Karen Pitts, co-chief executive officer of Link Staffing Services Inc., was inducted into the ASA Leadership Hall of Fame Oct. 9 during the opening general session of Staffing World 2012 in Las Vegas. The award was created in 1985 to recognize outstanding individual contributions made through dedicated service to ASA and the staffing industry.

Pitts began her staffing industry career in 1976 when she launched Nurses PRN Inc., which she grew to seven offices in six states in three years. She then served as vice president of Med-Staff Inc., a large medical staffing company. In 1980, she joined her husband Bill to build Link Staffing Services from a small office in downtown Houston into a national industrial staffing company with 50 locations in 14 states.

A long-time industry leader and advocate, Pitts was chairman of the ASA board of directors in 1995, when she led the development of a strategic plan to unite the industry under a single association, representing all industry sectors, including health care, direct hire, information technology, engineering, and professional. The 2012 ASA Leadership Hall of Fame is sponsored by Dice.