Austin Groothuis

Austin Groothuis has a diverse work experience spanning various roles in marketing, membership, and strategy. Austin currently serves as the Director Strategic Membership and Data Insights at the American Optometric Association. Prior to this, they were the Director, Product Growth and Marketing at the American Bar Association, where they led strategies for student and young professional outreach, engagement, recruitment, and retention. Austin also held positions as the Director, Early Career Strategy and Director, Law Student Division. Austin has experience managing budgets, staff, and developing successful business models. Before joining the American Bar Association, Austin worked as a Marketing Manager at the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction and as a Marketing Consultant at the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University Law School. Austin also interned as a Baseball Arbitration Intern at SFX Baseball Group. Austin holds an MBA and worked as a Graduate Assistant at the EIU MBA Program.

Austin Groothuis has a diverse education history, beginning with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a focus on Marketing from Eastern Illinois University, obtained from 1999 to 2002. Austin further pursued their studies at the same university, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Business Administration from 2002 to 2003.

Austin continued their educational journey at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, where they earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree in Law from 2004 to 2007. While they obtained their law degree, they also dedicated their time and effort to become a licensed attorney in Illinois, voluntarily choosing to be inactive starting from June 2008.

In addition to their formal education, Austin Groothuis has sought further knowledge and expertise by acquiring certifications. Austin completed a program titled "Digital Marketing Strategies" offered by Kellogg Executive Education, receiving the certification in October 2022.