Kevin Austin
Vice President and Manufacturing Manager of Austin Electrical Enclosures
Kevin Austin is Vice President and Manufacturing Manager of Austin Electrical Enclosures, an electrical equipment manufacturing business which employs around 150 people and has a 60 year history. Prior to beginning full time work there in 1983, Kevin graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in Engineering Operations, a degree that combines Industrial Engineering and Business studies. His work there has included just about every facet of manufacturing, including serving as CFO and Controller for 8 years.
Kevin was elected as a County Commissioner in Yadkin County in 2008 and served continuously until December of 2024, including 14 years as Chairman of the Board. In 2016, he was elected as 2nd Vice President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and served as President of the organization from December 2018 through August of 2020. During this time he formed his Presidential Initiative, the Pathways Initiative, to combat the issue of Disconnected Youth across our State. The resulting task force and report studied and shared best practices across North Carolina that had shown positive results so they could be replicated in all 100 Counties.
Always an advocate for all levels of education, Kevin spearheaded efforts to build a new Early College building and also an Advanced Manufacturing Center at the Yadkin Center of Surry Community College. He, along with the other Yadkin County Commissioners, created a tuition program to help build the necessary FTE’s to earn Campus status for the Yadkin Center. He also was instrumental in bringing programs to Yadkin County Schools like Lego Robotics and the Dream It, Do It program which shows available careers to middle school students.
Kevin is a lifelong North Carolinian and is married with 2 children. He is active on many local, regional and statewide boards and committees. He recently completed the latest cohort of the Hunt Institute State Policy Fellows.