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Kristi Eck

Kristi Eck

Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and External Relations

Contact Information

[email protected]

As Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and External Relations, Kristi Eck leads SUNY Oswego's Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER) with OWIER locations in both SUNY Oswego's downtown Syracuse Campus and on the east side of Oswego. The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, non-profit, public, private, and community partners to connect with institutional assets and vice versa. Partnerships are formed to generate economic and social benefits for the region that align with and advance SUNY Oswego’s Vision 4040 plan and contribute to the long-term, sustainable vitality of the university and the Central New York region. The OWIER is structured and staffed around three areas of focus: 1) Workforce Innovation and Upward Mobility, 2) Government and Legislative Affairs, and 3) Community Impact Programs and Resources.

Prior to beginning in her current role in October 2023, Kristi started her tenure as SUNY Oswego's Chief of Staff in August 2013 with leadership and service highlighted by the creation of SUNY Oswego’s institutional-wide strategic plan annual reporting and continuous improvement systems; representing the institution as the state and federal government relations liaison and lobbyist; and, as the institution’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education Accreditation Liaison Officer (2016-2022) during which Kristi skillfully led the institution through its successful Periodic Review (2017) and Self-Study (2022) reports as Co-Chair for both. 


Kristi earned her bachelor’s degree from Colby College, a master’s degree from Columbia University, Teachers College, and she completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE) at Harvard University, Graduate School of Education. In spring 2023, Kristi was named by Governor Kathy Hochul and Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra as one of 15 community stakeholders to serve on the Micron Community Engagement Committee.