John Austin Email & Phone Number

John Austin is a Senior Fellow with the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College (EI) leading work around international economy-building and democracy strengthening. Austin created and facilitates impactful international partnerships and initiatives, including the transatlantic Transforming Industrial Heartlands Initiative , partnerships to promote and implement allyshoring, along with international collaborations to help democracies maintain global innovation and economic leadership . Austin also serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution where for over twenty years he has led efforts to support economic transformation in the American Midwest and in the industrial heartlands of Western democracies. Prior to joining EI Mr. Austin created and led for twelve years the Michigan Economic Center, a network- building and policy development organization to spur the transformation of Michigan’s economy. As part of this work Mr. Austin coined the term “Blue Economy” and catalyzed numerous Great Lakes and global Blue Economy initiatives. Mr. Austin also initiated the Global Detroit program to welcome immigrants as a source of economic strength and renewal, and supported its replication in communities across the country. Mr. Austin also served for sixteen years as a statewide elected official, leading the Michigan State Board of Education, the state’s education and higher education policy-making body, including six years elected by his peers to serve as Board President.Austin also served as Policy Director for Michigan’s Governor-appointed Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, and was principal author of the Commission’s influential report. He also was the chief architect of Governor Jennifer Granholm’s urban strategy; and helped stand-up her Department of Labor, Energy and Economic Growth and a state workforce development strategy.Mr. Austin has lectured and keynoted events around the world on the themes of economic development and renewal, strengthening democracy, and fostering a dynamic innovation-led economy. Austin’s work has been published by Foreign Policy, National Interest, The New York Times, Washington Post, The Hill, TIME Magazine, Forbes, The Economist, the BBC, Voice of America, Times Higher Education, the Nikkei News -- among dozens of local, national, and international media.Austin received his Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a BA from Swarthmore College in Economics & Political Science, with High Honors and Phi Beta Kappa.

Listed skills include Nonprofits, Strategic Planning, Community Outreach, Policy, and 12 others.