Heather McTeer Toney

Heather McTeer Toney is the executive director of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals campaign. Her decades of leadership and service began at age 27 when she became the first African American, first female and youngest person ever elected mayor in Greenville, Mississippi.

Under her leadership, the city emerged from significant debt and focused on sustainable infrastructure repair. In 2014, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast Region. Before joining Beyond Petrochemicals, Heather served in leadership roles at Moms Clean Air Force and Environmental Defense Fund. 

In 2023, her book Before the Streetlights Come On: Black America’s Urgent Call for Climate Solutions was published by Broadleaf Books. Heather holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Spelman College in Atlanta and a law degree from the Tulane University School of Law.