OSWEGO — SUNY Oswego’s Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER) has named Kathryn Watson as its inaugural director of workforce innovation and community impact. SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu launched the school’s OWIER in the fall of 2023, The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, nonprofit, public, […]
OSWEGO — SUNY Oswego’s Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER) has named Kathryn Watson as its inaugural director of workforce innovation and community impact. SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu launched the school’s OWIER in the fall of 2023, The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, nonprofit, public, private, and community partners to “connect with institutional assets,” per the Aug. 14 announcement. The OWIER says staff members identify and “form mutually beneficial partnerships” with the Central New York area to “generate economic and social benefits” for the region. Those benefits “align with the priorities and vision of SUNY Oswego and with the mission to contribute to the common good while advancing SUNY Oswego’s institutional-wide priorities and goals,” the school said. Watson will report directly to Kristi Eck, assistant VP for workforce innovation and external relations at SUNY Oswego and a member of the president’s cabinet. Watson’s work focuses on helping the school advance grant applications that “align with immediate institutional and workforce-innovation priorities.” At the same time, she’ll work at providing timely and necessary programming to support workforce innovation and upskilling demands. Watson will also focus on connecting the greater community with SUNY Oswego employees and students related to these areas of focus, per the university’s announcement. “We are thrilled to have Kathryn join our team at SUNY Oswego and within the OWIER,” Eck said in the school’s announcement. “Kathryn has an exemplary and established leadership record in our community and a proven ability to identify and unite partners around achieving a shared goal and desired impact. Kathryn will be a great addition to the OWIER team. I cannot wait to work with her.” Within her responsibilities as director of workforce innovation and community impact, Watson will serve as the project director for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Oswego County and as SUNY Oswego’s Instructor Bootcamp project coordinator. Before joining SUNY Oswego’s OWIER, Watson served as the executive director of the Children’s Museum of Oswego from 2019-2024. She and her team at the museum started dozens of museum initiatives with businesses, nonprofits, and organizations in the region, SUNY Oswego said. Watson is a member of the advisory council for the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce and served as the keynote speaker for the chamber’s annual meeting in January 2022. Watson also sits on the Oswego County Tourism Advisory Council and the Pre-K through 16 Micron Steering Committee, SUNY Oswego said.