Calling All Eagles

Connections have always been important to Thomas Camp (’86), whether as a member of the soccer team or through his membership in Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Georgia Southern. In fact, Camp has found a way to skillfully connect Georgia Southern alumni with recent College of Information Technology (CIT) graduates through his role as managing director of SNI Companies, an Atlanta-based employment firm with branch offices throughout the United States.

“Our goal in Atlanta is to be the home for the University’s technology graduates, whether they are in need of a job, or if a company is in need of a candidate. It is one of our core missions here,” he explained.

The multimillion-dollar private staffing company, founded in 1998, is not your average employment agency. SNI’s Buckhead office distinguishes itself from other companies through a unique factor: not only are all of SNI’s employees Georgia Southern graduates, but this company exclusively places graduates with other alumni employers. “We provide human capital on a daily basis, and we are an all-Georgia Southern shop,” he said.

For the past several months, Camp has fostered the careers of CIT graduates by connecting them with area employers, and his staff of four – all Georgia Southern graduates – has assisted in this process. One of those employees is Zach Sines (’08), the company’s lead recruiter and BBA graduate in information systems. “I went out of my way to hire staffing directors that are Georgia Southern graduates. The technology and business colleges are excellent and I wanted to try my hardest to hire University graduates as our employees,” said Camp.

To visitors entering SNI’s lobby, it’s obvious that you are in Eagle territory. A panoramic print of Paulson Stadium greets guests, including two large Georgia Southern flags and a variety of other memorabilia showcasing the championship years of former coaches Erk Russell and Paul Johnson.

The basis for Camp’s link between alumni and the employment industry began after graduation, when he worked for Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity as a leadership consultant. In this occupation, he provided training and consulting to more than 68 chapters across the nation.

Last year, Camp’s networking skills once again came into play, when he took an active leadership role in the $250,000 renovation campaign of the Pi Kappa Phi house on campus, a project that was long overdue. Pi Kappa Phi built the first house on Greek Row when Camp was chapter president. “Working with the alumni of both the fraternity and Georgia Southern made me realize how important networking was to the future success of the organization and the University,” he said.

Re-establishing these alumni connections during the renovation soon took on a new meaning for Camp’s professional career as well. After beginning employment at SNI last summer, he immediately tapped into his vast network of alumni connections with the idea of pairing new University graduates searching for employment and businesses searching for top-notch employees. During this process, Camp quickly developed business relationships with several key alumni in the Atlanta area, including Richard Aldredge, the chief technology officer at Kaufmann Tire, and David Centofanti, the IT director at Perma-Fix Environmental Services. “Our key objective in the Buckhead and Jacksonville (Fla.) offices was to become the employment firm of choice for both graduates and employers. We know a large percentage of alumni use our services in these two offices,” he explained.

Camp’s future focus includes continuing a strong partnership with the CIT, as well as expanding the focus of employment areas at SNI into the fields of accounting and finance. Another potential target is the University’s College of Business Administration. “I really want to help Georgia Southern by employing people at SNI, and I want to expand by partnering with the College of Business Administration,” he said.

“We want the students to come our way. We will greet them with open arms and work hard to find new opportunities for them. I feel compelled to give back to this great University,” he said.

–Mary Beth Spence