Heather Higgins

Heather Higgins
Higgins on the April 21, 2006 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher
Born	September 21, 1959 Atlanta, Georgia
Residence	Manhattan
Occupation	Businessperson, political commentator

Heather Richardson Higgins (born September 21, 1959) is an American businesswoman, political commentator, and non-profit sector executive. She is the president and CEO of Independent Women's Voice, the 501(c)(4) sister organization of the Independent Women's Forum.

Higgins has been associated with a number of different political and policy organizations. These range from non-profit, non-partisan organizations like the Hoover Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations to media organizations with more pronounced political affinities, such as the National Empowerment Television network and Irving Kristol's The Public Interest.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Manhattan, Higgins began her undergraduate studies in 1977 at Wellesley College. She graduated from Wellesley in 1981, earning a B.A. She then moved back to New York City and enrolled in the M.B.A. finance program at New York University's graduate school of business. After leaving NYU for several years to work as a research analyst, marketer, and portfolio manager at a small firm, she resumed her studies there in 1986 and was awarded her graduate degree in 1987. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband James and their three children.

In the 1980s, Higgins began writing editorial columns for the Wall Street Journal. During this time, she also became an assistant editor at Irving Kristol's now-defunct quarterly, The Public Interest. Higgins' editorial writing and policy work have led to appearances on a variety of news/commentary programs, including Hardball with Chris Matthews, Politically Incorrect,Real Time with Bill Maher,Crossfire, Equal Time and Good Morning America. With Newt Gingrich, she co-hosted The Progress Report on the now-defunct National Empowerment Television. When asked about Higgins' television appearances, Bill Maher said, "Oh God, she could talk about anything."