Crystal Cotton is CJA’s Director of People and Culture. In her role at CJA, she is a senior member of the organization’s leadership team, providing general guidance on a variety of matters to help staff and leadership navigate the complexity of policies, procedures and entitlements affecting talent management and employment life cycle.
Crystal currently brings her professional acumen to John Jay students as an adjunct instructor and the creator and facilitator of Leadership Space™, a program designed to cultivate leadership abilities for career ready young adults. Adding to Crystal’s passion for developing others, she owns a thriving career coaching consultancy, launched in 2008 where she works primarily with women in career transition and entry level professionals to master the ever-changing job market and find voice and value in the workplace. This work has also led her to be an avid supporter and volunteer for Dress for Success, a nonprofit supporting self-sufficiency and financial independence for women. She is currently a participant in Coro Leadership New York seeking to explore and develop new ways to engage leadership techniques to affect change in communities throughout NY City in hopes of empowering marginalized communities in the city’s workforce.
She holds a Master's in Public Administration from John Jay College. Upon completing her MPA with a concentration in Human Resources Management, Crystal was inducted into the National Honor Society for Public Affairs & Administration, Phi Alpha Alpha. Crystal also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from St. John’s University with professional a certification in EEO studies with a focus on conflict resolution from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations, and another in Corporate Training from NYU’s School of Professional Studies. She is also a graduate of New York City’s Leadership Institute’s Management Academy, a competitive program for managers and administrators in City government and public service, who’ve demonstrated leadership ability and created positive influence in their organizations.
Helping others overcome barriers to employment and find meaningful work encourages Crystal to push her limits, mentally, physically and spiritually. Crystal has twice completed the bootcamp style, Spartan Race, immersed herself in a Life Change Mastery program with Beyond Body Yoga and walked on fire at Tony Robbins' Unleash the Power Within. These experiences fueled her authorship of a career advice e-book, Job Ready, Job Savvy: Practical & Holistic Advice for Job Search Success.