Heidi Kato, MPA, serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Heartland Whole Health Institute and formerly supported the Alice L. Walton Foundation in strategy and operational efficiencies. Most recently, Kato was Chief of Staff to the Founding Dean and CEO of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. In this role, she served as counsel to the Dean and facilitated cross-functional projects, liaising with senior leadership and their teams. Kato had oversight of Board operations and led a range of school-wide initiatives.

Prior to this role, Kato was Chief Administration Officer at The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in Los Angeles, where she led grant operations and ensured organizational workflow was aligned with key priorities. She also led key Foundation initiatives including the stakeholder conversations to develop a grantmaking strategy focused on underserved communities.

Kato received a Bachelor of Arts from California State Polytechnic University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy.