Pat Rohe, a self-proclaimed 'London girl' is the new chairman of the American Staffing Association.

Rohe, co-founder of New York City's Custom Staffing, said her dual priorities for the coming year are US legislative issues that affect the industry and the need to strengthen the organisation's network of state chapters. "The chapters are really important," Rohe told Recruiter. "They are the ones fighting on the front lines."

The expatriate Briton moved to the US from the UK in 1971. In her native England, she trained as a nurse, worked as a blackjack dealer and learnt secretarial skills at school. A stint as a temp office worker led her into the US recruitment, or staffing, industry.

After starting up divisions for other agencies, she opened her own business with a partner in 1985. Custom Staffing works in the legal, financial and general office support sectors.

Rohe chaired the national ASA convention in New York in 2001, two weeks after the September 11 attacks. Rohe said she "begged" ASA leaders not to cancel the event though many members abandoned plans to attend. She credited "the British in me" for refusing to stand down. "I asked my grandmother what she did during World War II when there were bombs coming down," Rohe recalled. "She said, 'You just got up every morning and got on with things.'"Rohe's tenacity was rewarded. "The half that came said it was the most moving convention ever," Rohe said. "It was such a special convention; there was a great sense of community — really special."