Our Team
Your Success Starts with Our Dedicated Recruitment Team.
INNOVA Healthcare Leadership TEAM
At the heart of our commitment to quality healthcare staffing is a dedicated team of professionals who possess a passion for connecting exceptional talent with opportunities that make a meaningful impact. Get to know the faces behind our healthcare recruiting success.
JOEL SLENNING
Founder & President
Joel Slenning is a seasoned expert in healthcare human capital and talent acquisition, with over two decades dedicated to securing top-tier clinical, technical, and executive professionals for the evolving medical landscape. His mission is to solve the unique staffing challenges of the healthcare sector by integrating advanced AI recruitment technology with the high-touch, empathetic approach required for healthcare excellence.
Throughout his career, Joel has been a pivotal partner for venture-backed HealthTech startups, large and mid-size healthcare systems, and Fortune 500 life sciences companies. He specializes in building robust talent programs that navigate the complexities of Data Driven Healthcare, clinical compliance, patient-centric cultures, and specialized medical skill sets. As the leader of Innova People, Joel spearheads an organization committed to reshaping healthcare staffing. By leveraging the industry’s most sophisticated AI-driven tech stack, he enables healthcare organizations to identify and engage elusive talent—from specialized clinicians to health informatics experts—fostering the trust and connection necessary to build world-class care teams.Outside of his professional work, Joel invests in emerging healthcare technologies, mentors’ entrepreneurs in the Recruitment and Healthcare Technology spaces, and enjoys quality time with his family in Bend, OR.
Frank Myeroff
Partner / COO
Frank Myeroff, Managing Partner and Executive Search Practice Leader of DRI’s Hospital IT team, has built a reputation for understanding and solving client needs in the IT consulting industry for over 25 years.
His vast experience enables him to provide insightful consultation on staffing solutions. As a leading Hospital IT recruiter, Frank Myeroff connects top talent to hospitals and health systems across the country.
Frank has a reputation for outstanding client satisfaction, honest approach, and excellent follow through. He has earned the trust of clients and candidates by solving their needs. Frank is recognized for his ability to attract and deliver superstars in an expedient manner. His hands-on approach and personal attention to each of his clients yields immediate and measurable results.
Frank is PMP certified (Project Management Professional) and a member of PMI (Project Management Institute).
Frank attended Ohio University, is married, and has two children. He enjoys family time, watching his children in their many sporting activities, billiards and is an automobile enthusiast.
Dr. DAVID GORSTEIN
Partner, Population Health Practice Leader
Dr. David Gorstein is Partner and Population Health Practice Leader at DRI.
Dr. Gorstein joins us through the acquisition of his esteemed firm, Health Innovations, by our shared parent company, Starfish Partners. Health Innovations has long been the go-to resource for organizations transitioning from volume and fee-for-service models to value-based care delivery and Population Health focus.
Dr. Gorstein’s impressive academic background includes a BA from Amherst College in 1979 and an MD from NYU in 1983. He completed a surgical internship at Yale in 1984 and a residency in Radiology at Vanderbilt in 1986. Throughout his career, Dr. Gorstein has maintained a passion for the cost-effective delivery of quality healthcare.
A pioneer in Health Informatics and Clinical Innovation, Dr. Gorstein has provided strategic consulting to nationally renowned healthcare organizations, helping them recruit leaders in clinical innovation and transformation. His expertise and visionary approach will be invaluable as we continue to support our clients in navigating the evolving healthcare landscape.
SHAYLA JASTRZEBSKI
Partner, Director of Healthcare Talent Delivery
Shayla Jastrzebski is Partner and Hospital IT Recruiting Manager at DRI.
She focuses on placing Healthcare IT professionals into both contract and FTE positions, primarily Epic positions from Analysts to Management level as well as Data Analytics, Data Scientists and Software Engineers. Shayla Jastrzebski is a valuable Hospital IT Recruiting Manager to hospital and health systems across the United States.
Shayla joined DRI right out of college, however she gained valuable internal recruiting experience through two HR internships during college. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a focus on Human Resources Management from the University of Akron.
Outside of work, Shayla enjoys traveling and skiing. She has a love of animals and has one dog and one cat. She now resides in Colorado with her husband and son.
LAURIE JOHNSON
Senior Talent Delivery Specialist
Laurie has been a recruiter for thirteen years and is well known for building strong and enduring relationships with both clients and candidates. Prior to joining INNOVA People, Laurie spent nine years recruiting Advanced Practice providers and nurse leaders. She currently focuses on IT staffing both within and beyond the healthcare industry. Her introduction to the recruiting world came through a dozen years spent as a vender partner with Global Mobility Solutions offering services to MRI franchises.
Laurie graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California with a double major in psychology and sociology. She is also a Certified Staffing Professional through the American Staffing Association.
She and her husband Bruce live in Laurie’s hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona. They have two grown daughters and four grandchildren. She enjoys traveling, quilting, rooting for Air Force football, and spending time with family and friends.
KRISTIN HOPPER
Senior Healthcare Talent Acquisition Specialist
Kristin Hopper joins the Hospital IT team at Direct Recruiters as an executive recruiter.
Through a relationship-focused approach, Kristin helps connect candidates with opportunities to not only better their careers, but their lives too.
Before joining Direct Recruiters, Kristin spent many years working in the public sector in both HR and Compliance. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Indiana Weslyn University
When Kristin isn’t busy building relationships with the top companies in the healthcare industry, you can find her spending time with her family. Kristin has 3 beautiful children and two dogs. They enjoy camping, hiking, and traveling to new locations!
Cameron Maples
Travel Nursing Recruiter
Jenn Stockdale
Sr. Travel Nursing Recruiter
Jenn Stockdale is a dedicated healthcare recruiter at Innova People, passionate about making a meaningful impact in the industry by connecting talented professionals with rewarding career opportunities. With a background in physical therapy and radiation therapy, Jenn brings a deep understanding of the healthcare field to her recruiting approach. Her experience in healthcare recruiting and sales allows her to identify top talent and match them with roles where they can thrive.
Outside of work, Jenn enjoys spending time with family and friends, embracing the outdoors, and, most of all, being a mom to her daughter. Her commitment to both her professional and personal life reflects her drive to create meaningful connections and positive outcomes in everything she does.
Drew Wyatt
Hospital Leadership & Nursing Management
With over 15 years of experience in the search industry,
Drew Wyatt is recognized as a thought leader and highly
sought-after recruitment partner within hospital
leadership and nursing management. His journey from a
senior executive search consultant to a managing partner
to owning his own recruitment firm has laid a strong
foundation for Drew and his team to engage with clients
and candidates on both a personal and professional level.
Through acquisition, Drew and his team joined and
integrated with Kaye/Bassman International (KBIC) in
November 2022. This move has extended KBIC’s influence
into various leadership verticals and segments of the
healthcare industry specific to hospital leadership and
nursing management.
As a Managing Partner, Drew leads the Hospital
Leadership and Nursing Management Practice.
Throughout his career, Drew has consistently championed
hospital organizations, empowering them to secure toptier
talent. His dedication extends to candidates as well, as
he’s been instrumental in facilitating significant and
strategic career moves within their professional journey.
Drew’s success is built on the foundation of a collaborative
partnership, industry insight, and empathic guidance for
both clients and candidates. He goes beyond recruitment,
acting as a career promoter, ensuring clients and
candidates embark on a meaningful and rewarding paths
together.
Whether you’re a hospital seeking visionary leadership or
a professional aiming for a transformative career move,
Drew and his dedicated team would welcome the
opportunity to partner with you.
Drew Wyatt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Communication Studies with an emphasis in Human
Communication from the University of Northern Colorado.
Lauren Demyen
Senior Recruiter
Lauren Demyen is a Senior Recruiter with over four years of experience specializing in healthcare recruitment, with a strong focus on pharmacy placements. Passionate about building and maintaining lasting relationships, she prides herself on providing ongoing support to both candidates and clients while ensuring she is always accessible and approachable.
Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Lauren earned her degree from Youngstown State University before relocating to Cleveland three years ago. Outside of work, she enjoys working out and lifting, as well as spending quality time with her family — her husband, Ryan, their soon-to-be one-year-old son, Ace Ryan, and their energetic puppy, Lady.
DeAndra Harmony
Physician Locum Tenens Leader
DeAndra Harmony is the Division Lead of Physician & APP Locum Tenens, where she partners with healthcare organizations to stabilize and scale their clinical workforce while helping physicians build careers aligned with both purpose and performance. With more than a decade of experience spanning locum tenens, physician recruitment, account management, and business development, she brings a strategic, relationship-driven approach to workforce solutions.
Throughout her career, DeAndra has collaborated with health systems, private practices, and staffing organizations to design scalable workforce strategies, strengthen provider partnerships, and deliver measurable results in highly competitive healthcare markets. Her work is grounded in both operational insight and a deep understanding of the evolving needs of providers and organizations alike. She studied Business Administration at Carnegie Mellon University and Western Governors University, building a strong foundation in business strategy and leadership.
Outside of her professional role, DeAndra is a certified meditation instructor and breathwork coach, as well as a dedicated yoga practitioner. She enjoys playing pickleball and traveling with her family. A devoted mother of two young adults, she shares her heart with Ozzie, her three-year-old poodle. DeAndra and her fiancé divide their time between Dallas, New York City, and South Florida, embracing family and flexibility as core values in both life and work.
Michael Novell
Sr. Business Development Associate
Michael Novell serves as a Senior Business Development Associate at Innova People, where he acts as a strategic partner to healthcare organizations seeking solutions to complex workforce challenges. Rather than simply filling open roles, he delivers real-time market insight on talent availability, compensation trends, and hiring timelines, enabling leaders to make informed decisions with confidence and speed. He reduces operational burden by providing vetted, compliant talent and managing the recruitment process end to end. By proactively anticipating staffing needs tied to growth, turnover, and project demands, he helps clients avoid last-minute gaps that can disrupt care and operations. His work is grounded in quality, accountability, and long-term fit—helping organizations control costs, reduce risk, and maintain continuity of care.
With nine years of experience in IT staffing, Michael has supported healthcare organizations by partnering closely with hiring leaders to understand their business, technical, and operational objectives. He has worked with stakeholders ranging from IT directors to executive leadership, guiding them through competitive talent markets and complex hiring environments. Known for uncovering the true drivers behind hiring needs, he sets realistic expectations and aligns talent strategies with project timelines and budgets. His background spans contract, contract-to-hire, and permanent placements, including both high-volume and hard-to-fill roles. This breadth of experience allows him to deliver immediate value through market expertise, consultative strategy, and disciplined follow-through. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!)
Outside of work, he enjoys reading, exercising, and trying new restaurants with his wife, Clair. He is a devoted dog owner to Wally Novell, his beloved cockapoo who loves long walks, chasing his ball, and cuddling. Michael values time with family and friends and is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Rams.
INNOVA TECH Leadership TEAM
Unleashing the power of technology requires a team of skilled professionals who understand the intricate dance between talent and innovation. Dive into the profiles of our IT Recruiter Team, the driving force behind our success in building robust tech teams.
JOEL SLENNING
Founder & Managing Partner
Joel Slenning, the founder and president of Innova People is a seasoned expert in the field of talent acquisition, with a career spanning over two decades dedicated to sourcing top-tier technical and healthcare professionals for a diverse range of companies. His passion lies in revolutionizing the industry through the integration of cutting-edge AI technology and a personalized human touch.
Throughout his career, Joel has been instrumental in assisting numerous venture-backed startups and scale-ups, as well as Fortune 500 companies, in building robust talent acquisition programs. As the founder and president of Innova People, Joel leads teams committed to reshaping the landscape of talent acquisition with the most sophisticated AI-driven tech stack in the industry, complemented by a personalized approach that fosters trust and connection with sought-after talent. Joel enjoys investing in emerging technologies, mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, and spending quality time with his family.
JOE GOMER
Technology Recruiting Manager
Joe Gomer joins the team as a Recruiter and Account Manager within the areas of Information Technology including Healthcare and Hospital IT.
With him, he brings 23 years of industry experience and has won numerous awards and accolades for his recruiting performance. After a successful sales career, Joe has always enjoyed helping and working with people and technology. In his past positions, he has held responsibility for training, motivating, on-boarding, guiding, and transforming new hires into successful recruiters.
Joe Gomer operates under the mission statement: “Present People that Hiring Managers Want to Interview”. His clients depend on him and come back year after year to fill their open roles. In turn, Joe fully commits to filling their open roles. From start to finish, Joe Gomer does the “whole job” and he does it well.
Building strong relationships and a solid network of referrals are at the core of his business development strategy. Joe believes listening carefully to both clients and candidates and asking the right questions is critical. He is a recruiter for the long term and has and will continue to build solid relationships that stand the test of time.
Sheryl Soon
Technology Recruiter
Sheryl Lynn is a dedicated Technical Recruiter at Direct Recruiters, Inc. (DRI), specializing in sourcing and placing top-notch people in I.T. and Engineering roles, With nearly three years of recruiting experience and a background in IT roles, Sheryl brings a unique blend of technical insight and talent acquisition expertise.
Before joining DRI, Sheryl worked extensively in IT roles within the Managed Services Provider (MSP) sector, gaining valuable hands-on experience that enabled her to assess candidates’ technical capabilities and align them with client needs. In the recruiting space, Sheryl excels at sourcing top talent, building relationships, and identifying strategic hiring solutions. She is skilled in conducting interviews, cold calling, and engaging with candidates effectively.
Outside of work, Sheryl enjoys playing billiards, riding motorcycles, especially through mountain roads and twisty routes, and watching movies, bringing a well-rounded and personable approach to both professional and personal connections.