Michelle Heaton

Michelle Heaton, Ph.D., has over 30 years of experience leading collaborative, community-based initiatives at the intersection of conservation, education, rural development, and systems innovation. As Vice President of Consulting at LegacyWorks Group, she currently leads multi-stakeholder partnerships and national consulting efforts that integrate conservation finance with capacity building and data-informed strategy. As co-founder and director of impactful non-profit organizations in New England and the Rocky Mountains, she elevated local voices while designing and leading educational programs across communities in the U.S. and internationally.  Michelle holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and a Master's degree in Education; her 2020 dissertation, A Pedagogy of Hope: Levers of Change in Place-based Learning Systems, has been downloaded worldwide. 

Michelle lives with her family in Victor, Idaho. Her three children are all graduates of JHCS: Owen (2020), Winter (2022), and Jackson (2024). A former mountain guide, she loves playing in the mountains and completing really hard puzzles.