Heather Bourgeois is the Executive Director of the Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge, where she provides strategic and operational leadership for the congregation and its early learning center. She oversees the organization’s budget and works closely with the Board of Directors, Foundation, staff, and community to strengthen the organization and create meaningful experiences for its members.

Heather has spent more than 15 years working in education and nonprofit leadership, with a career focused on building strong organizations and helping people grow. Before joining UJCBR, she spent nearly a decade at Louisiana Key Academy, where she helped build a public charter school from the ground up around a simple premise: design a school around the science of dyslexia and align every part of the organization to that purpose. From admissions to instruction, teacher training, and financial strategy, the school developed its own playbook grounded in the needs of dyslexic students. As Principal and Chief Operations Officer, Heather helped lead the organization through rapid growth, doubling enrollment, strengthening its financial position, and securing authorization for a second campus.

At the heart of Heather’s work is a passion for developing leaders and bringing people together to solve problems, try new things, and accomplish more than they thought possible. She especially values the creativity and energy that come from working with a talented team. Her years in education have given her a deep and lasting commitment to improving the lives of individuals with dyslexia, a mission that continues to be an important part of both her professional and personal life.

Heather holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science in Music from Guilford College. But her real education has come from working with her community and colleagues, who have taught her the value of listening, laughing at yourself, teamwork, and showing up every day, open to the unexpected adventures that await.

Outside of work, she enjoys reading, walking, and a good art project. She lives in Baton Rouge with her husband, Brook, and their two children, Lucy and Nathan, who are, above all, the very best part of her life.