Heather has served as the Director of the Department of Early Learning since August 2017. As the Deputy Director of DEL, from January 2014 - July 2017, Heather supported the successful administration of Washington’s Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Grant, improved the professional fiscal capacity of the agency, and negotiated multiple contracts with the union representing licensed child care homes.
Prior to joining DEL, Heather was Deputy Director at Child Care Aware of Washington for four years, where she helped lead the successful statewide roll-out of Early Achievers, Washington’s Quality Rating and Improvement System.
Heather is in her 18th year of state service in Washington, with her earlier experience including nine years as a research and senior analyst with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee and five years as first a budget analyst and then policy analyst for the Office of Financial Management.
Heather’s professional career and personal life are both marked by a strong sense of service, commitment to the social good, and belief in the power of positive relationships.
Heather has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington, Evans School of Public Affairs, and a BA from the University of Montana. She lives in Tacoma with her husband, Scott; their identical twin sons, Dylan and Dustin, attend Western Washington University.