DSC Alumnus returns home to make a difference as town administrator

Austin Albro '16

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

Author Thomas Wolfe once proffered that ‘You Can’t Go Home Again’ in his 1940 novel so titled. But he never met Austin Albro.

The 2016 Daytona State College alumnus has not only returned to his boyhood home of Warren, New Hampshire, he’s running the town. At 24 years old, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management graduate, who also served as president of DSC’s Student Government Association, proclaims to be the youngest town administrator in the nation. He was appointed to the role this summer by the governing board of the small community of about 700 residents set in the pristine White Mountains National Forest.

Choosing to earn his associate of arts and bachelor’s degrees at DSC was an easy decision. For one, his grandparents lived in South Daytona. DSC also made economic sense compared to tuition costs in New Hampshire. “The math spoke for itself,” he said. “Coming down to Daytona State was a bargain for me.”

The college also gave Austin an opportunity to gravitate toward leadership roles and learn from DSC’s executive staff and other role models. He grew to become one of the most dynamic SGA presidents to serve Daytona State in years. He was a fixture at administrators’ meetings, paved new paths for involvement with college projects and planning, and attracted a bevy of students with pride in their school and a daily norm of interaction on and off campus.

He often volunteered for public service projects such as food and clothing drives, activities for veterans and homeless students, working with Easter Seals, One Voice Volusia and the For the Kids Foundation, to name just a few.

“The level of student interest and involvement that Austin fostered while a DSC student showed true leadership talent,” said President Tom LoBasso. “We couldn’t be more proud to claim him as a DSC success.”

Austin received an honorary plaque and certificate from District Board of Trustees Chair Forough Hosseini and President LoBasso, also commemorating his award as the first Florida College System Chancellor’s Clark Maxwell Jr. Scholar Student of the Month.

In Warren, Austin manages a budget of about $3 million. “I’m the primary bookkeeper and accountant for the town,” he said, adding, “Seeing those debits and credits fall into the right column is a whole lot different when looking at it through taxpayers’ lenses rather than in a textbook. When my professors at DSC talked about debits and credits and everything having to be equal, they weren’t kidding.”

But the biggest skill he brings to his job from his DSC experience is customer service. “It’s at the forefront of everything I do,” he said. “I went from serving students and tuition payers to serving residents and taxpayers. I remember (DSC Trustee) Bob Davis’ mantra, ‘Ask the customer,’ and that’s one of the things I’ve really taken to heart, putting the residents and customers first and making sure their needs are met.”

Austin said what he is most proud of as town administrator is showing Warren youngsters that they, too, can make a difference.

“That’s the part that excites me most, to be able to set an example for the Warren kids, to help them see that as a Warren kid, you can go off to college and come back and make an impact on your hometown. Prior to me, there wasn’t that example.”

DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • FALL/WINTER 2018