Eliot Cresswell serves as Interim Executive Director of the Workforce Development Institute (WDI). Eliot has worked at WDI since 2015, most recently as Director of Strategic Initiatives. During his tenure, Eliot has led the organization’s efforts in areas such as research, impact analysis, use of labor market data, and high-road employment modeling. He has also developed initiatives related to battery energy storage, offshore wind, adult-use cannabis, advanced nuclear energy, digital literacy, and others.
Eliot is driven by the belief that education and training constitute the most proven paths out of poverty for working people. Years of experience in workforce development have taught him that training alone is often not enough. Successful workforce interventions must be driven by partnerships that support learning and skill needs as well as areas like child care, transportation, and mental health.
Prior to WDI, Eliot worked in a number of roles at the SUNY Research Foundation including in joint labor-management training programs and early childhood professional development. He served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco and is a graduate of the University of Buffalo and Empire State University.
Eliot is proud to lead WDI’s team and its impactful programs supporting labor unions, community-based organizations, private employers, and government.