Our first, admitted Black Belt joins the show to give us a lesson or two on what Workforce Development can do for the generations to come. Crickett Thomas-O’Dell shares her experience helping businesses like Albany Can Code and Hot Crispy Oil find the funding necessary to create job opportunities in our local communities.  

Bio

Crickett Thomas-O’Dell joined WDI in 2019 as the Regional Director-Capital Region after spending over three years commuting bi-weekly to Washington, DC as the VP of Operations for a transportation services company. In January 2022 she was promoted to the Statewide Pre-Apprentice Program Coordinator/Director of Community Engagement.  Prior to WDI Crickett spent the bulk of her professional career working in education settings- enrollment management, print to digital learning environments, international educational travel and STEM curriculum implementation at the high school and middle school levels.  Her professional career began in telecommunications in the voice and data industry. 

A graduate of Albany High School (NY), both her undergraduate and graduate education occurred at Russell Sage College and Sage Graduate School where Crickett was very active on campus receiving several honors and awards for her contributions to campus life.  She also played both volleyball and basketball for the Sage Gators.   

Crickett and her husband Dennis are the proud parents of one daughter, Brianna (Bre) who after graduating from Shenendehowa High School followed in her parents’ footsteps and played collegiate basketball at RIT- Rochester Institute of Technology, while studying engineering.  

Living in Saratoga County Crickett and her family enjoy basketball – she and her daughter Bre are both basketball referees, and Crickett is also a high school volleyball and the martial arts referee. Crickett holds a 5th degree Black Belt in Karate and a 1st degree Black Belt in Judo. A member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Albany, NY she is active in the Usher Ministry, the Women’s Ministry, the Praise/Liturgical Dance Ministry and sings in the Women’s Day Choir.   

Crickett currently serves as the President of the Saratoga Sparks Girls AAU Basketball organization, the Secretary/Treasurer of the Capital District Girls Basketball League, a statistician for the NYS Public High School Athletic Assoc. Media Committee-State Basketball Championships and has served previously on several boards including the Troy YWCA, Troy Boys & Girls Club, RSC Alumnae Association, NYS Association of College Admission Counselors, the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals, Faculty Member for the National Assoc. of College Admission Counselors, and the Capital District Counselors Association.   

Working within a wide range of industries through meetings with businesses, educational institutions, community-based organizations and unions, Crickett has developed strong relationships and collaborates with a network of professionals who are dedicated to workforce development solutions with a focus on preparing youth, women and underserved communities for the workforce of today and tomorrow. Her position now focuses on making sure that statewide there are opportunities specifically for people of color and women to gain the skills necessary to become members of the unionized building and construction trades.  
 
Crickett works very closely with the NYS Building & Construction Trades, several Workforce Development and Advisory Boards, Labor Councils, and High School Career & Technical Education Committees. She has been featured in the Capital Region Women@Work magazine and the Albany Business Review, and has been asked to serve on several panels to present workforce development issues and trends. Most recently she was named a 2022 Woman of Distinction by Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh-NYS Assembly 112th District and a 2022 Woman Who Means Business by the Albany Business Review. She is also a member of the Capital Region Professional Women of Color and a 2021 graduate of Capital Region Chambers’ Leadership Tech Valley/Capital Region Leadership. Recently she has been asked to join the NYS Economic Development Council, the Upstate NY Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Center for Economic Growth Leadership Board.

Contact

Crickett Thomas-O’Dell
Statewide Pre-Apprentice Program Coordinator/Director of Community Engagement-Workforce Development Institute (WDI)
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