Leah Meyer Austin

Biography

Leah Meyer Austin retired in 2008 as senior vice president for research and programs at Lumina Foundation for Education.  At Lumina, Ms. Austin was responsible for grantmaking, strategic planning and research, to enable more people from all walks of life to attend and complete postsecondary education and training.  As the designer of the Achieving the Dream initiative, she sought and obtained Lumina Foundation Board’s original investment in a burgeoning community-college student-success movement that is now active in 22 states. Before joining Lumina’s executive team, Ms. Austin was employed by and retired from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  There, she founded a national educational program, Middle Start, which works with middle schools to improve young adolescents’ learning and achievement.  Ms. Austin was also responsible for designing Able to Play, a community-action program to develop playgrounds for children of all abilities across Michigan and other states. In her retirement, Ms. Austin continues to consult and write about nonprofit management, philanthropy, and educational issues. Ms. Austin graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in English and has completed advanced study in nonprofit management at the University of North Carolina.  Ms. Austin serves on several boards, including the Indianapolis Jewish Federation, Safe Sitter, Inc. and Achieving the Dream. In addition to serving as board member for the IHTC, Ms. Austin serves as a member of the IHTC Compensation Committee.

Research Interest

pediatrics