Heidi McPherson has almost 20 years professional experience in public health and community development, serving in local, national, and international roles. She is passionate about catalyzing collective capacity for improved population health systems and outcomes. Heidi started her public health career working throughout the Americas with Amigos de las Americas. Then she served on the American Heart Association's team working in Houston and beyond. During her time with American Heart Association, she developed a statewide strategy to improve hypertension control across patient population and she served as co-lead for the Health Equity. It is this role that brought her to UTHealth School of Public Health and the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, where her focus is on further developing the impact of this collective effort. Heidi has extensive experience building collaborations with healthcare, public health, corporate, and community partners in building cultures of health. In addition to co-leading the Health Equity Collective, Heidi serves on several health coalitions, including Houston Business Coalition on Health, Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB), Be Well Acres Homes, Cities Changing Diabetes, and the Greater Houston Partnership. On a personal note, Heidi enjoys running, tango, birdwatching, reading, and exploring the world and the backyard with her family. Originally from Hawaii, Heidi has enjoyed living in Texas for more than 20 years.