Healthcare staffing
services company

Liz Hale is the CEO of MPLT Healthcare. Ms. Hale’s role includes directing the organization’s business development, sales operations, organizational development, and internal talent acquisition, as well as insurance, legal, and strategic relationship management programs. She is a dynamic, passionate leader with a clear-cut vision and unsurpassed industry knowledge. With 30 years of staffing experience, she is a strategic thinker who understands the changing culture of the healthcare industry.

Hale started her career as a nurse in upstate New York as a graduate of CiTi, Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation, and continued her nursing education at the State University of New York at Oswego.

Ms. Hale currently serves as the President-Elect of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations® (NALTO®), as well as the Chair of their Credentialing Committee. Through her work with NALTO®, Ms. Hale helps guide the temporary healthcare staffing industry in establishing sound business practices, enforcing ethical standards, and providing shared resources for staffing agencies across the country.

Jay Mays is the Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of MPLT Healthcare. Mr. Mays’ role includes overseeing, planning, and directing the organization’s efforts to achieve growth through mergers and acquisitions. He is a thought leader for the implementation and creation of our strategic service offerings and the development of the company’s integrated sales, marketing, and delivery programs.

After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a focus in Marketing, Mr. Mays served in various leadership, management, and client relationship positions with two nationally recognized healthcare organizations. As a founder of MPLT Healthcare, Mr. Mays brings more than 20 years’ worth of successful leadership and niche expertise to the organization.

Gregg Straus serves as the Chief Financial Officer of MPLT Healthcare. He is a key member of the senior executive leadership team and provides insight and recommendations on both short-term and long-term growth plans. He is known for his uncompromising personal integrity, ethics, and solid leadership, and is responsible for all financial aspects of the company. Straus oversees and provides strategic direction to the company’s finance organizations, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, and strategic development (M&A). He also leads the human resources, IT, and legal teams at MPLT Healthcare.

Straus brings 25 years of financial and management experience to MPLT Healthcare. He has held various leadership positions with public companies, mid-sized private companies, and “Big 4” public accounting firms. His roles have included Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Senior Vice President of Tax. Straus earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Florida. He is a certified public accountant, a member of the AICPA and FICPA, and resides in South Florida with his wife and two children.

David Schumann is the Vice President of Operations here at MPLT Healthcare. Mr. Schumann is responsible for overseeing and optimizing the day-to-day activities, ensuring efficiency in staffing and resource allocation, and implementing strategies to enhance overall operational performance.

Schumann has 24 years of proven success within the locum tenens landscape under his belt, with 11 years as Vice President and 13 years as Senior Vice President of Sales at two leading healthcare staffing firms. His extensive knowledge of the healthcare staffing industry, his ability to build high-performing sales teams, and his natural instinct to motivate and inspire others makes him an impactful “leader of leaders” at our company and beyond.

A Texas native, Schumann earned both his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and his Master of Science in Education from Texas Wesleyan University. He relocated from Texas to South Florida to join the MPLT Healthcare family in 2023.

As the new Vice President of Sales, John Wagner will be responsible for leading MPLT’s recruitment and sales directors, as well as implementing action plans for developing and engaging the company’s leaders to increase fill rate, profitability, and market share. Wagner’s strong leadership skills and ability to motivate and inspire others have been pivotal in his past achievements. His experience will prove to be instrumental in the success of this company.  With over 23 years of experience in the healthcare staffing industry, Wagner brings a wealth of expertise and strategic sales leadership to MPLT.

Cindy Backus is the Sr. Director of Operations at MPLT Healthcare. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of our Credentialing, Sales Support, Travel, and Accounting teams, ensuring that they work together to deliver superior customer service to our clients and providers.

Backus joined MPLT Healthcare in 2023, bringing 14 years of locum tenens expertise and 21 years of customer service and training experience with her. She’s always been passionate about helping others, studying both Early Childhood and Special Education at the University of Utah. Her ability to facilitate human connection fuels our teams’ collaboration and strengthens our dedication to selfless service.

Shady Awar serves as MPLT Healthcare’s Director of Talent Development. He brings two decades of healthcare experience in multiple verticals to the company, including 16 years in the locum tenens physician space.

Awar has served in positions of Leadership, Business Development, Training & Development, Operations, Consultative Recruitment, and Account Management, as well as Educational Outreach for Residency and Fellowship Programs throughout the U.S. & Puerto Rico.

He is an ambassador for MPLT Healthcare’s core values, helping to drive a culture of service, caring, and performance. With a philosophy of providing guidance and inspiration to improve the team’s outcomes, he understands that constant change and innovation is the pathway to progress.

Awar holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

As Director of Human Resources, Francina Dryja oversees the company’s Human Resources department, handles employee relations, and ensures compliance and regulation within the organization. She also helps plan and develop policies to align with organizational strategy.​

Dryja came to the company with 13 years of human resources experience within the staffing industry, as well as seven years of experience in the healthcare staffing field working with healthcare professionals. She graduated with a Business Administration degree from Augusta State University and will complete her Masters in Human Resource Management in 2021.​

Rebecca Sacks, CDR is the Director of Talent Acquisition at MPLT Healthcare. Her role includes developing and implementing strategies for proactive recruitment to support internal hiring needs, as well as managing our team of Corporate Recruiters.

Sacks earned her bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Travel Management from Johnson & Wales University, gaining 11 years of experience in Retail Management before pursuing a career in talent acquisition. With an additional 11 years of recruitment expertise and certifications in Recruitment Marketing, Diversity and Inclusion, and Business Analytics, Sacks took over MPLT Healthcare’s Talent Acquisition department in 2023 to forward our relentless focus on quality.

Dana Brillante is the Marketing Director at MPLT Healthcare. Her role includes guiding branding strategies, implementing marketing campaigns, and mentoring our in-house Marketing team, all while taking our culture of excellence to the next level.

After relocating to South Florida in true New Yorker fashion, Brillante earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Business Management from Florida Atlantic University. She jumped headfirst into her career after graduating, coming to MPLT Healthcare with over 20 years of professional marketing experience across a variety of industries, from tech to finance to hospitality. A creative at heart, Brillante serves not only as a marketing leader, but also as a thought leader at MPLT Healthcare and beyond.

Ron Malanowski serves as the company’s Senior Division Director. His role includes managing the day-to-day delivery operations for MPLT Healthcare as well as overseeing recruitment delivery and consultant retention. He acts as a key liaison with numerous strategic and corporate partners while also serving as a thought leader for the MPLT internal delivery teams.

Prior to joining MPLT Healthcare, Mr. Malanowski served in various leadership, management, and client relationship positions with two nationally recognized healthcare staffing organizations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. He brings more than 20 years of successful recruitment and staffing experience to MPLT. Malanowski graduated from Boston University with his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and from St. Thomas University in Miami with his Master’s degree in Sports Administration.

Ferny came to MPLT Healthcare with over 25 years of sales and staffing experience, most recently within healthcare staffing, where he worked for two of the largest firms in the industry.

Zyserman received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of South Florida. Hiss philosophy in sales is to treat your “desk” like it’s your own individual business. As a director, he lives out his sales philosophy and empowers each team member to become an expert in their specialty.

Luke Reischel serves as one of MPLT Healthcare’s Division Directors. His role includes directing day-to-day recruitment and business development operations for multiple specialties. His commitment to efficiency, process, and procedure aligns with the MPLT culture of quality while recognizing the needs of the ever-changing healthcare industry.

Mr. Reischel joins MPLT Healthcare with over 18 years of experience working in the locum tenens staffing industry for a nationally recognized healthcare staffing organization. He provides a consultative approach to organizational streamlining and team management in order to produce highly effective results. Reischel attended North Carolina State University with a concentration in agricultural services while serving in the United States Army Reserve for 6 years.

Erik Turner serves as one of MPLT Healthcare’s Division Directors. He brings to the company 22 years of staffing experience in multiple verticals, with over 18 of those years spent in the locum tenens physician space. Erik has held diverse positions in leadership, enterprise client relations, training and development and direct consultative recruitment.

Mr. Turner believes that highly effective communication and meaningful focus are essential in producing successful results and he is committed to team development through growth, learning and respect in every aspect of service. He holds degrees in advertising and sociology from Western Kentucky University, as well as certifications in professional coaching and leadership dynamics.

Juan Saavedra serves as one of MPLT Healthcare’s Division Directors, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. Holding a degree in civil engineering from the University of Central Florida and International Business from Florida Atlantic University, Saavedra combines analytical rigor with a global perspective.

With seven years of recruiting and leadership experience, Saavedra’s journey began as a retained recruiter and went on to oversee other recruitment specialties, further honing his skills in recruiting and client management. This diverse experience laid the foundation for his tenure at MPLT Healthcare, where he started as a sales manager and ascended to the position of Division Director.

Saavedra is a dedicated team manager and coach, known for his ability to inspire and empower his colleagues to achieve their fullest potential. His approach is deeply rooted in data-driven solutions, where he leverages his analytical acumen to drive efficiency and effectiveness within his team. A true servant leader, Saavedra is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and engage directly with clients and healthcare professionals, ensuring that MPLT delivers exceptional service every step of the way.