Crystal Odom-McKinney shares her journey from case manager to leader, offering insights on growth, mentorship, and how NAWDP drives meaningful change for workforce professionals and communities.
Podcast Transcript
Alexis Franks
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, all you workforce warriors across the country. My name is Alexis Franks, and I am your Director of Membership for the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals.
And in today’s episode, we are recording live from NAWDP’s 41st Annual Conference, right here in Virginia Beach. We are taking a look back and forwards with a very special guest who has been instrumental in NAWDP’s journey. We are also exploring our association’s history, the evolution of our field of workforce development, and how NAWDP has grown to meet the changing needs of professionals and the communities they serve.
Joining us today is Crystal Odom-McKinney, the current Region 5 Director serving on the NAWDP Board of Directors. This region, also known as Live Region 5, has shown and continues to show its commitment to furthering the workforce development field through engagement with NAWDP. Crystal is also a long-time board member who has had a front-row seat to NAWDP’s transformation over the years. So, Crystal, we welcome you.
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Thank you. Thank you so much, Alexis. Thanks for having me.
Alexis Franks
So, we’re going to pass the mic to you, Crystal, and we just have a few questions. We won’t keep you too long today, but just to start us off, can you share a little bit about your journey and workforce and what led you to NAWDP in the first place?
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Yes. Oh, wow. Well, first of all, thank you. Thank you, Alexis, for having me. Thank you, NAWDP, for having me.
A little bit about my journey. Oh, my goodness. 2008, I became a member of NAWDP. I wanted a network of like-minded professionals. I really didn’t have that in my work, to the extent of local connections, but not to expand nationwide. And I needed that. I needed to talk to people that did the same journey that I did, that thought like I thought, that, you know, really wanted to reach and grow. So that was one of the reasons that I joined NAWDP.
I came to a conference. I don’t remember where back then. But I was excited, ignited, and delighted about that opportunity. I mean, it was great. And fast forward, maybe a year later, I wanted to do more. I wanted to learn more. So I signed up to be nominated for the board of directors for the state of Illinois. You know, I wanted to be the change I wanted to see.
I knew within the industry or the populations that I served, which I call special populations, people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, you know, those people. As we looked at a, you know, a group and look at the board composition, I really didn’t see that. So I needed to be that diversity with those special populations. So as a result, I joined the board, I think 2010 or something like that.
So this might have been like my 14th, almost my 15th year serving on the board. 2010, 2011. I’m terrible with dates. But. The love fest continues because, you know, as you mentioned, I, well, I started on the state level as a board member. And back in 2000, I submitted my membership to become a regional board rep. And from 2000 to 2000, 2020, I’m saying 2000, 2020, the year of the pandemic where everything was fuzzy to this present, I served region five, that area.
So coming off the board, I’m still here. I’m not going nowhere. And I’ve said that to you as well as others. I’m definitely going to serve and pour into whatever needs to be done. Keep on with my institutional knowledge and share that and anything else.
Alexis Franks
Yes. Well, that is definitely needed. And Crystal, I’m sure that you have seen some really very high highs and maybe some low lows over the years that you’ve been a part of our board of directors. So what are some of the things that you’ve seen? What are some of those changes that you’ve noticed or that were most notable for you while you’ve been serving in that position?
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Yeah, most notably, you know, of course, there is that ebb and flow of, you know, leadership, staffing. I think that’s pretty much what’s going to happen in any organization. You know, you’re going to lose staff, staff change jobs, people change and things like that, as well as leadership. So that was one of the things.
Also most importantly, as it related to the growth. And that was one big thing. You know, when I came on the board, there was one staff member and that staff member was the CEO. And guess what? That person was also the membership, was the events, was the, you know, everything, you know. And when you think about change and the importance of, you know, kind of advancing the profession, you know, one of the wonderful approaches within NAWDP was to grow. Not only grow membership, but grow the staff based off the needs, based off of people’s sweet spots like you and those talents and those abilities. So that’s been very, very refreshing to see, you know, to see the growth, you know, 5000 members and, you know, all the staff that serve.
Also, you know, I would really, really be remiss to not mention the importance of having not only a membership base that is, the membership base is diverse. You have a board that represents the membership base. So you also have people and talents and backgrounds and races and everything that represent that membership base. Then you take that to the staff and the staffing too. So, you know, I think we’re in a great place where we have diverse talent. From the top, as well as on the board, as well as the membership base, you know, that’s, it’s very important to walk the walk and talk the talk. So, you know, that is also wonderful and refreshing to see.
And then just some of the other things that are very important, you know, the nuances, the membership growth, the fact that we are paying attention to, you know, even having podcasts, having trainings, you know, having apps at meetings, you know, it’s kind of like that. whole, we got to get rid of paper and and come into the times. And I feel like NAWDP is in a great place because it’s refreshing coming here to Virginia Beach and seeing the most innovative, you know, visuals that are there. That gets people pumped and excited, you know, and having the opportunity to what a lot of us say around here, the magic happens after the conference after hours. You know, the meet and greets, you know, people of all backgrounds, getting together, having fun, you know, doing the live dances and stuff like that, but also coming to those sessions and rolling up their sleeves and talking about issues that are important to them.
You know, it’s important to have that balance. And throughout my tenure, I’ve leaned in and listened to people who come here and, you know, who first-time attendees and, you know, asking them, what’s your experience like? And one thing that I always say, when you leave, when you go home, it’s going to be like a family reunion. When you come back, and I’ve seen a couple of people this week, and they’re like waiting in line, not waiting in line to hug me, but we were somewhere else. And they were like, hey, you know, hugging me. And I was like, I know I remember him from last year. And he’s like, hey, cousin, you remember you said that? I’m like, yeah, we’re not cousins, but we are cousins in workforce. And it’s that kind of like unity and that kind of intimate, like collaborations that we bring, which really makes it good, you know, not to knock any other conferences and organizations. But we do that. We do that really good.
Alexis Franks
Absolutely. Absolutely. And you can feel it in the environment here, that people are really enjoying the learning experience, as well as the networking piece. So we’re glad to have all these workforce professionals together.
And Crystal, going back to your earlier point, really with having that same interaction on the board, I know I’ve heard stories, we had our board meetings this weekend, of how far the board has come in making sure that the mission and the goals of the association continue to be at the forefront of the work that we do and every decision we make. So can you talk a little bit about what the board has strategically done for the profession, for the workforce industry, to make sure that association members and even those that are not members get what they need to be successful in their roles?
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Yes. Yes. Great question. One piece which is really important is they looked at both systems and processes. I’ll give you one example with our certifications and our credentialing, you know, changing that up, ensuring that, you know, the differences as it relates to our different credentials and the endorsements and all of that makes sense right now.
There’s a big thing that we we had a training earlier at our board meeting and the presenters talked about having a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. And in order to advance organizationally, you have to be you have to have that growth mindset. You have to. It’s never going to be 100 percent where everybody’s in agreement. But you have to think about ways to be better and grow. If you’re if you’re fixed, if you’re if you’re not in that way, you know, you’re going to have a little more trouble. And I think as a board that, you know, in particularly with the example of the certifications and the credentialing, that was one example of how we sort of merged or morphed into a better place in space.
And then, you know, other small pieces as it relates to just the general programming. But I can go on and on, like conferences and stuff, you know, how conferences are selected, how we, you know, the feedback from the members. I forgot that one. We’re like doing surveys now instead of just popping ideas, not knocking it in the past. But, you know, that’s how things were done. You know, you need to get the feedback from your members. They want to be heard. And, you know, that’s important. I get a lot of surveys from you. And that’s one of the things we want to hear you. Or are you coming to the conference? No, I’m not coming. You’re asking these questions and, you know, I may not be coming because of funding. I may not be coming because I’m not aware. I might not be coming because I’m transitioning from my role. But nonetheless, you’re asking that question. And that’s important. You know, we want to know where our people are so that we can meet them there. If it’s something financially not bringing them to these conferences or the trainings, we need to know why. Is it a lack of awareness? Is it because of staffing? Is it because of different priorities with their roles? So, you know, we can’t be better unless we have a better understanding of that for our people.
Alexis Franks
Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that communication and engagement strategy has definitely created, even more of a strong network for workforce professionals. And we’re hoping that it is for our members. So that’s great feedback.
So, Crystal, from your perspective, again, with serving in your many roles that you’ve served on our board, as a member, where do you see NAWDP being going in the future? Where do you hope to see our progress to continue to go? And how can you continue to be a part of that journey?
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Yes. Yes. Well, I’ll start with the last question. How can I continue? I ain’t going nowhere. Oh, that’s the easy answer. I’m not. And, you know, I am definitely a, you know, fill in the blank wherever I’m needed person. And that’s just me. My name is my brand. So I’m going to just be that way.
So as far as NAWDP, where would I like to see it in the future? Of course, greater, bigger, better, but also keeping to the tradition of the quality. You know what I mean? Like you could be big and they say going big, going big, going fast, too big, too fast. But and you can lose and it waters down who you are as an organization.
So, you know, I would want to see that growth, but I would want to see like intentional growth that would preserve the quality of who we are as an organization. So the examples I see about having that intimate, you know, whether we’re at 5,000 or 15,000, still be that organization that can, you know, work with people, make them feel at home.
When we have convenings, you know, another good thing that we’ve changed and I really love it is that, you know, the board is the board, but the board should be and we are servants. So, you know, recognizing every every member should be just a regular standard in what we’re doing. So, you know, I’d love to see like I don’t have it on right now, but I would love to see that. I would love to see the lanyards like it says staff. It says board member, first time attendee. I don’t know, you know, whatever it is, you know, let’s recognize everybody. And I think we’re doing that. But, you know, just in what we do, we need to cheer them on.
So if you’re new and this is your first time, I met with an individual today in the exhibit hall. He’s from another organization, National Career Development Association. So I also go to their conferences. But I said, how can we bring more NCDA folks here just like you’re here? And then how can we come to your conference and how can you how can you come and present next year? So, you know, just I was coming from curious and I want to see more people come in, but also coming from curious just to see like where because I’ve been to both. And, you know, we have career. We have practitioners that come here and workforce and they do, too. And that’s kind of the common thread. So let’s work together. Let’s work together on that. Let’s work together to get a better understanding. Let’s be at the table together to come up with some solutions so that we can grow and grow our brands.
Alexis Franks
Yes. Yes. Well, there’s definitely plenty of opportunities for us to continue our growth and continue to bring in and come together as other associations that are doing similar work are still trying to grow themselves and making sure that we all get what we need as workforce professionals. I am so glad that you will continue to be around Crystal. We are grateful for all of the work that you have done for NAWDP and all of the growth that you’ve seen. We’re going to make you proud and continue pushing forward in our fight for the work of workforce. So we definitely appreciate you.
I told you I wouldn’t keep you for too long. But I do have one more question for you. Going back to the years ago when you were a member, when you were starting in workforce development for our new to workforce listeners what advice would you share about this association and becoming involved and what difference has it made for you in your industry or in your professional growth, what advice would you have for those folks?
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Yeah that’s a really good question so for those beginning their journey or you know kind of stepping into the water if you will as it relates to workforce development – be a member, join NAWDP. If you’re newer to NAWDP, get involved with NAWDP.
But also as a career professional you know keep those tools keep your toolbox handy keep you know adding to your toolbox to make yourself successful. This profession is not like being a licensed clinical social worker not where you have the more known or popular credentialing you know so but hopefully in the future, we will become more prominent and become more of that go-to profession. But in saying that it’s equally important to keep your toolbox, you know, full of skills, you know, networking that goes into your toolbox having people that are like-minded and positive moving in the great direction, put that in your toolbox. You know attending the courses, even the ones and being in these spaces that you may not always be comfortable, that’s often where you you’re probably going to really grow, you know, in those uncomfortable places. If you’re comfortable you’re just kind of leaning back and you’re like this I’m good but when you get uncomfortable it should force you to kind of learn things that you maybe it’s something that you can put in your box or you can share it with others.
And what we do, that’s important as workforce professionals because we’re teaching people um how to be successful, we’re teaching people how to keep that confidence and say I can and I am. And today I was sharing in a discussion that I had I started a long time ago during the welfare to work program I was a case manager and a lot of the people in that in the program that would come through our programs were unfortunately told by their generations no don’t don’t get off of public benefits you can’t do this don’t mess up you’ll never be anything, you won’t do anything. So ‘A’, I’m you know there’s a battle because there’s a battle with I’m battling with the mother and the grandmother of this job seeker that wants to be better and be successful. And you know she’s gambling on me to help her to lead her through that journey, but also there was another thing because she could go get a job but not necessarily have the wages that she needs to be successful because it’s gonna kick her off TANF, it’s gonna kick her out of her section 8 housing, so you know we had to have discussions with employers about making plans making options and making it successful for them.
So going back to the question as far as what we need to know we need to have the have the brains have the mindset have the heart have the hands have the feet to do all of the stuff that needs to be done as a workforce professional to make that job seeker successful to make them the one that can break that generational curse and be successful.
So you know that’s a true story for me because I was up against that a lot you know starting as a case manager in the welfare to work program you know so those are the things that you know the obstacles that I encountered and you know really worked to mentor and help my job seekers overcome to be the best that they could be in life.
Alexis Franks
Wow that is awesome that is truly awesome and I think when you you talked a little bit about having us as a tool in the tool box for any workforce professional and it made me think of you know you’ve got your hammer you’ve got your screwdriver what can you not do without those tools are the things that put things together and makes it work so I love that illustration of using NAWDP as a tool in your toolbox as a resource as a way to help you continue to be successful, ultimately making your job seekers successful. That is a beautiful illustration.
And Crystal I’m sure you heard and you know we have mic drop moments here on Workforce on the Mic. So, you’ve given us two that we can take and use in our day to day: definitely keep NAWDP in your toolbox, keep us as a resource in your toolbox and don’t get comfortable. That was a great one don’t get comfortable. We will continue to face challenges and continue to have to be uncomfortable to make our work continue. So not getting comfortable is is a great one thank you so much for sharing that Crystal.
We appreciate you again so much all of the work that you’ve done on our board we know that you are coming off of our board of directors but we are looking forward to seeing you in so many other spaces and places and we appreciate you so much for being our guest today.
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Thank you, thank you for having me and wishing you the best of everything and I know NAWDP will continue to move mountains and I’ll be here. I’ll be here to cheer. I’ll be the cheerleader.
Alexis Franks
Yes ma’am, yes ma’am and if anyone would like to connect with you what is the best way to do that?
Crystal Odom-McKinney
Yes absolutely, um of course. I’m very vibrant on LinkedIn uh that’s probably the best way to reach out to me. I’m with Easterseals so you know easterseals.com you can reach out to me there. But like I said, more importantly, I’m a NAWDP member so join and reach out to me. Just drop me a note in that community.
Alexis Franks
Yes, perfect. Thank you so much Crystal. We hope you enjoy the rest of the conference and thank you again for joining us today.
Crystal Odom-McKinney
All right, thank you. Thanks for having me.
