Heath Heikkila
Government Affairs
Heath works at the intersection of government, policy, and communications advocating for solutions to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most challenging natural resource issues. Heath is passionate about the things that make the Northwest a great place to live, work, and play – and working with AFRC to promote ideas and policies to make it even better.
Heath graduated from Eastern Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and served as aide in the Washington State Senate before spending 8 years in Washington, D.C. working in both the public and private sectors. He served as a Policy Advisor at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he primarily focused on Western environmental and fisheries issues, including Pacific salmon recovery efforts and endangered species act consultations on various activities in the region.
Having worked professionally and continuing to split his time between both Washingtons – Washington State and Washington, D.C. – Heath has an appreciation for the uniqueness of the Pacific Northwest and the complexity of the issues that impact AFRC’s members and their local communities. When he isn’t working, you’ll probably find him spending time with his family, coaching or cheering for his daughters’ youth soccer teams, or embarking on an occasional salmon fishing trip. Heath and his family reside in Washington State.