Dan Swinney founded the Center for Labor and Community Research (CLCR) in 1982 in response to the thousands of manufacturing plant closings in the Chicago area. CLCR is a not-for-profit consulting and research organization that specializes in developing innovative and effective High Road approaches to community development, industrial job retention, workforce education, and business development.

Swinney is also The Executive Director Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council—a partnership that brings together the leadership of Chicago in focusing Chicago’s development strategy and capacity on High Road/High Performance manufacturing and the CEO for a new public high school in Chicago—Austin Polytechnical Academy—that will prepare the next generation of leaders in high performance manufacturing. Additionally, Swinney is the CEO of the Center for Polytechnical Education (CPE) that creates and assists high-performance schools and educational programs linked to advanced manufacturing.