Jill Hardy Heath
President and CEO, Heart of America
About Jill
As President and CEO of Heart of America (HOA), Jill Hardy Heath believes that every child has boundless possibilities. With over two decades of experience, Jill propelled HOA from a grass-roots, literacy-focused organization to a national nonprofit committed to education equity. Her work impacts over 2.5 million students and families with features in Forbes, the LA Times, the Aspen Institute, and regularly at national conferences.
Jill’s vision garners cross-sector support from diverse partners like the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, NBA, WNBA, Verizon, Under Armour, and more. She is a graduate of Yale University’s Women’s Leadership Program, a Founding Member of the Diverse Books for All Coalition, a BASIC Coalition Board Member, and recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Jill led HOA to win the 2023 Chapman Prize for excellence in educational empowerment and won WomElle’s 2024 Driven CEO of the Year. Before HOA, Jill spent seven years managing Target’s award-winning School Library Makeover program.
