HCM Welcomes Two New Senior Affiliates to Our Policy Team
We are excited to welcome Dr. Autumn Blanchard and John Fischer as Senior Affiliates to HCM Strategists! These accomplished leaders bring deep expertise in education, policy, and systems change—and we’re thrilled to have them on board.
Dr. Autumn Blanchard has been a longtime collaborator on numerous HCM projects, supporting organizations such as Achieving the Dream, the Helios Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. She brings a strong background in education, policy, and political organizing, along with deep expertise in stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and impact-driven storytelling.
Autumn excels at helping mission-driven organizations translate complex social issues into clear, compelling, and actionable messaging. Her work is grounded in a sharp strategic lens and a deep commitment to equity and impact.
Prior to joining HCM, Autumn served as Director of Marketing and Communications at the Southern Education Foundation, where she led a major rebranding effort, launched a new website, and supported a range of nonpartisan issue campaigns. Her earlier experience includes community organizing during the 2008 presidential election, managing a successful Detroit City Council campaign, and serving constituents in the office of Congressman John Conyers.
We’re excited to have Autumn bring her insight, creativity, and strategic vision to the HCM team.
John Fischer is a seasoned policy practitioner and education leader with extensive experience in federal and state policy, philanthropy, and innovative approaches that connect education to meaningful careers. His career spans leadership roles in state government, philanthropy, and higher education—bringing a strategic perspective to education reform, workforce alignment, and expanding economic opportunity. At HCM, he offers strategic counsel across multiple initiatives aimed at increasing postsecondary credential attainment and improving pathways to employment for youth and adults.
Previously, John served as a Senior Program Officer in Global Policy and Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led strategies focused on federal and state education and workforce policy, economic mobility, and education-to-employment pathways. Earlier in his career, John served as Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Transformation at the Vermont Agency of Education and was a member of the Governor’s Workforce Board. He also held the role of Provost and Vice President within the New Hampshire Community College System.
John’s deep expertise and strategic insight make him a valuable addition to our team as we continue to advance equity and opportunity through education and workforce policy.
At HCM, Senior Affiliates are practitioner-experts who bring a strong record of leading change—either as current or former elected officials or through their work with policymakers, educational institutions, state agencies, foundations, and nonprofit organizations. While maintaining their own independent consulting practices, they collaborate closely with HCM to support client work, develop new partnerships, and expand the firm’s reach and impact. These experienced leaders contribute to HCM’s organizational life by offering strategic counsel to our leadership and clients, participating in firm-wide planning sessions and retreats, and mentoring team members. They also play an integral role in business development, representing HCM in external engagements, co-creating proposals, and advising on ways to enhance our value proposition. Through their expertise, networks, and deep commitment to systems change, Senior Affiliates strengthen our ability to serve clients and pursue our shared mission.
Through their expertise, networks, and deep commitment to systems change, Autumn and John strengthen our ability to serve clients and pursue our shared mission. Please join us in welcoming them to the team.
