Kathleen Culhane

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) 

President  

Kathleen Culhane has over 20 years of experience developing, implementing, and expanding successful programmatic efforts for low-income New Yorkers. Culhane was appointed President of Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) in November 2014 and has been with NEW since 2007, most previously as NEW’s Executive Vice President. 

Culhane leads the organization to meet ambitious programmatic and fundraising goals and has been instrumental in creating many innovative programs, securing NEW as a national model for advancing women in the building and construction trades. NEW has made considerable progress in increasing opportunities for women in apprenticeships. Most recently, under Culhane’s direction, NEW worked with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York to increase the number of reserved slots in apprentice classes for NEW graduates by 50 percent.  

Before joining NEW, Culhane spent ten years immersed in housing and homelessness issues with community-based organizations in New York City. Culhane is the Board Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. Culhane was a WorldTeach volunteer in Namibia, holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from The College of Wooster