Erin Wachter joined the Office of Government and Community Relations in 2023. Her 12 years of experience in Harrisburg include Governor’s Office and state agency leadership, and nonprofit sector lobbying. 

Prior to arriving at Penn State, Erin was Deputy Director of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, serving as staff and policy lead for the Pennsylvania Broadband Office and its planning efforts for more than $1.5 billion in federal infrastructure funding for broadband deployment.

Erin previously served as Deputy Secretary of Policy & Planning in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office, where she led the development and implementation of the Governor’s policy priorities at the Departments of Agriculture, Community and Economic Development, Transportation, Environmental Protection, and Conservation and Natural Resources. During her four years in the Governor’s Office, Erin participated in budget negotiations with the General Assembly; led the Governor’s Office effort to negotiate Act 96 of 2021 to establish the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority; and coordinated the development of the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, resulting in more than $76 million invested in agriculture to-date.

Erin also served as Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and as Policy Director at the PA Department of Agriculture. During her tenure at the department, she managed and tracked state and federal policy, legislative and regulatory issues and assisted with Department budget planning and submission. She managed a team of partners to implement one of the nation’s first milk to food bank initiatives, connecting dairy processors directly with food banks to provide a long-term, sustainable supply of milk to food bank clients across the commonwealth. 

Erin earned her bachelor’s degree in politics at Juniata College in 2009 and obtained a master’s degree in public administration from Penn State in 2012. She lives in Palmyra with her husband and two small children