Heeten Kalan

Heeten’s relationship with New World Foundation dates back to his college days when one of his mentor’s, a NWF Board member, introduced him to environmental justice issues. After graduating, NWF funded Heeten’s environmental justice work for many years before approaching him to join the Foundation staff.

Prior to becoming the President, Heeten served as Vice President, Director and Senior Program Officer at the foundation. Over the years he has worked closely with allied funders and donors on issues related to fossil fuels, climate change, civic engagement and democracy. 

Having grown up in apartheid South Africa, Heeten works closely with many South African environmental justice organizations and since the fall of the apartheid regime, he has focused his activism on heightening awareness of the links between the environment and all aspects of health, and the broader socio-economic consequences of unjust environmental policies. He also has many years of experience working on human rights issues in northern Ireland witnessing first hand some of the bloody Orange marches of Drumcree along with elements of the peace process.

Among many leadership roles, he has served on the Steering Committee of the Health & Environmental Funders Network (HEFN), the Board Chair of the South Africa Development Fund and the founder of the South African Exchange Program on Environmental Justice, which later became the US office of groundWork, South Africa’s strongest environmental watchdog.

Heeten holds a Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College where he was involved with the anti-apartheid divestment campaign and a Masters in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Heeten is a certified South African Field Guide so that he can take people on safari in the world-renowned Kruger National Park—his favorite part of the world.