Heather Kainz

Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities

Council Chair and Public Policy Committee Chair

Heather graduated cum laude from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where she focused on elder law, disability law, health law, and personal injury. During law school, she clerked at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid’s Disability Law Center, served on the Mitchell Hamline Law Review, worked as a research assistant at the Public Health Law Center, and provided more than 50 hours of pro bono service. She received the Minnesota Women Lawyers’ annual Social Justice Writing Award for her work to eliminate the subminimum wage for people with disabilities.

Serving and helping others is central to Heather’s work. Appointed by the governor, she chairs the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and its Public Policy Committee. She also serves on the Minnesota Rare Disease Advisory Council. Previously, she served as a delegate to the legislative task force on guardianship and is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking, an advocacy training program that helped shape her career. Heather is a co-founder and past director of ReNU Syndrome United, a founding board member of the International Neuronal Heterotopia Foundation, and a member of the leadership committee of Disability Voice Advocates.

Outside of work, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and creative pursuits.