National Staffing Employee Week begins today to honor the contribution of the country’s temporary and contract employees. And the American Staffing Association named contract network architect and engineer Matthew Earley as the 2014 National Staffing Employee of the Year for his work during Hurricane Sandy.

An employee of Lloyd Staffing, Earley has worked in a senior management capacity in information technology with Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, N.Y., since 2011.

Last year, Staten Island University Hospital relied on Earley to stay at the hospital before, during and after Hurricane Sandy to ensure network operations ran efficiently. During the storm, Earley was responsible for implementing procedures within the main data center for the hospital and making the appropriate switch over to the hospital's generator system. Earley's role was critical in helping to maintain consistent, quality patient care amidst the chaos of the storm.

“His work is outstanding year round, and the commitment and work ethic he displayed at the height of Hurricane Sandy last October showed that performance is not measured by employment status, but by character,” said Jeanine Bondi, vice president and senior managing director at Lloyd Staffing.