FERNANDINA BEACH, FL, April 30, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kay Hughston has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Ms. Hughston has established herself as a distinguished human resources executive, with a career spanning more than 25 years across diverse industries and organizational structures. Her expertise is reflected in her current role as vice president of people and culture at Upstream USA, a position she has held since 2023. In this capacity, Ms. Hughston leads a human resources team and oversees enterprise-wide people strategy, including talent development, performance management, succession planning, employee relations and organizational effectiveness. She directs talent acquisition and total rewards, including benefits and compensation strategy, and oversees the full employee lifecycle, from onboarding through offboarding, while shaping organizational culture and the overall employee experience.

Before joining Upstream USA, Ms. Hughston served as a senior human resources consultant at The People Partners Company from 2022 to 2023. In this role, she provided strategic guidance to organizations navigating complex human resources challenges, leveraging her experience across unionized and non-unionized environments.

From 2021 to 2022, Ms. Hughston was vice president of human resources at Goddard Systems Inc., where she contributed to shaping talent strategies for a large, distributed franchise organization.

Between 2019 and 2021, Ms. Hughston served as vice president of human resources for G4S's Northeast region. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led one of her most significant achievements: establishing an in-house charity to support frontline security officers who lacked adequate life insurance or paid time off. Collaborating with colleagues across finance, communications and executive leadership, she developed a peer-managed application process that provided critical assistance to employees facing hardship during a period of significant loss.

Ms. Hughston's earlier roles include serving as vice president of human resources at Aerotek from 2017 to 2019 and at Guest Supply from 2015 to 2017. In these positions, she led large-scale talent acquisition efforts, implemented employee engagement initiatives and supported organizational growth through effective people strategies.

From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Hughston was director of human resources for United States sales, marketing, international operations and employee engagement and inclusion at Crayola. In this role, she supported both domestic and international business units while contributing to the development of inclusive workplace practices.

Her experience also includes serving as regional director of human resources at Aramark Uniform Services from 2006 to 2010, where she managed multi-site HR operations across diverse markets. Earlier in her career, she held human resources roles at The Home Depot and Target, building a strong operational foundation in retail environments.

In addition to her corporate leadership experience, Ms. Hughston has been an adjunct professor at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business since 2019, where she shares her expertise with emerging business and human resources professionals.

Ms. Hughston holds a Master of Business Administration from Eastern University in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and writing from The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. Her academic background has supported the development of her analytical and communication capabilities, which have been central to her success across roles.

Her entry into the field of human resources followed her service in the Army after graduating from The Pennsylvania State University, marking the beginning of a career supporting major organizations before advancing into senior leadership roles across multiple industries.

Throughout her career, Ms. Hughston has valued mentorship as a cornerstone of her development, maintaining long-standing relationships with trusted advisors while continuing to seek out new perspectives.

Ms. Hughston is recognized for her commitment to professional excellence through active membership in the Society for Human Resource Management and celebrates her civic involvement as an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., reflecting her dedication to advancing industry standards and supporting community engagement.

An accomplished author, Ms. Hughston has published two books: The One, an anthology on relationships, and a second work offering encouragement for military women, reflecting her passion for supporting others through writing called Camouflaged Sisters.

Originally from Buffalo, Ms. Hughston now resides in northern Florida, where she enjoys writing, interior design and other creative pursuits.

She credits her faith as a grounding force in her leadership and acknowledges her husband, William—a senior human resources executive—as a valued partner and sounding board.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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