to Tricom in 1996 and was promoted to Controller in 1998.

With more than 11 years of temporary staffing industry experience, Ms. Heim is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP). Ms. Heim is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA). She has been with Tricom for twelve years.

Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson joined the Tricom Funding team as a Payroll Specialist in August 1993. She was subsequently promoted to Lead Payroll Specialist and in 2004 became Director of Client Services. In this role, Ms. Johnson oversees the Help Desk and Receptionist areas, and works to ensure a smooth transition when new clients join Tricom. Her goal is to exceed client expectations in all areas of client support.

Ms. Johnson attended the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Area Technical College. She is a current member of American Payroll Association and is a Certified Payroll Professional.

Sandy Sell

Sandy Sell has more than 20 years’ experience at the management level. Her focus has expanded to all areas of customer service, sales and call center management.

She joined Tricom Funding in 1999, as a Credit Analyst and was promoted to Credit Manager in 2001. Ms. Sell currently serves as the Director of Credit Services & Client Liaison.

Linda Walsch

A member of the Tricom team for the last 15 years, Ms. Walsch is an original Tricom employee. She received her Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from UW-Stevens Point in 1988, and now serves as the Director of Payroll/Billing and Client Services following her promotion to the Management team in 1995.

She has experience training internal and external customers in software and procedures, in addition to her considerable staffing-industry background. Ms. Walsch also serves as Team Captain of Al’s Run, a local charity event benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin .

Shelly Wilkinson
Shelly Wilkinson joined the Tricom team in 2005, as Director of Sales and Marketing. Since that time, Ms. Wilkinson has played a key role in reaching out to new prospects throughout the country, as well as acting as a resource for current Tricom clients. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing, Ms. Wilkinson uses her 20 years of sales experience to help prospects and clients make important decisions about their staffing businesses.