Heather Iliff

Heather Iliff is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Maryland Nonprofits, where she has served since 2014. Under her leadership, Heather has guided the organization through a significant transformation, increasing membership by 40% and more than doubling the size of the organization.

She realigned the organization’s strategic focus towards equity and quality of life, significantly enhancing its impact in equitable public policy, capacity building and collaboration in the nonprofit sector. Her tenure has seen successful integrations with the Maryland Association of Resources for Families and Youth (MARFY) and Maryland Latinos Unidos, expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness.

Heather has been devoted to Maryland Nonprofits since 2007 in various roles, including Vice President and Director of Consulting. Prior roles include serving as an elected Member of the Board of Education, Prince George’s County, Deputy Director of Alliance for Nonprofit Management, and Assistant Director of the Institute for Educational Policy at Open Society Institute – Budapest. Heather served on the transition team for Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman.

Heather is a Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant. She holds an M.A. in Political Science from Central European University and a B.A. in International Studies from The American University in Washington, D.C. Her influential work in the nonprofit sector was recognized when she was celebrated by I95 Business magazine as a 2024 Woman of Influence and as among Influential Marylanders by The Daily Record in 2024.