Heather Hicks

National Trainer

Heather Hicks, Master Trainer, is the Director of the Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network. As Director, she oversees and manages the services provided to licensed childcare agencies in all 95 counties. Heather began working with the Protective Factors Framework in 2008 as the Strengthening Families Coordinator with CCR&R. Her work included integrating the Strengthening Families principles into existing trainings, mentoring, and peer learning groups for early childhood educators, coordinating the development of parent education materials and activities, and identifying quality practices for community relationship.

Before joining the Tennessee CCR&R Network and Signal Centers, she served as Project Manager at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for an Early Educator Professional Development Award from the US Department of Education that focused on oral language and early literacy development. She has co-authored chapters and presented at national, state and local conferences on her work with early childhood educators.

Heather has a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Tennessee. She and her husband Jim have two sons, Michael and AJ, who keep them on their toes. If asked Heather, will tell you that every child deserves a Protective Factor Superhero in their life.