Kara (Houck) McCaffrey
Chief wellness officer, Houck Services Inc.
Kara (Houck) McCaffrey is part-owner and chief wellness officer at Houck Services, Harrisburg, Pa. She holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Penn State University, University Park, Pa., a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin—Madison and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in health and wellness management at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay. McCaffrey is a certified mental health first aider and a public speaker regarding mental health and wellness.
McCaffrey’s commitment is rooted in the loss of her brother, Gary, to suicide in 2005. With a diverse background in the roofing industry and more than a decade of experience in healthcare IT, focusing on education and suicide prevention in medical software, McCaffrey has returned to her family's company with a mission to effect positive change, save lives and contribute to advancements in the construction industry.
She serves on the Keystone Contractor Association’s mental health task force; Dane County’s Ending Deaths from Despair task force; and the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee.
Cheryl Ambrose, CHST, OHST
NRCA’s vice president of enterprise risk management
Cheryl Ambrose started with NRCA in 2021. Before joining NRCA, she was the national health, safety and environmental administrator for the United Association, a labor union representing more than 360,000 plumbers, pipefitters, sprinklerfitters, welders and service technicians throughout the U.S. and Canada. Ambrose has 25 years of experience as a construction safety and health professional, during which she has worked as project safety manager on high-profile projects, regional safety director, and corporate and national safety director for large general contractors and specialty contractors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and health from Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Ala., and has an associate’s degree in business management.
Ambrose holds Construction Health and Safety Technician and Occupational Health and Safety Technician certifications through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. She has been a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals for more than 20 years. Before joining NRCA, she served on numerous committees, including the American National Standards Institute A10 Construction Standards Committee, where she chairs and participates in numerous subgroups, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health.
Ambrose is an authorized OSHA outreach trainer for construction for OSHA 10- and 30-hour training.