Heather (they/them) brings their experience of program coordination, mentorship, project management, and DEIB training to the team at INP.

Heather joined the Institute for Nonprofit Practice after working at Cornell University for six years: they spent five years in their most recent role as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the Department of Communication. While at Cornell, Heather co-founded a peer mentorship program to connect historically-marginalized and first-generation students with older peers, to help these students establish a social support system during their first semester at college. Heather is passionate about community building, mental health, and artistic expression of all varieties.

Heather is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is currently learning Brazilian Portuguese. They are a “foodie,” and can often be found cooking, baking, and enjoying food with others in their free time; in particular, they love connecting with their Mexican-American roots by recreating the family recipes they grew up eating. Heather also enjoys performing on stage, meditating, traveling, watching movies, snuggling with their rescue dog Zelda Sayre, reading, and spending time outside enjoying nature.

Heather received their Bachelor of Arts in Culture and Communication from Ithaca College, where they studied Spanish, social justice theory, and performance art.