A.J. Herrmann

A.J. Herrmann is the Director of Policy and Program Innovation at Accelerator for America, where he helps city leaders across the country develop effective policies and strategies to promote inclusive economic development and leads AFA’s Kansas City focused regional work.

Before joining the Accelerator team, A.J. was Director of Policy for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. In that role, he led legislative efforts to establish and fund the city’s first Affordable Housing Trust Fund, become the first major city in the country to launch Zero Fare Transit, and managed the city’s economic and health response to COVID-19.

Prior to his time at City Hall, he was a Senior Program Officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he managed the Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship, a suite of data tools and visualizations focused on entrepreneurship and business growth, as well as a $5 million grant portfolio focused on entrepreneurship research and policy. AJ also has extensive experience as a policy-focused research consultant and has advised federal agencies, non-profits, and advocacy organizations with program evaluation, implementation, and strategic planning efforts.

A.J. earned a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California-Berkeley and BA in History from Colby College.