Appalachian Voices
Austin Counts currently serves as the Southwest Virginia Solar and Electrification Projects Manager at Appalachian Voices, a position held since January 2024. Prior to this role, Austin was the Rural and Industrial Clean Energy Program Manager at the Virginia Department of Energy from January 2022 to January 2024. Austin also worked at Appalachian Voices as a Field Coordinator and was a Southwest Virginia Solar VISTA with AmeriCorps from May 2018 to May 2020. Earlier experience includes roles at NASA DEVELOP, where Austin served as a Communications Fellow and Team Lead, as well as an Earth Science Consultant. Austin's career began as a Laboratory Intern at Arbiom Inc. Austin graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science (Biology Track) from The University of Virginia's College at Wise in 2017.
Appalachian Voices
Founded in 1997, Appalachian Voices brings people together to protect the land, air, and water of Central and Southern Appalachia and advance a just transition to a generative and equitable clean energy economy. Appalachian Voices is fueled by an abiding love of our common wealth: our mountains, rivers, forests, farms, and communities. We respect the depth and complexity of our region's history, and we honor cultural traditions that uphold the integrity of the land and the people. We are bound together by a moral commitment to our neighbors and the pursuit of a durable and ecologically sound shared prosperity. By bringing the best of ourselves to our work every day, we honor the people and places we represent in our pursuit of an Appalachia with healthy, intact ecosystems and generative local economies that allow communities to thrive. Please visit our website to learn more about our work.