Heather Reynolds is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW), where she leads the strategic direction of the Fort Worth–based, $32 million nonprofit serving tens of thousands of individuals and families each year across the 28-county Diocese of Fort Worth. CCFW delivers direct services, innovative poverty solutions, and income-generating social enterprises rooted in a relentless commitment to ending poverty—meeting families in the crisis they face today while building real, long-term pathways out of poverty.

Reynolds returned to CCFW in 2026 after seven years advancing the fight against poverty on a national scale at the University of Notre Dame, where she served as the Michael L. Smith Managing Director at the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO). There, she helped grow LEO from a $1.5 million operation to more than $10 million annually, all in service to a mission grounded in rigor, evidence, and scaling what works.

Prior to Notre Dame, Reynolds spent 17 years at Catholic Charities Fort Worth, beginning her career as an intern at age 22 and becoming President and CEO at just 25. Under her leadership, CCFW transitioned from a primarily federally funded organization to one fueled by private philanthropy and bold vision. She led the organization toward a “both/and” approach— responding to immediate hardship while building long-term, research-backed solutions—work that laid the foundation for Padua® and Stay the Course®, nationally recognized models designed to help families escape poverty.

A nationally recognized voice on poverty and nonprofit strategy, Reynolds is known for challenging assumptions, pushing teams to innovate, and pursuing the relentless and often audacious goal of ending poverty. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI, the Center for Nonprofit Management’s Nonprofit CEO of the Year, and TCU’s Social Work Alumnae of the Year award.

Reynolds holds a Bachelor of Social Work and an Executive MBA from Texas Christian University, as well as a Master of Social Work from The University of Texas at Arlington.