The NYC Workforce Drop with NYCETC’s Gregory J. Morris

Brian Aquart—Vice President of Workforce & Community Education at Northwell Health, host of the Why I Left podcast, and founder of Storyline by Kingswood—joins Greg Morris for a conversation on leadership, resilience, and building clearer pathways into healthcare careers.From arriving in New York after the 2008 financial crisis and navigating early-career setbacks to leading workforce education initiatives at one of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, Brian reflects on the experiences that shaped his approach to mentorship, storytelling, and opportunity creation. At Northwell, his work focuses on expanding access to healthcare careers through partnerships with NYC Public Schools, FutureReadyNYC, the Northwell School of Health Sciences, and MedVoyage.Greg and Brian explore the role healthcare systems can play as anchor employers, the importance of early career exposure for young people, and how workforce development can create lasting economic mobility for underserved communities. They also discuss career transitions, failure, and why storytelling matters in helping people see where they belong.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: workforce development; healthcare careers; economic mobility; public education; leadership; mentorship; storytelling; FutureReadyNYC; Northwell Health; career transitions; New York City

Gary P. Jenkins—CEO of Urban Pathways and former NYC Department of Social Services Commissioner—joins Greg Morris for a conversation on leadership, resilience, and building systems that actually work for New Yorkers.From growing up in Fort Greene as the youngest of eight, to navigating early setbacks in college and rising through every level of city government, Jenkins shares the experiences that shaped his commitment to service. Now leading Urban Pathways, he brings that perspective to the frontlines of addressing homelessness, with a focus on housing-first solutions and long-term stability.Greg and Gary unpack mentorship, failure, and the weight of expectation. Real change takes persistence, and people willing to push systems forward.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: homelessness; housing; public service; leadership; mentorship; systems change; Urban Pathways; NYC government; resilience; New York City

Christine Quinn—President and CEO of Women In Need (WIN), former New York City Council Speaker, and one of the city’s most passionate advocates—joins Greg Morris for a conversation on leadership, housing, and what it takes to make change stick in New York City.From her early days organizing and cold-calling her way into the room, to breaking barriers as the first woman and first openly gay Speaker of the City Council, Quinn walks through the moments that shaped her and the urgency that still drives her work today. Now leading the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families in the city, she brings both policy savvy and frontline perspective to one of New York’s most pressing challenges.Greg and Chris unpack the myths around homelessness, the reality of raising children in shelter, and the systems that too often keep families cycling instead of stabilizing. They also get into burnout in the human services workforce, the tension between service delivery and advocacy, and why “doing good” isn’t enough if the system itself isn’t working.Along the way, Quinn shares stories from the height of COVID, navigating crisis after crisis, and what it looks like when an entire sector has to improvise in real time and still deliver. There’s strategy, there’s honesty, and yes, there are a few unforgettable one-liners.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: homelessness; housing; advocacy; human services; workforce; public leadership; families; policy; WIN; New York City; systems change

In this episode, Greg Morris sits down with Jeffrey Ginsburg, President & CEO of Volunteers of America–Greater New York, to explore the systems driving the city’s housing crisis, and what it will take to fix them. Drawing on his experience in East Harlem and now leading one of the city’s largest human services organizations, Jeff shares how housing instability, education, and economic opportunity are deeply connected.They discuss the barriers that keep thousands of New Yorkers cycling through homelessness, from bureaucratic delays to lack of political will, and unpack VOA-GNY’s “Street to Home” model, an approach focused on getting people into stable housing quickly rather than navigating a fragmented shelter system.The conversation also highlights a central tension: we know what works, yet struggle to scale it. From empty housing units to lessons learned during COVID and progress with veteran homelessness, Jeff makes the case that meaningful change is possible if systems align with urgency and intention.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: homelessness; affordable housing; human services; workforce development; public policy; Street to Home; veteran homelessness; systems reform; economic mobility

Greg Morris sits down with Randy Moore, President at CD&R Foundation, for a conversation about leadership, equity, and the role philanthropy can play in expanding economic opportunity.Moore reflects on his journey from teaching in Miami classrooms to working across the country in workforce development, education, and social impact. Along the way, he shares how those early experiences, working with students reading years below grade level and navigating structural barriers, shaped his commitment to building systems that support long-term mobility.The conversation explores Moore’s framework that “access is an event, but mobility is a system,” and what it means to pursue equity through opportunity by investing in ecosystems rather than isolated interventions. Morris and Moore discuss the intersection of philanthropy, private equity, and workforce development, and how organizations can move beyond symbolic commitments to make meaningful investments in communities.Moore also shares personal stories that shaped his leadership philosophy—from the legacy of his grandfather in Jamaica, Queens, to lessons learned as an educator and nonprofit practitioner across the country. Together, they reflect on vulnerability in leadership, the importance of human connection in systems change, and why the next generation must remain at the center of workforce and economic policy.The conversation closes with a reflection on love as an ethic for leadership and systems design and what it means to build opportunity with intention, humility, and a deep commitment to community.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: workforce development; philanthropy and social impact; economic mobility; equity through opportunity; systems change; private equity and community investment; education and literacy gaps; leadership and storytelling; HBCUs and Wilberforce University; youth opportunity; human capital infrastructure.

Greg Morris sits down with Scott French, Administrator of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), for a conversation about protecting New York City’s safety net at a critical moment.French shares his journey from nonprofit leadership to overseeing an agency that serves more than three million New Yorkers each year. The discussion focuses on the return of expanded federal SNAP work requirements, what they mean for hundreds of thousands of city residents, and how HRA is working with community-based organizations to minimize confusion, prevent benefit loss, and keep families connected to essential wraparound supports.They also tackle common misconceptions about public benefits, the realities of affordability and generational poverty, and recent efforts to better align housing subsidies, homelessness prevention, and workforce systems to support long-term stability.Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on public service, accountability, and keeping the safety net strong for New Yorkers who need it most.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: HRA leadership and public service; SNAP; work requirements; protecting food assistance access; affordability and generational poverty; workforce development and benefits systems; housing subsidies and homelessness prevention; strengthening NYC’s safety net.

In this NYC Workforce Drop mini episode, Greg Morris talks with Jeff Brault, Vice President of Global Public Affairs at Hornblower Group, about how NYC Ferry invests in training, retention, and long-term career growth for its workforce.Jeff breaks down what deckhand training actually includes, from customer service and ADA accessibility to safety, emergency response, and hands-on learning on active ferry routes. He also explains how ongoing professional development, internal training programs, and mentorship support career mobility, including pathways to captain licensure and advanced maritime roles.The conversation highlights the employer investment required to make workforce development work—and why sustainable training pathways depend on long-term commitment, public–private partnership, and a focus on retention rather than churn.Listen in for a look at how NYC Ferry is building durable maritime careers on New York City’s waterfront.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition

This episode explores what it means to build a “for-community-benefit” organization for older adults, and what it takes to lead through the intersecting realities of aging, workforce shortages, and persistent ageism in New York City.Greg is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Farber, President and CEO of The New Jewish Home, and his journey from geriatric medicine and academic training to executive leadership. Together, Greg and Dr. Farber trace the organization’s legacy of innovation, from its 19th-century origins to its modern-day role caring for thousands of older New Yorkers each year, while unpacking the deeper cultural forces that shape how society values (or devalues) aging and caregiving.A major throughline is workforce: the urgent need for more caregivers and the systems required to recruit, train, and retain them. Dr. Farber breaks down how SkillSpring evolved from the original Geriatrics Career Development (GCD) program into a fast-growing workforce pipeline, supporting high school students and young adults alike with training, mentorship, wraparound supports, and clear career ladders into roles like CNA, LPN, and beyond. The episode also digs into what “real” workforce development looks like: removing barriers, building social capital, and creating a workplace culture people actually want to stay in.The conversation closes with a reflection on leadership during COVID-19, and what it meant to steward an older adult care system in the heart of the crisis, what the organization learned, and what moments of resilience and purpose emerged even in the hardest days.This episode is a deep dive into aging services leadership: the weight of responsibility, the power of intergenerational connection, and the urgency of building a workforce—and a culture—that honors older adults with the dignity they deserve.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: aging services leadership and innovation; confronting ageism and redefining “nonprofit”; the caregiver workforce crisis and chronic underfunding; SkillSpring and career pathways from CNA to LPN and beyond; mentorship, wraparound supports, and retention; intergenerational connection as a workforce strategy; leading through COVID-19 in older adult care.

In this mini episode, we return to the urgent question at the heart of nearly every workforce conversation: wages—and whether working New Yorkers can actually afford to live in the city they serve.Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York, joins us again for a discussion about the growing number of wage justice campaigns unfolding across the city and state. From #JustPay to Living Wage for All NY, fair pay for home care, childcare, and beyond, the two unpack what it takes to align movements that share the same goal but often move on parallel tracks.Michelle reflects on the responsibility of coalition leadership in a moment when coordination matters more than ever—why rowing in the same direction (and ideally the same canoe) is essential to building power, avoiding fragmentation, and making real progress toward a true cost-of-living wage. The conversation digs into hard realities, including wage compression, business concerns, subminimum wages for tipped workers, workers with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, and youth, and why those most often left out must be centered in economic justice efforts.The episode also confronts the often-overlooked benefits cliff—how raises can unintentionally put families at risk of losing essential supports—and why imperfect progress is still progress if the sector is willing to move together.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

In the final episode of the year of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J Morris sits down with NYS Assembly Member Amanda Septimo (AD-84) for a conversation about leadership rooted in community, workforce equity, and New York’s next political chapter.A lifelong Bronxite, AM Septimo reflects on her path from early organizing and community advocacy to elected office, and how her lived experience continues to inform her approach to policymaking. She shares what it means to lead with accountability to place, bringing the voices, needs, and aspirations of Bronx families directly into Albany, and how that grounding shapes her priorities around affordability, public health, education-to-career pathways, and workforce access for working adults.With Greg, AM Septimo digs into the often-overlooked role state policy plays in shaping New York City’s workforce system, from funding decisions and eligibility rules to the alignment (or misalignment) between city and state priorities. Together, they explore how workforce systems function as economic infrastructure and why access, equity, and mobility must remain central as New York navigates ongoing labor shortages, rising costs of living, and widening opportunity gaps.The conversation also looks ahead. Against the backdrop of a new mayoral administration, a shifting federal landscape, and AM Septimo’s recent announcement to run for Congress, they unpack what this moment of transition means for Bronx communities, city–state coordination, and the responsibility of workforce leaders, advocates, and policymakers to stay engaged as New York defines what comes next.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: leadership grounded in community; Bronx-rooted policymaking; workforce equity for working adults; affordability and economic mobility; education-to-career pathways; public health and local economic opportunity; city–state coordination; political transition and future leadership; staying engaged in shaping New York’s next chapter.

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, Gregory J. Morris, CEO of NYCETC, is joined by Stephanie Birmingham, NYCETC Director of Community & Operations, Courtney Granger, and Jennifer Tausig for a real-time debrief of the 2025 NYCETC Conference—what resonated, what surprised them, and what comes next for the workforce field. Together, they unpack the energy inside (and outside) the rooms: the “workforce prom” reunions, the hard truths about systems that still don’t work for too many New Yorkers, and the conference through-lines—power, coalition-building, and the plumbing of public systems that need more than patchwork fixes.The conversation digs into standout moments and themes, including the push to get more specific—and more honest—about how AI is changing work, the renewed urgency around advocacy, and the case for wraparound supports backed by data and ROI. They also explore why workforce is still treated as an afterthought in economic development and why small businesses, neighborhood health, and “warm handoffs” to employers have to be central to the next chapter.The episode closes with lightning-round reflections, what’s giving each guest hope (and urgency) heading into 2026, and an invitation to stay engaged as NYCETC carries conference momentum forward—through partnerships, metrics that matter, and a clearer story about who gets the job done. Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

In this Thanksgiving mini-episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, Encore Community Services Executive Director Jeremy Kaplan returns to share what the holiday really looks like inside one of New York City’s most mission-driven older adult organizations. What starts as a simple question — “What’s going on at Encore on Thanksgiving?” — unfolds into a vivid picture of community care at scale.Jeremy walks Greg through the astonishing scope of Encore’s holiday operation: 25,000 meals cooked during the week of Thanksgiving in a small Times Square basement kitchen; 7,000 to 8,000 meals dispatched up to the Bronx each week; and 4,000 special Thanksgiving lunches prepared on the holiday itself. About 300 older adults join Encore in Midtown for a family-style feast complete with live music and full table service, while thousands more receive a home-delivered Thanksgiving meal crafted with all the classics — turkey, yams, collard greens, cranberry sauce, rolls, and more.With well over 100 volunteers supporting the day — from managing the in-person celebration to delivering meals up and down the West Side — Jeremy reflects on how Encore ensures older New Yorkers feel connection, dignity, and warmth on a day that can otherwise magnify loneliness. The work is about making sure every older adult knows someone is thinking of them.Greg and Jeremy close with reflections on gratitude, chosen family, and the joy Jeremy finds in returning home after a full day of service — including to his beloved mini cockapoo, Cody — with a renewed appreciation for togetherness. Their message is simple and powerful: no one in this city should ever feel alone on Thanksgiving, or any day.Subscribe and stay tuned for more conversations with leaders shaping New York’s workforce, care systems, and communities.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, community power, and what it really takes to move policy when the stakes are highest.Wayne traces his journey from being the child of immigrants to leading the nation’s largest Asian American social services organization. With Greg, he unpacks how partnership with his wife and a trusted leadership team makes it possible to juggle family life, night meetings, board service, and crisis response, without losing sight of the people at the center of it all.Together, they revisit SOMOS—FOMOs included—and the shift in mood from last year’s federal anxiety to this year’s post-election optimism. Wayne breaks down how CPC responds when crisis hits, from SNAP cuts and food insecurity to the dual pandemics of COVID and anti-Asian hate. He shares how CPC built a real policy engine, helped win the $30 million AAPI Equity Budget, and sparked parallel victories for Latinx and Black communities, without playing “oppression Olympics” and instead growing the pie for all.The conversation also digs into the nuts and bolts of power-building in human services: funded vs. unfunded mandates, wage justice for frontline workers through Just Pay and Fair Pay for Home Care, and why authentic relationships with government matter when a bad RFP drops or law enforcement shows up at your afterschool program. Looking ahead, Greg asks Wayne for his message to the mayor-elect. Wayne calls for a true reset that treats nonprofits as partners, not vendors; centers the city’s most marginalized residents; and surrounds City Hall with leaders who are deeply rooted in community. And, yes, the episode ends where all serious policy conversations eventually do: professional wrestling, podcasts, and a teaser for a future episode devoted entirely to their shared fandom.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: immigrant leadership and family; crisis response and community care; SNAP cuts, food insecurity, and anti-Asian hate; building AAPI, Latinx, and Black equity budgets; human services as civic infrastructure; funded vs. unfunded mandates; wage justice, Just Pay, and Fair Pay for Home Care; coalition-building, disagreement, and trust; nonprofit–government partnership in a new administration; SOMOS, FOMO, and AAPI–Latinx solidarity; joy, wrestling, and staying human in the work.