Heidi (she/her) is a community builder and passionate connector who is committed to building a better world—one that works for all of us. Throughout her 40 year career, Heidi has focused almost exclusively on nonprofit organizations as that is the place where she has connected most deeply with the work and found the most meaningful relationships. Her responsibilities have included education, program planning, building communities, project management, technology, advocacy, and management across many different issues and focus areas. Heidi has always believed in the importance of being in alignment with the values she holds. Her fierce commitment to the value of integrity led her many years ago to begin the lifelong journey of learning about racism and dismantling the oppressive ideas of white supremacy culture that are instilled in all of us. In her work with clients, Heidi is guided by that integrity instead of the fear that we all experience as white people when engaging in difficult conversations about race and related ideas. This means that instead of shying away from challenging topics with clients, she is direct, honest, and firm. But she also believes in framing these conversations with kindness and care. Additionally, prioritizing relationships and community are always central to Heidi’s work and drive her to care deeply about her partners and clients. And her ability to identify hidden gaps or areas that may be unclear in a planning process and utilize questions to help bring about clarity for clients gives rise to experiences and outcomes that are deeply impactful for the organization as well as those who participate in that process.
In 2017, Heidi was chosen to be a Racial Equity Fellow in Chicago United for Equity’s inaugural year of the program and was also trained as a racial healing circle facilitator as a part of Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation in Chicago. She is one of three co-founders of Envisioning Equity: Strategic Planning for Inclusive Organizations, a conference created to address systemic racism in organizations.
Heidi is the mom of 3 adult children who have taught her much of what she knows about the world. She is frequently found pedaling on one of Chicago’s many bike paths, experimenting in the kitchen with new ways to make vegetarian food delicious, or being delighted by small children in her network of family and friends.
