IHEVSD K–12 District
Heather Higdon
Heather Higdon

Heather Higdon

Chief Communications Officer
Board of Education Office

Connect with Heather Higdon

@IHSchools

My #IHPromise – share the magic of the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District.
2025-2026 National Association of School Superintendents National Communication & Community Engagement Award Winner

It was love at first sight.

The top was down; Frank Sinatra was up; the sky was clear blue, and my eyes were moving in amazement across the shadows created by the canopy of tall, green trees that hugged above me. The branches – mature enough to embrace each other from a distance – created a living tunnel over the road I was traveling for the first time – a road that runs through the heart of the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District. While I am originally from the Bluegrass State, that lush green surrounding me felt strangely familiar...almost like home.

It was magical, and a moment I will never forget.

I knew I had discovered a special place. While that first date certainly made a lasting impression, my love of this amazing district has only grown deeper since joining the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District team; the more I learn about the people who work and live here – the more it feels like I am with family.

For me, being a Brave means being a part of a team of professionals – including teachers, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers – who are charged with creating magical, memorable moments for the creative, curious, caring students we are each fortunate to serve. This is a place where smiles are frequent, and questions embraced. This is a place where we are all cared for, and allowed to grow. This is the story I strive to share with our supportive community.

The best part of my day continues to be driving into work, back down those roads I first fell in love with so many years ago – knowing that I am home.

Professional Background

2012-2018: Chief Information Officer, Loveland City School District
2008-2011: Corporate Communicator, Chiquita Brands International & Lexmark International, Inc.
1993-2008: TV Anchor/Reporter, WLEX, WPSD, WSIL, WQTV, Channel One, Los Angeles, California

Snapshot

Began serving the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District: 2018

Education

1998: Murray State University, Summa Cum Laude Graduate, Bachelor's Degree in Journalism

National Awards

  • 2025–2026 National Association of School Superintendents Communication & Community Engagement National Award Winner
  • 2024–2025 National School Public Relations Association National Gold Medallion Award Winner

National Presentations

  • June 2026 — Apple K-12 National Education Cohort: Featured presenter of the power of storytelling (Cupertino, California Corporate Headquarters)
  • September 2025 — National Association of School Superintendents: Featured presenter on leadership (Chicago, Illinois National Conference)
  • October 2024 — AASA, The School Superintendents Association, Innovation for Transformation national educational consortium: Featured presenter on Student Ambassadors program (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Professional Award Overview

Three-time winner of Lexmark corporate recognition award for innovation in public relations campaign, investor relations communications, and for philanthropic communications project management. Three-time winner of Associated Press award including Hard News Feature, TV Series/Documentary, and Best Reporter; one-time winner of Regional Emmy – Breaking News Coverage, multiple winner of WLEX Most Valuable Journalist. Named 2020 Outstanding Community Public Relations Person by OSBA Southwest Region. Won public broadcasting 2020 Blue Chip Award for documentary on Portrait of a Brave: Brave Academics, in 2023 for Indian Hill High School Graduation video, and again in 2024 for Board of Education livestream production. Higdon is the winner of the 2025 National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Gold Medallion Award for her innovative entry, Student Ambassadors: Developing K-12 Communications Experienceships. This top national honor recognizes exemplary, strategic school communication programs and is the only award of its kind in the field of school public relations. Higdon was also recognized as the 2025–2026 National Association of School Superintendents National Communication & Community Engagement Award Winner.