Erin Flynn’s career revolves around designing and executing multi-sector strategies and partnerships that drive urban and regional innovation. She is a strategic thinker and entrepreneurial leader who builds bridges between the public sector, private sector and higher education to design and advance complex, metropolitan agendas. Currently, she serves as Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at Portland State University, Oregon’s largest and only urban-serving university. In this capacity she leads university-wide community engagement and economic development initiatives to deliver on shared regional priorities including economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, urban sustainability and cradle-to-career education reform.

Over the course of her career, Erin has excelled as a national strategy and policy consultant, a city government official, and a higher education executive. Prior to joining PSU in 2024 she served as Urban Development Director for the City of Portland/Portland Development Commission. Erin currently serves as Chairwoman of the Oregon Business Commission, the state of Oregon’s economic development agency.