Heather Toney

Elected at age 27, Heather McTeer Toney knows what it means to be a public servant. She was the first African-American, first female and the youngest to serve as Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi from 2004-2012. In 2014, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast Region. Known for her energetic and genuine commitment to people, her work has made her a national figure in the area of public service, environmental justice and community engagement. She currently serves as the Vice President of Community Engagement for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and prior to this role, as Senior Director to Moms Clean Air Force. Together, the organizations represent over 3 million environment allies committed to fighting climate change and protecting children from the dangers of air pollution. Heather has served in several roles throughout her career including as a National Spokeswomen for She Should Run and Past President of the National Conference of Black Mayors. She is an expert on environmental and climate justice with SheSource, a publication of the Women’s Media Center and is often called up for advocacy and training diverse officials on equity in leadership, environment and climate. She has presented in over 15 countries including France, Portugal, Nigeria and Senegal. Heather has the honor of being a named fellow at several institutions, notably a 2021 Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago, Institute of Politics, An EPIC Fellow at the Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago and Elemental Excelerator, a new non-profit model for funding climate tech solutions. Heather has appeared on numerous news outlets and has written for publications including New York Times and the Washington Post. She is a regular columnist for DAME magazine. Most recently, Heather was one of the essayist featured in the breakout climate book of 2020, “All We Can Save”, essays from women at the forefront of the climate movement. Mrs. Toney earned a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and her law degree from Tulane School of Law. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and attends Oxford University United Methodist Church. She is married to Dexter Toney and they have three children.

Community collaboration—Intersecting climate solutions with everyday social justice concerns Tik tok, triathlons and my family 😊

Methane is the earth’s waist trainer. Either we take it off or we pass out.

Swimming, natural hair care and making the perfect skillet of cornbread