Ms. Heard is a recent graduate from Columbia University, where she earned a master’s in public health and a certificate in public health and humanitarian action. During her time at Columbia, she was on the applied research team at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, co-designing a project that examined the role of large NGOs in child-focused rural disaster responses. Ms. Heard demonstrates practical experience as a former intern and contractor with DCHSEMA, where she supported various District planning, training, and exercise efforts and operational planning support for EOC activations including National Special Security Events and as part of the DC’s Gun Violence Prevention EOC. Ms. Heard is committed to equitable community preparedness and culturally competent disaster response. This is evident through her work as a crisis counselor and with the Mayor's Office of Nashville working on the intersection of the educational workforce continuum and the complexity of combined tornado and COVID-19 recovery. With a strong background in working with children in various educational settings across Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Denmark, Ms. Heard has special interest on child-centered emergency management and disaster behavioral health.