Heather Reed is the Senior Director HR Business Partner at PayPal and joined our board in 2022. Heather has provided so much support to AST in her time on the board, from sharing her expertise to participating in events and fundraising on AST’s behalf.
Read our interview with Heather below!
Why did you decide to join the AST Board?
As a lifelong professional in Human Resources, I’ve always been passionate about diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging, and creating equitable experiences for all. In 2020, I decided to pursue a Diversity & Inclusion Certification from eCornell. One of my electives was Disability Inclusion. The course impacted me deeply as I learned how much I didn’t know about the disability community and committed to becoming a better ally and advocate in the workplace. I had the opportunity to join our Disability Inclusion Employee Resource Group at work. From there, I volunteered to organize a guest speaker for Autism Acceptance Month which is what led me to find Autism Society of Texas. After two years of partnership, I was delighted and honored to receive an invitation to join the Board. My goal is to continue learning and advocating for the neurodiverse community inside the workplace and in the community.
What do you like most about AST or serving on the Board?
Being on the AST Board perfectly aligns my personal values and goals giving me the opportunity to serve my community while learning how to be a better ally and advocate from professionals, adult advocates and family members closely tied to this community.