Dr. Deborah A. Austin, is the co-founder and immediate past director of community engagement for REACHUP, Inc. Her professional goals included having one foot in the community and the other in the academy. She was a part of the federal Central Hillsborough Healthy Start Project and REACHUP, Inc. for 24 years. REACHUP, Inc, is a community non-profit whose focus is advocating for and mobilizing resources to help communities achieve equality in healthcare and positive health for families. She is one of three co-founders of the maternal and child health non-profit and recently retired as Director of Community Engagement.