About

Lynnette M. Heard joined AGB as a consultant and senior fellow in June 2019, focusing on AGB’s support of boards of institutionally related foundations and public and private institutions. She specializes in board assessments and facilitating consequential governance programs. In addition, she is the ambassador for both the Council of Board Professionals and the Membership Division, where she aids in advancing AGB’s mission among these key consttituents. She also leads the Board Professionals Certificate Task Force, which delivers an innovative and unique professional development program for board professionals.

Prior to joining AGB, Heard served as executive director and secretary of the board for the University of Cincinnati Foundation, where she was the first executive to hold the post in the foundation’s history. In her role, she brought extensive experience in higher education governance, compliance, strategic planning, and executive leadership. She solidified the governance and compliance protocols, led the board’s first self-assessment, elevated the national presence of the foundation among peer institutions, and successfully chartered and launched the foundation’s engagement and philanthropy legacy initiatives for former board members. Prior to her retirement, she successfully proposed the addition of student trustees to the foundation board and was elected as a trustee emerita.

With more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors, Heard also served the president’s offices at the University of Dayton and Wright State University as the executive director, board secretary, and assistant vice president of student affairs. At the University of Dayton, she aided in the development of an early college high school and served as a lead facilitator for the institution’s reaccreditation. Previously, she was the president and CEO of the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (renamed the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education in 2021), where she developed and delivered the regional consortium’s strategic plan by leveraging scarce institutional resources, advanced collaboration and cooperation among diverse institutions, and improved student access to higher education for more than 20 area community colleges and four-year public and private institutions. While at Wright State University, she served as the principal collaborative officer for the university’s strategic plan, Vision 2020, and directed numerous community and media relations programs.

Previously, Heard served as a board member of AGB’s Board Professionals Leadership Group and the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education. Throughout her life, she has led and continues to serve on numerous international, national, and regional nonprofit boards.

Professional Credentials

Heard received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Wright State University. In addition to completing postgraduate courses and advanced leadership and organizational development certificate programs, she is a certified parliamentarian.