4th Annual Regional Workforce Development Summit

Jason Bram is an economic research advisor in Urban and Regional Studies within the Household and Public Policy Research Division. His research and analysis focuses on the U.S. economy, with a primary emphasis on the Federal Reserve’s Second District, which includes New York State, northern New Jersey, and southwestern Connecticut, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He produces the regional Beige Book reports, and uses monthly business surveys to monitor and analyze current and emerging economic trends and issues of concern. Recent research has focused on housing markets and composite indexes of regional economic activity. Earlier research focused on analyzing the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the New York City economy. He has also published studies on some key sectors of the local economy, conducted ongoing research on commuting patterns, and researched the role of consumer confidence in the U.S. economy.

Dr. Robert Amler is a public health and clinical physician, and academic and health science administrator, with a robust track record in strategic planning, public policy, disease control, environmental health science, epidemiology, disaster medicine, and health risk assessment. Widely quoted and sought after as an expert on COVID containment by business associations and TV/print media, he has led or helped sustain many nationwide initiatives, public health actions, and new academic programs and regional economic development projects.

Dr. Amler is vice president for government affairs at New York Medical College and dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice, and Institute of Public Health. He has helped pave the way for major groundbreaking initiatives including the NY STAR Center for Disaster Medicine – actively focused on COVID response, financial development of New York’s first new dental school in 50 years, and BioInc, a fully-equipped biotechnology incubator that hosts start-up researchers developing new medical devices, vaccines, drugs and apps. New York’s Governor appointed him chair of the “Berger” Commission’s regional council that recommended rightsizing and financial support for hospitals and nursing homes in the mid-Hudson region.
Dr. Amler served in the U.S. government for more than 25 years, most recently as regional health administrator for the 32 million people living in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. His post-911 tenure occurred during heightened threats affecting the New York City population, infrastructure, and landmark medical facilities, as well as commercial ports and petroleum refineries in New Jersey. Previously he was a chief medical officer at the CDC, a veteran of CDC’s elite Epidemic Intelligence Service, a supervisory disease control investigator of viral diseases and environmental toxins, and a senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and other top agency officials.
Among Dr. Amler’s many awards are an FBI decoration earned following the 2001 lethal anthrax attacks, the Edwin W. Crawford Award for Innovation, City & State NY’s Responsible 100, “Dr. Robert W. Amler Day” declaration by the New York State Senate Leader, and Westchester/Fairfield Business Journals‘ “Power Couple” earned with his spouse, Westchester’s health commissioner Sherlita Amler, M.D., M.S.
Dr. Amler was educated at Dartmouth College, New York University, and Rutgers Medical School, with post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School. He is a director of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Council, Business Council of Westchester and Westchester County Association, an honorary fellow of Rotary International, the honorary public health society Delta Omega, and the author/co-author of more than 225 publications on medical and scientific topics.

Mary Amato, CPA, is a tax partner that serves as the partner-in-charge of the firm’s White Plains Tax Practice and is also leading the tax practice efforts in the Cannabis industry. Mary has traditionally focused on the Construction industry and the Commercial Real Estate industry. She has over 30 years of experience dealing with all types and phases of tax matters for middle-market entrepreneurs, and closely held and public corporations. In addition to her technical expertise, Mary works closely with young professionals as a mentor.

n her role as business advisor, Mary has helped clients analyze the proper structures for business expansion and business succession. She has identified many opportunities for tax savings and has successfully represented her clients before taxing authorities. She has experience with companies operating in multiple states and often with international activities. Mary’s clients include companies in the construction industry, real estate developers and operators, manufacturers and vertically integrated cannabis businesses.
Mary has a Master in Science in Taxation from Pace University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Financial Accounting from Iona College.

Sally Paull joined Regeneron in 2016 and now serves as Executive Vice President, Human Resources.

Sally has more than 20 years of experience in HR executive leadership roles in the life sciences, healthcare and biopharma industries, leading global HR teams to transform workforce strategy, enhance culture and engagement, and deliver operational excellence across the breadth of the HR practice.

Previously, Sally was with Inova Health System, where she built and led HR programs as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to that, Sally served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Forest Laboratories, a mid-size pharmaceutical company, where she led the global HR function. Earlier in her career, Sally served in progressively senior HR roles at Dentsply International, a global leader in the development and commercialization of professional dental products.

Following 20+ years on active duty and in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Sally retired having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Sally received her Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of International Relations from the University of Delaware.

Sally is Chair of the Board of Directors for the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), a global nonprofit organization that combats child sexual exploitation, abuse, and the risk of going missing.

Rosa is currently the Administrator of Sky View Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, a 192 bed sub-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facility located in Westchester’s beautiful Hudson River town of Croton on Hudson, NY, at Epic Healthcare Management’s flagship location in the county. Rosa has contributed to and been an essential part of workforce development at Epic but she also happens to also be an exemplary example of Epic’s dedication to workforce development. Rosa is grateful for what she has been able to accomplish within the organization and for the support she has received from Epic; she said “…they gave me the tools and opportunities to grow into the Administrator I am today.” Rosa graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with an Associate’s of Occupational Studies in Baking and Pastry Arts and went on to complete a Bachelor’s of Professional Studies in Business Management.  Her career in the healthcare industry started with Epic back in January 2015 when she joined Waterview and Salem Hills (two facilities under Epic) as a HR Coordinator. Her hope was to get her foot in the door and learn as much as she could to determine where she saw herself growing within not just the healthcare industry but within Epic. She took every opportunity to learn from her Director, as well as attended various seminar or training opportunities that the company afforded her. In November of 2015, she was promoted to the Director of HR for both facilities on campus. After demonstrating success in her new role, her efforts, passion, and gained skillset/knowledge became widely known throughout the organization. She undoubtedly earned and was given the opportunity to begin taking the classes she needed to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator while simultaneously gaining the field experience needed by becoming their Assistant Administrator. Upon gaining her licensure in July 2019, she was promoted shortly after to Administrator of Salem Hills, the 126-bed long term care facility on the Waterview Hills Campus.  As a new administrator for only a few months, Rosa was faced with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, Epic Healthcare Management answered a call for help from the NYS Department of Health and chose to temporarily convert Salem Hills into a COVID + only facility. It was the first designated facility in the Hudson Valley to do so, and when Rosa got the call, she did not hesitate to do whatever it took to not only help navigate her facility through the change but also be an integral part of helping the Westchester community to be able to provide quality care to one the most vulnerable patient populations. By the end of the operation in July of 2021, they provided services to approximately 250 residents and navigated them successfully back home; whether that home be back in the community or to another facility that was unable to accept COVID + residents at the time. This community call to action was one of her most notable career accomplishments and one that makes her proud. In October of 2021, Epic gave Rosa the opportunity to be the Administrator at the facility where she is today. Although Rosa has undeniably had an “EPIC” career over the past 8+ years and made her presence and abilities known as integral to the organization’s success, in June 2022 her efforts were recognized on a larger scale when she was awarded with the American College of Health Care Administrators NY Chapter’s New Administrator of the Year Award.