Speakers

Crystal Cotton is the Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) at the New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA), New York City’s primary pretrial service provider, whose mission is to reduce unnecessary pretrial detention for individuals involved in the criminal-legal system. Crystal self-identifies as a home-grown talent at CJA and has over three decades of experience in non-profit human resources management through all stages of the employment lifecycle and people operations. In her role as CPCO, Crystal is the executive advisor to the CEO and the leadership team, providing guidance and sage advice on matters related to organizational culture development, people management, and professional development.

With professional certifications in corporate training, EEO studies, trauma-informed care and diversity equity and inclusion, Crystal’s has taken the sum of all her learning experiences to create opportunities for others to benefit from learning experiences that take into account human-centered, adult learning and engagement practices all rooted in a core understanding that the workplace is a complex system of hierarchy, relational structures, norms, and values. In 2020, she began studying adaptive leadership through her completion of the Coro Leadership New York program, an immersive leadership development program for local change-makers in government and private sectors.

Crystal uses learning and development pathways to help people discover their passion, purpose, and prosperity in the workplace and beyond. In addition to her work at CJA, Crystal is an adjunct instructor and faculty mentor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she attained her master’s in public administration. Through her work at John Jay, she creates experiential learning curricula and practical career experiences for students. She is also the owner and learning curator of her own career coaching consultancy, Crystal Clear Connextions, where she focuses on empowering BIPOC women in career transition to navigate the complexities of the job market and career growth through holistic coaching and tailored action plans.

Crystal’s lifelong learning has led her to the study and implementation of adaptive leadership and relational culture development as she spearheads the Creating Inclusive Workplaces Initiative at CJA, where managers across the organization are being trained as facilitators and carriers of the culture to move people from siloed technical subject matter experts to cross-collaborating, skill, and knowledge sharing leaders, thinkers, and problem solvers. In this innovative work, Crystal is creating a legacy for learning and development at CJA that aligns with mission-centered outcomes and sustainable organizational success.

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