Learn more about the Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio’s Board of Directors and how they support workforce development in this blog series.
Rochelle Thompson, Employment and Training Manager for the Greater Cincinnati Water Works
Rochelle is a senior manager with over 30 years of experience in local government. Her extensive experience influences three core areas: talent development, economic inclusion, and community development. Since 2016, Rochelle has served as the Employment and Training Manager for the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, overseeing the training and development of approximately 600 people. This role requires Rochelle to advise on organizational and culture development for the utility, design leadership programs, and plan, coordinate, and facilitate multiple workshops. Rochelle was honored as the first recipient of the 2019 Director Bailey’s Award for making an impact in advancing the principles of the Water Works Way.
Rochelle served as the Contract Compliance Officer for the City of Cincinnati for nine years (2005-2014). She was extensively involved in economic inclusion on one of Ohio’s most significant projects, the redevelopment of southern Ohio’s gateway along Cincinnati’s downtown riverfront area known as “The Banks.” In the early stages of the development, Rochelle served on the selection team to hire an inclusion consultant to monitor, track, and report on the economic inclusion efforts of multiple contractors. Under her leadership, the City exceeded its 30 percent Small Business Enterprise goal. The total project cost of The Banks is estimated at $2.7 billion.
Rochelle’s other accomplishments in economic inclusion included leading the City’s administrative efforts to undertake a disparity study and spearheading the selection committee to hire a consultant to conduct the study. Rochelle worked as the City’s Senior Community Development Analyst (1997-2005), where she spearheaded the revitalization of two former public housing communities (Lincoln Courts and Laurel Homes) into a mixed-income community, City West. City West is in the neighborhood next to Over-the-Rhine and near the FC Cincinnati stadium. Rochelle attracted over 35 million to this development from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD featured City West and Rochelle in a national PR campaign, and City West was given the “President’s Award” by the Ohio Conference of Community Development (OCCD).
Rochelle holds two degrees from the University of Cincinnati: A Master of Community Planning (1997) and a Bachelor of Communications (1986). While working on her master’s degree, Rochelle did an additional concentration in HR management. She earned an Adult learning certificate in 2017 from the Association of Talent Development. Rochelle is certified as a Compliance Administrator through the American Contract Compliance Association/Morgan State University (2006) and as a Housing Development Finance Professional through The National Development Council (1997). She serves as Membership Chair for the Women of Water (WOW) ERG and VP of Public Relations on the Toast To Water Toastmaster’s Executive Board. Rochelle previously served on the Greater Cincinnati Association of Talent Development Board as the Director of Sponsorships (2021) as well as on the Professional Development Committee (2019-2020) and Conference Committee (2021-2023). Rochelle is a former Emmanuel Community Center board member (2004). Rochelle is also President/Founder of Link Communications, LLC. She resides in Cincinnati with her husband, Greg.
Why are you passionate about the Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio?
“The Workforce Council assists people with career development, whether that’s entering the world of work, promoting, changing industries, or developing new skills. It also assists employers with finding talent. This aligns with what I have been doing in local government for the last 10 years. Serving people and organizations in this capacity can bring prosperity, happiness, purpose, and success. For this reason, I’m honored to serve on the Workforce Council Board of Directors.”
What was your first job?
My first job (at the age of 16) was with a small business, Robinson Optical. A federally-funded program provided funds to small businesses to hire students. I worked as a receptionist. The company was located on Calhoun Street in the Clifton community near UC.
What professional advice has stuck with you throughout your career?
“The Director of the Community Development Department would always say, ‘Just concentrate on the work.’ We did great work, and there were a lot of distractions: local news stories, politics, office gossip, etc. I’ve learned throughout my career to stay focused and concentrate on the work at hand. When one does that, the work is generally very good.”