Heather Penczak

Director of Innovation Heather Penczak has focused much of her career on ensuring students have the skills, network, and experiences necessary to succeed in college and professional settings. Heather leads statewide efforts in work-based learning through the Illinois Work-Based Learning Innovation Network and provides technical assistance to communities for pathways implementation. Heather also supports competency-based education projects related to implementing Illinois’ Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Act.

A certified teacher in secondary education, Heather earned a Master of Education Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University.