Kim O’Dell is the director of the Heinz Awards program, one of the projects of the Heinz Family Philanthropies. Presented since 1994 to honor the life’s work of the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz, the $250,000 Awards are among the largest individual achievement prizes.
They recognize remarkable contributions across a spectrum of activity – from the arts and the environment to technology and public policy. In addition to the Awards, Kim runs several other programs, including the John Heinz Senate Fellowship on issues of the Aging and the Teresa Heinz Environmental Scholarships. Prior to the Awards, Kim worked for Senator Heinz and the Heinz family in Washington, DC. She graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in business.