Bernadette Austin is committed to equitable community development and civic innovation. She takes a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing complex issues, drawing on more than a decade of experience managing public-private partnership projects.
Bernadette brings her experience in community development praxis to her role as Acting Director of Center for Regional Change at the University of California at Davis. She works to build bridges across disciplines and support research that is community engaged, policy-oriented, and equity-focused. She has contributed to the establishment of the UC Davis Interdisciplinary Initiative, which brings together researchers from a variety of fields of study in quarterly dialogues about diverse topics. Her work managing outreach with off-campus partners from a variety of sectors informed the establishment of the UC Davis Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement. She is currently working to activate the UC Davis Policy Consortium.
Prior to her work at UC Davis, she founded Bernadette Austin Consulting Services, a consulting firm specializing in community development. She has worked at an affordable housing developer, local redevelopment agency, community development financial institution, and several nonprofit community health organizations. Her projects include Sacramento’s first true transit-oriented development, West Sacramento’s first urban farm stand, and the first project in the country to implement a federal program combining housing vouchers and health services for disabled adults. Learn more about her professional experience here.
Bernadette is a Commissioner and former Chair of the West Sacramento Planning Commission. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute's Sacramento District Council and provides thought leadership on the California Planning Roundtable, a think tank affiliated with the California Chapter of the American Planning Association. Bernadette provides guidance as a member of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, which serves 18,000 girls in 18 counties. She has been recognized as a notable woman leader by Sacramento Magazine and Comstock's Magazine, and the Sacramento Business Journal included her on their 40 Under 40 list. She holds a Master of Science in Community Development from UC Davis and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from St. Mary’s College of California.
Bernadette brings her experience in community development praxis to her role as Acting Director of Center for Regional Change at the University of California at Davis. She works to build bridges across disciplines and support research that is community engaged, policy-oriented, and equity-focused. She has contributed to the establishment of the UC Davis Interdisciplinary Initiative, which brings together researchers from a variety of fields of study in quarterly dialogues about diverse topics. Her work managing outreach with off-campus partners from a variety of sectors informed the establishment of the UC Davis Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement. She is currently working to activate the UC Davis Policy Consortium.
Prior to her work at UC Davis, she founded Bernadette Austin Consulting Services, a consulting firm specializing in community development. She has worked at an affordable housing developer, local redevelopment agency, community development financial institution, and several nonprofit community health organizations. Her projects include Sacramento’s first true transit-oriented development, West Sacramento’s first urban farm stand, and the first project in the country to implement a federal program combining housing vouchers and health services for disabled adults. Learn more about her professional experience here.
Bernadette is a Commissioner and former Chair of the West Sacramento Planning Commission. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute's Sacramento District Council and provides thought leadership on the California Planning Roundtable, a think tank affiliated with the California Chapter of the American Planning Association. Bernadette provides guidance as a member of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, which serves 18,000 girls in 18 counties. She has been recognized as a notable woman leader by Sacramento Magazine and Comstock's Magazine, and the Sacramento Business Journal included her on their 40 Under 40 list. She holds a Master of Science in Community Development from UC Davis and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from St. Mary’s College of California.
