Katie Atwater Hecklinger
Chief Executive Officer
Katie Hecklinger joined BlackRock in 2019 as Director of Education after more than 22 years as an educator, consulting teacher, curriculum developer, and Assistant Principal in the Montgomery County Public Schools. Katie’s significant contributions to MCPS included the creation of arts integration in “Curriculum 2.0,” serving on the equity and diversity task force, and ending her service with four years as Assistant Principal of Chevy Chase Elementary School. Katie joined BlackRock and immediately revitalized its educational programming, including the “BlackRock in a Box” program that delivered virtual arts education and supplies during the early days of the pandemic – reaching students with arts integrated literacy and well-being best practices. Katie has built strong partnerships with arts organizations to combine efforts in reaching a broader community, understanding that the arts are essential. Katie became Chief Program Officer in January of 2021 to oversee all gallery, educational, and performing arts programming at BlackRock. Katie looks forward to furthering BlackRock’s mission to make arts and art education accessible to all and to establishing BlackRock as a truly inclusive community resource in the region.
Katie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from University of Maryland College Park, a Master of Science degree in Educational Technology Leadership from George Washington University, and a Certification in Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University. Katie recently completed the year-long Leadership Montgomery CORE program and has deep ties in the area, including being among the first graduating class at Quince Orchard High School. Katie serves on the Board of Trustees for two local communities, Darnestown Swim and Raquet Club, as well as the Barnesville School of Arts and Sciences. Katie is an accomplished classical voice performer, and sang with the Master Chorale of Washington, a symphonic choral ensemble in Washington, D.C. for 10 years.
