FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shawna Ellis
617-876-7700
se@schottfoundation.org

Cambridge, MA — The Schott Foundation is pleased to announce that Heidi Brooks has joined the team as its Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Heidi will provide leadership in the areas of strategic planning, financial management, grants administration and evaluation, ensuring the overall effectiveness of foundation operations.

The daughter of a school teacher, product of public schools and now a Boston Public School parent, Heidi has worked in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Director of Charitable Giving at Citizens Financial Group, where she led the Citizens Charitable Foundation and employee volunteerism programs that served the diverse needs of communities throughout the bank’s 12-state footprint.

Heidi began her career in corporate philanthropy as Director of Community Relations at John Hancock after several years at the Bridgespan Group, a non-profit strategy consulting firm. Heidi also has a strong financial and compliance background having served as an internal auditor for Catholic Relief Services—auditing sectors including health, agriculture, and micro-enterprise in 12 countries in Latin America and Africa.

Heidi earned a bachelor of arts from the University of South Carolina, a master of arts from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

She is Board Chair of Crittenton Women’s Union, a research-driven organization that helps women achieve financial independence, and is treasurer of My Sister’s Keeper, an NGO partnering with South Sudanese women for education and peace. She also sits on the Board of Associated Grantmakers and has served as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Social Innovation Fund.

“We are thrilled to have Heidi join us,” said Schott President and CEO John H. Jackson. “Her years of leadership and financial management experience, along with her shared commitment to our vision for public education, will help Schott more strategically advance our mission to ensure all children have a fair and substantive opportunity to learn.”