Kara (Houck) McCaffrey
Chief wellness officer, Houck Services, and co-
chair of Construction Suicide Prevention Week
Kara (Houck) McCaffrey is part-owner and chief wellness officer at Houck Services in Harrisburg, Pa. She holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Penn State, University Park, Pa.; 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, Vital Cog instructor and public speaker.
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, she has returned to her family company with a mission to effect positive change, save lives and contribute to advancements in the construction industry. She serves on several regional task forces and national committees such as Construction Suicide Prevention Week as 2025 vice chair and Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention as a pathway partner.
Josh Vitale
Founder of Project BUILT and chair of Construction Suicide Prevention Week
Josh Vitale worked as a lineman and on construction sites as a superintendent. But the calls that changed him weren’t about project schedule or physical safety—they were about life and death. He’s stood with crew members on the edge of suicide, walked them toward hope and realized one brutal truth: The industry he loved was killing its own. Now, as founder of Project BUILT and chair of Construction Suicide Prevention Week, Vitale is building a national movement to bring mental health, family support and real leadership to job sites.
Cheryl Ambrose
NRCA’s vice president of enterprise risk management
Cheryl Ambrose is NRCA’s vice president of enterprise risk management. She joined NRCA in 2021 and has nearly 30 years of experience in construction safety and health.
Ambrose holds a bachelor's degree in occupational safety and health and an associate's degree in business management. She is certified as a Construction Health and Safety Technician and Occupational Health and Safety Technician through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. A longtime member of the American Society of Safety Professionals, she actively represents NRCA on the NIOSH NORA Construction Sector Council and ANSI A10 Construction Standards Committee.
Ambrose is an advocate for mental health in the construction industry and has served on the Education Committee of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention and North America’s Building Trades Unions’ Opioid Task Force.