Joel Leonard

Joel Leonard has traveled the globe, fervently spreading the word through talks, presentations, websites, articles, even a poignant song he penned, about the “Maintenance Crisis”, a situation that is leaving our industries and workplaces without nearly enough maintenance technicians to replace the Baby Boomer generation workers as they retire.

A former vice-president of the Association for Facilities Engineering, Joel is taking the lead in identifying, explaining, and helping to solve the problem. As a result of his efforts, Joel was appointed to the United States Council on Competitiveness, a national think-tank whose purpose is to work with legislators and the White House to inform policy decisions that lead to effective strategies for economic development.

In order to develop adequate pipelines of skilled technicians, Leonard has identified MakerSpaces as a proven resource of fostering talent and cross-generational skill sets around the world. Leonard will share ideas on how communities, schools, and businesses can bust the silos that inhibit growth and work together to foster prosperity for their area.