Sincerely, CNY
Central New York is more than a location — it’s our home. Sincerely, CNY, is a letter to this region, told through its most inspiring voices. Hosted by President & CEO Melanie Littlejohn, each episode features intimate conversations with the quiet champions and visionary leaders shaping the future of Central New York. Together, let’s explore the passion and purpose driving our community forward, signed Sincerely, CNY.
Sincerely, CNY
Sincerely, Kristi Eck: Building Pathways to Opportunity
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Melanie Littlejohn welcomes Kristi Eck, the Central New York Community Foundation’s new Chief Innovation and Growth Officer, for a conversation about opportunity, access, workforce development and the power of collaboration.
Kristi shares the “why” behind her work: a deep belief that all people deserve the opportunity to be the authors of their own stories. Drawing from her experience in K-12 education, higher education and workforce development, she reflects on how preparation, access and strong partnerships can help people build skills, pursue meaningful careers and lead better lives.
The conversation also explores the work ahead through the Central New York Innovation Growth Initiative, including the importance of supporting proven workforce partners, responding to emerging industry needs and helping communities prepare for opportunities connected to high-demand fields, including the semiconductor and Micron workforce.
This episode is a reminder that lasting change requires alignment, accountability, generosity and teamwork — because when we row together, all boats rise.
For more information visit cnycf.org/podcast.
Welcome, Kristy. It's such a pleasure to welcome you as our new Chief Innovation and Growth Officer. You absolutely rose to the top, not only obviously because of your tremendous expertise and your professional background, but you rose to the top because of uh your your empathetic, your compassionate and kind leadership. And that part is just so important to be a part of the fabric of this organization. So we are thrilled, thrilled, thrill, thrilled to have you. Can you tell me? And and I I want you to be able to share this with all of the people who have an opportunity to hear. What's your why?
SpeakerThat's a great question. Um, it really comes down to the thread that has been woven throughout my professional career and will continue to be the common thread throughout my journey for the rest of time for me. Um, the why is I care deeply about people. I think all people deserve great opportunity. I think all people should be able to be the author of their own story. And I think all people are not, very unfortunately, given the same start. We know that. That's fact. So, what can we do to help ameliorate that? What can we do to help people achieve and live the life that they want? That's why I've had a career in K-12. I've had a career in higher ed. It is all about giving opportunity access and also tools for people to empower themselves forward. And this job is that. This job is bringing significant investment from the public taxpayer from the federal level into proven, effective workforce partners who can then help people who want a career in uh emerging and high-demand industries tied into the semiconductor and micron workforce needs, pursue that, get skills to be trained up, and lead better lives.
Speaker 1I think that is so important. Um and when I think about workforce development and the role that you will be playing not only here in um central New York, um, but across the US, Micron's U.S. Um footprint, including Idaho, the theme is the same. That's right. Whether we're sitting in Boise or whether we're sitting in Onondaga County or the whole of central New York, it is about um preparation. That's right. And it's about access and it's also about collaborating as well. What do you hope to see when we get to the whole notion of being successful? What will it look like to you?
SpeakerThat is that is a complex question. I'm going to try to make a simple answer. It what we're doing here at the Central New York Innovation Growth Initiative is really setting the stage for really important work that, like you said, has a national reach and then delivering on that work very quickly. Uh, so highly accountable, highly responsive to the needs and the requirements of not only the funding orders, but also the needs of the workforce partners, the needs of our nation, the labor market needs, and also bringing it back to the people of what actually works. How do we actually help people access job training programs, be successful in that, complete those training programs, and then find jobs as planned? Those are all, it sounds easy. It's not, we know that. You've got to have all the pieces together. You've got to make sure that people feel welcome. You've got to make sure the people feel aware of the opportunity, that they can actually engage in it because they have transportation, they have housing, they have childcare if they need that, and that they're gonna find a job that allows them to have a living wage that allows them to continue to work in that job because they can literally afford to do it. And what drives me is that they're joyful about it. And I mean that sincerely. I started this conversation by saying, um, I have a lot of joy that I'm here. That matters. If we're gonna work hard every day, which you know we do, you gotta have joy. And I want that for everybody. I think when we think of the fabric of our nation, we have so many different people, so many different value sets, um, all of it. That makes it beautiful, that makes it strong. But what I think we all agree on is that what we want people to be able to lead good lives, take care of their families, take care of themselves, and contribute greatly to the strength of our economy and to our nation. This will help with that.
Speaker 1Last two questions. What keeps you up at night?
SpeakerYou know, uh, you have to row in the same boat to make things work really well. Um, you you think about if you're rowing a boat with somebody else, let's say you're in a crew boat and you let one oar dip in out of alignment with the others, you can actually flip that boat pretty easily. You can flip that boat. Um, what keeps me up at night is something that you said earlier on is one of my strengths. We have partnerships that really matter and they've been tried and tested already, and we're gonna have new friends and new partners that we add to the table and we build forward together with. To do that really uh effectively and in a sustainable way, uh, we have to find our cadence. We have to row in the boat together, we have to be crystal clear on what we're what we're trying to accomplish and what we're gonna be held accountable to accomplish. And we got to get it done. And to do that well, we also have to work um very generously with each other and help each other out on that journey.
Speaker 1Love that analogy. Love that analogy. So um don't tip the boat. That's right. Do not tip the bone.
SpeakerIf not, get a white jacket real fast, throw it to your friend, and bring them back in. That's right.
Speaker 1Do not tip the boat. Yeah, we do not. Last question. What makes your heart sing?
SpeakerThe team that I'm a part of. Uh, whether that's at my home, with my family, uh, at my workplace, or out in the community when I'm meeting new people. Uh, what drives me forward every day and literally makes my heart sing is a common thread of ethics, kindness, collaboration. With that, without that, I don't really want to be a part of the team, honestly. And um, with that, you achieve great things.
Speaker 1I can't wait to see all the good things we're gonna do. Central New York, this is Christy Eck. Such a privilege to introduce um a powerful leader and an overall phenomenal human being. Watch out, Central New York, U.S. We're here to do powerful and good and wonderful things for all. That's right, for all. For all. All boats rise. All boats rise. Thank you for joining PSS. The extra stuff. I love that.
