All in the Family
Nelson Recruiting was founded by Denise Nelson in 1980 in Los Angeles to provide the highest level of market research recruitment available. Our family business is now in the capable hands of the second generation; Denise’s son Steve and his wife Jessica took the reins in 2000 — when they were just 22.
One of the most established and experienced recruiting firms in the country, we constantly strive for perfection in providing the highest quality recruiting and customer service. Our growth has been particularly tremendous since 2016 and the size of our staff has nearly doubled since 2019.
The success of our clients’ projects is our number one priority. Our large, diverse database, which covers the entire country, is ever-growing and meticulously maintained.
A Proven Process
We understand having great respondents is the foundation of effective research, so we focus on getting clients the right participants, and our show rates are excellent. We are flexible, and deliver the results clients need with speed and accuracy. Mock jury recruitment is one of our specialties, and we have quota management down to a science.
Our team of recruiters undergoes thorough training, equipping them with the skills to identify and recruit the most qualified and engaged respondents. They are dedicated to upholding high standards in the recruitment process, ensuring that every participant is a perfect fit for each study. This meticulous approach ensures that we consistently provide clients with participants who add genuine value to their research projects. Our recruiters’ expertise is a key component in our ability to meet diverse project requirements effectively and efficiently.
Information security is extremely important to us and all staff members follow the Insights Association Code of Standards and Ethics. We also have our own set of rigorous security procedures in place to protect the entire recruitment process. Organizations that choose us will receive full transparency and our maximum effort.
Meet the Team
Steve Nelson
President
Steve Nelson has over 27 years of experience in market research. He started as a kid, passing out flyers for his mother, who launched the business in 1980. Over the years, he has personally recruited for every possible type of study and watched the industry change and bend with the times; he’s seen it all! Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing.
Steve has a unique understanding of the recruiting business. Learning how to deal with clients and respondents effectively over the phone at such a young age has contributed to his success, and his enthusiasm and pursuit for excellence reaches every corner of his business.
Steve’s passion is baseball (watching and playing) and he is very competitive on and off the field. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, fishing, and spending time in the outdoors with his family of five.
Jonathan Skidmore
Chief Executive Officer
For over two decades, Jon Skidmore has been a key executive in developing a variety of thriving businesses throughout the Los Angeles area. Through his professional insight and dedication, he has been instrumental in securing funding for a variety of start-up ventures.
Jon is tasked with developing business models and revenue streams while overseeing and streamlining daily operations. By implementing best-practice operational models, he has propelled the firm’s fast growth and intensified its 40-year reputation as a quality recruiting brand that provides the same personal experience it has since its inception.
When not in the office, Jon spends his time with his family, whether on the side of the wrestling mat assisting his sons and daughters in local and national competitions, or going on family outings that fuel his vigor to succeed as a family man and businessman.
Natalie Rettberg
Chief Operating Officer
Natalie Rettberg joined the team in early 2016, bringing over 13 years of industry experience with her. She previously worked in project management in Chicago and as president of a top-rated marketing research facility in San Francisco. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in International Relations from IBEI in Barcelona.
Natalie’s greatest strengths are in customer service; she always strives to provide our clients with the best possible experience and truly enjoys making and nurturing relationships. Her expertise has grown the firm—while maintaining its family spirit—and she has implemented procedures and structure to streamline internal processes for greater efficiency.
In her free time, Natalie loves to travel, read, and go hiking.
Jonathan Skidmore Jr.
Vice President
Jonathan Skidmore has multiple years of experience consulting for various industries ranging from politics to technology to finance. His specialty is establishing, leveraging, and improving core systems to provide a superior customer experience. Jonathan is determined to utilize his technical and customer experience expertise to translate Nelson’s consumer research recruiting specialty to also become an industry leading business-to-business market research recruiting service.
Starting from scratch in 2019, Jonathan took the helm of Nelson’s data division with the goal to create a secure and centralized database and data collection system. Seeking to minimize the time and cost necessary to find market research recruits, he built a specialized team of experts to pursue this goal. Now, Nelson Recruiting has an extensive safeguarded database with half a million active users.
Jonathan happily lives in Scottsdale, Arizona where he enjoys going on hikes with his dog Carribou and reading both fiction and nonfiction. Jonathan holds a BA in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jessica Nelson
Director of B2C Division
As the leader of our project management department, Jessica Nelson plays an instrumental role at the firm. She meticulously fulfills a crucial managerial role, showcasing unparalleled organizational skills.
With over 20 years of experience in the market research field, Jessica has an extensive professional and vocational history within the market research community. She has been pivotal in establishing the firm’s foundation and sustaining its success.
Jessica is a proud mother of three sons, happily married, and has lived in Southern California for over 40 years. She enjoys watching her sons play sports, is an avid MLB and NFL fan, loves the coast, and cherishes spending time with her family in the great outdoors.
Melissa Webster
Director of Network Division
Melissa Webster has worked in the market research industry for many years. She gained extensive knowledge of the recruitment process, customer service relations, and data analysis as a recruiter and project manager—and is an excellent communicator skilled at time management with a team player mentality and strong work ethic. Her experience and skills are an asset to facilitate her director role, which involves fielding and managing quick turnaround projects and providing facility recruitment support.
Melissa has a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis on Mathematics from Grand Canyon University. She is a military spouse of 18 years and a mother of two vibrant daughters. She enjoys travel, reading, and spending quality time with her family.
Elodie Barnes
Project Manager
Elodie Barnes has an extensive background in marketing, sales, and media research. She is a graduate of California State University Northridge with a BA focused in electronic media management.
Elodie oversees ongoing market research, qualitative and quantitative data, and quality control; she plays a vital role as a liaison to our clients.
A Los Angeles native, Elodie is married and has three children whom she adores. She spends her free time with her family outdoors, camping and traveling.
Ashley Jones
Project Manager
Ashley Jones has been with the Nelson Recruiting family for 20+ years, playing different roles while gaining extensive knowledge of the market research industry. She now is a project manager, something she excels at because of all that experience, which includes leading our recruiter training program. Her greatest strengths are her dedication to her clients and the Nelson team and a positive team player attitude; she is always looking to learn and share her knowledge with others.
A Los Angeles native, Ashley has lived in many states from Hawaii to Arkansas with her husband and two very spirited sons. Together, they love to go on nature adventures, including hiking, fishing, boating, and camping in the mountains. When she is home, she enjoys tending to her vegetable garden, chickens, dogs, and other various creatures.
Sarah Peralta
Project Manager
Sarah Peralta switched gears in her career after COVID and went into market research as a recruiter. Previously, she worked in the field of ABA therapy for children on the spectrum and earned a BS in public health from Brigham Young University–Idaho. Now, she is excited to tackle the challenging adventure of being a project manager as a member of our team.
Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, where she still lives, Sarah is a married mother of three — 21, 19 and 13 years old — and her family is her whole world. In her free time, she watches English Premier League soccer and is a lifelong Liverpool fan.
Lizzy Ryan
Project Manager
Lizzy Ryan began her journey with Nelson Recruiting as a recruiter while also pursuing a career in event planning. In the fall of 2023, she transitioned to a full-time role as a Project Manager, bringing her extensive experience in communication and management from the fashion and events industries worldwide.
Now based in her hometown of Minneapolis, MN, Lizzy continues to apply her global expertise to drive successful projects at Nelson. Outside of work, she enjoys scenic walks along the Mississippi River with her dog, Rosie, and nurtures her creativity through oil painting on canvas.
