Stephen Heintz joined the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) in February 2001 as its fourth president.  Founded in 1940 by the sons and daughter of John D. Rockefeller Jr., the RBF is an international foundation supporting social change to help build a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Through its Peace and Security Program, the RBF supports efforts to reduce the divisive and destabilizing tensions that exist between much of the global Muslim community and the West, particularly the United States, and to increase the potential for collaboration among Muslim and Western societies on behalf of a better, safer world.

Before joining the RBF, Mr. Heintz held top leadership positions in both the nonprofit and public sectors. Most recently, Mr. Heintz was Founding President of Dēmos: A Network for Ideas & Action. Dēmos is a public policy research and advocacy organization working to enhance the vitality of American democracy and promote more broadly shared economic prosperity. Mr. Heintz also served as chair of the board of trustees of Dēmos for eight years.

Prior to founding Dēmos, Mr. Heintz served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the EastWest Institute (EWI), where he worked on issues of economic reform, civil society development, and international security. Based in Prague, Czech Republic from 1990 through 1997, Mr. Heintz worked extensively throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States.

Mr. Heintz devoted the first fifteen years of his career to politics and government service in the State of Connecticut, where he served as Commissioner of Economic Development (1988-1990) and Commissioner of Social Welfare (1983-1988). In 1988, he helped draft and secure passage by Congress of “The Family Support Act,” the first major effort to reform the nation’s welfare system.

Articles written by Mr. Heintz have appeared in The International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal Europe and several books and journals. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Yale University. Heintz serves on the boards of the EastWest Institute, the Asian Cultural Council, Independent Sector, and the Center for Effective Philanthropy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.