Heather Richardson Higgins (born September 21, 1959) is an American businesswoman, political commentator, and non-profit sector executive. She is the CEO of Independent Women's Voice and chairman of its sister organization, Independent Women's Forum, organizations that are designed to promote traditional, conservative values. Higgins has been associated with a number of different political and policy organizations. These range from non-profit, non-partisan organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations to those with more pronounced conservative political affinities, such as the Hoover Institute, National Empowerment Television network, and Irving Kristol's The Public Interest. Personal background Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Manhattan, New York City, Higgins began her undergraduate studies in 1977 at Wellesley College. She graduated cum laude from Wellesley in 1981, earning a B.A. She then moved back to New York City and enrolled in the M.B.A. finance program at New York University's graduate school of business. After leaving NYU for several years to work as a research analyst, marketer, and portfolio manager at a small firm, she resumed her studies there in 1986 and was awarded her graduate degree in 1987. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband James and their three children. Journalist and commentator In the 1980s, Higgins began writing editorial columns for the Wall Street Journal. During this time, she also became an assistant editor at Irving Kristol's now-defunct quarterly, The Public Interest. Higgins' editorial writing and policy work have led to appearances on a variety of news/commentary programs, including Hardball with Chris Matthews, Politically Incorrect, Real Time with Bill Maher, Crossfire, Equal Time and Good Morning America. With Newt Gingrich, she co-hosted The Progress Report on the now-defunct National Empowerment Television. When asked about Higgins' television appearances, Bill Maher said, "Oh God, she could talk about anything." Higgins was co-editor of The Quotable Paul Johnson (1994), a book of collected quotations from the popular historian. Investment career Before Higgins' 1991 entry into the non-profit sector, she worked as a Wall Street portfolio manager for seven years, eventually attaining the position of vice president of U.S. Trust before it became a subsidiary of the Charles Schwab Corporation. On February 3, 2006, she was elected to be a Director and Trustee of sixteen of UBS's registered investment companies, which consisted of thirty-six mutual funds as of January 2007. Non-profit roles and policy work Higgins has been heavily involved with non-profit organizations. She is chairman and