Heather joined the BootUp team in 2020 and has been in education for over twenty years. She has a doctorate in executive leadership and equity in education and a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology and Digital Media from the University of Colorado - Denver. Heather is also a fellow in the third cohort of leaders in the Duke 3C (Cultural Competence in Computing) Fellowship.

As Director of CS Educational Equity & Research, Heather drives organizational learning initiatives, anchoring them with data-driven insights to enhance program efficacy. Her purview extends to developing research partnerships across diverse grants and sponsorships, fostering collaboration with external stakeholders, and managing all NSF grant projects. Heather also supports district and school leadership in formulating strategic blueprints to integrate computer science pathways, starting at the elementary level. In all her endeavors, Heather remains committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) principles within the organizational learning framework.

Heather is a lifelong learner and appreciates the ability to work and grow with fantastic colleagues, both at BootUp and in the greater CS education community. She is a Colorado native but currently calls Austin, TX home. In her free time, Heather and her husband, Scott, love to take their fur baby Sofie (a six-year-old golden retriever) for trail walks, enjoy tasty Texas BBQ while vibing to Austin’s incredible music scene, visit their four grown children in Colorado, and go on adventures around the world.