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👉
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As the healthcare industry faces a retiring workforce and increasing demand for skilled professionals, the need to attract and retain talent across healthcare facility systems has never been more urgent. From design and construction to operations and maintenance, building a future-ready workforce is essential.
This panel will explore real-world strategies to close the talent gap—featuring the latest technologies, innovative workforce platforms, and forward-thinking training models. Hear from industry leaders shaping what’s next—and discover new roles and career pathways transforming healthcare infrastructure.
As a next step, job seekers and companies will have the opportunity to connect in person at AMFP GNY’s Turning the Tables Healthcare Expo on October 29th — find out more here.
Moderator
Sinade Wadsworth
AMFP GNY DEI Director
🔗 https://amfp.org/gny
Featured Panelists
Leah Rambo
President, Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW)
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https://www.new-nyc.org/
Brian Drucks
CEO, Where Trades Go | Management Trustee, DC21 IUPAT)
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https://wheretradesgo.com/
Charles Cutchall
VP of Infrastructure & Chief Engineering Officer, Northwell Health
🔗
https://jobs.northwell.edu/
Howard Schlesinger, AIA
Vice President, VRF Solutions
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https://vrfsolutionsllc.com/about/
Panelist Bios
👉 View panelist bios
Brian Drucks is a fourth-generation tradesman, painting and wallpaper contractor, and industry leader with over 40 years of experience in the field. After decades running successful projects, Brian set out to solve one of the construction industry's biggest challenges: the labor shortage. He is the founder of WhereTradesGo, a revolutionary app that connects tradespeople with contractors through smart, skill-based profile matching—cutting through the noise of traditional job boards. Inspired by dating apps, WhereTradesGo is transforming how the trades recruit, hire, and grow. A Management Trustee for DC21 IUPAT, experienced trainer, and national speaker, Brian blends deep jobsite expertise with bold innovation to connect the trades to the future—one match at a time.
Leah Rambo is the president of Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW). She joined NEW after serving as the Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. Leah brings 35 years of experience in the labor movement to the Women’s Bureau with a focus on bringing equity and inclusion tothe construction workforce. Prior to joining the Women’s Bureau, Leah began her career as an apprentice in the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 28 in New York City. She was appointed as the first female instructor in 1998, the first female Director of Training in 2011, and the first woman to serve on the Union’s Executive Board. Her high energy and dedication have helped attract and retain an increasing number of women into the Unionized skilled trades. During her tenure as the Director of Training, SMART Local 28 increased their percentage of women in apprenticeship from 3% in 2011 to 14% in 2021. Leah is a diversity professional and holds an undergraduate degree in labor education.
Howard Schlesinger is a registered architect, real estate developer, and advisor whose career spans sustainable design, adaptive reuse, and strategic investment. He is Vice President of VRF Solutions LLC, integrating high-performance systems that elevate building energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality, and Co-founder of Timed Entry Solutions LLC, which manages access and occupancy for public venues via digital reservations and ticketing.
Previously, Howard founded and led Meridian Development Partners, a socially driven private-equity firm specializing in value-add redevelopment. Signature work includes the 42-acre transformation of a former LA-Z-BOY plant in Lewisburg, PA, into a mixed-use campus featuring retail, housing, a 90,000 sq ft recreation-wellness center, and an 8-acre park with wetlands and walking trails. He also co-founded Red River Asset Management, focusing on value-add and core-plus office assets nationwide, overseeing portfolio-wide renovations and upgrades.
Earlier in his career, Howard was a founding partner of Schlesinger, Loffredo, Brooks Architects, P.C., delivering projects in historic restoration, hospitality, veterinary healthcare, and residential design. Howard earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Bernard & Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York, where he now serves on the Executive Board of the Architecture Alumni Association. He also sits on the Board of Housing & Services, Inc., supports NYC’s professional real-estate network RENT, and has served on the Urban Land Institute’s Redevelopment & Reuse Council.
More coming soon!