Leadership Team
Heather Towsley, MAPC
Founder & Inventor | President & CEO
Heather is a dynamic and versatile leader with experience across multiple industries and job functions. She has a history of working with mission-based companies that are proactively strengthening and protecting communities, infrastructure, and Earth's natural resources.
She brings over 25 years of experience as a marketing strategist working with start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She has the proven ability to attract and mentor high-performance teams, build brand equity, and achieve accelerated growth.
Heather is an award-winning communications expert with a unique career that spans both the public and private sectors. Her political career started when she earned a U.S. Congressional scholarship followed by a decade working on Capitol Hill in national politics. She also served four years as a political appointee on the Parks & Recreation Commission for the City of San Marcos in Southern California.
In the private sector, her background includes owning and operating a marketing agency that introduced Starbucks to America and overseeing the execution of strategic marketing programs for global brands including iconic global retailer Gap, the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) -- the largest pharmaceutical trade association in the U.S. -- and NEC, the multinational IT, electronics and semiconductor manufacturer.
Heather earned a Master’s degree in Public Communications from American University where she was profiled for her thesis on "social networks as the most viable alternative for businesses to reach customers in the future" which she wrote before social media was conceived. She earned her Bachelor’s degree with honors in Political Science from the University of Arizona.
She leads the cross-functional operations and strategic execution of Fireguardia’s objectives.