Shelley Cresswell Thomas of Louisville has joined the Workforce Development Center staff at East Central Community College in Decatur, announced Dr. Phil A. Sutphin, College president.

Thomas, who began her new duties on Oct. 14, 2009, serves as one of the Center’s advanced skills trainers. Her office is located at the College’s Workforce Development-Career Advancement Center in Louisville.

In this new position, Thomas is primarily responsible “for working with individuals, industries, businesses and communities through the Louisville site to establish needed training programs and offer special services to dislocated workers as coordinated by the Workforce Development Center staff,” according to Roger Whitlock, Center director.

Prior to joining the ECCC staff, Thomas was employed with Georgia-Pacific, LLC in Louisville, where she served as talent and learning development/training specialist and conducted numerous training sessions for ECCC.

She is also a former marketing and public relations coordinator for the Department of Housing and Residence Life at Mississippi State University.

A Satartia, Miss., native, Thomas is a graduate of Tri-County Academy and MSU, where she received a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology and a master’s in counselor education.

Thomas is a member of First United Methodist Church of Louisville and the Junior Auxiliary of Louisville.

She is married to Dow Thomas, an assistant vice president at Renasant Bank in Louisville. They have two children, Kaitlyn and Fin.