Carrie Thomas

University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice

Carrie Thomas previously served as the Chicago Jobs Council’s Executive Director. In that role, Ms. Thomas represented the Jobs Council and its work to move people out of poverty through employment as a member of the Chicago Cook Workforce Innovation Board, the Safety Net National Advisory Panel of the National Skills Coalition and the board of the Institute for Work and the Family.  She is also a member of the Cook County Commission on Social Innovation. Prior to joining the Jobs Council, Ms. Thomas spent ten years in Minnesota where she had leadership roles in several statewide workforce development, training and work support initiatives focusing on un- and underemployed individuals. Ms. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and a master’s degree in the social sciences from the University of Chicago, as well as a juris doctorate from Northeastern University School of Law.