Heath Clayton

Heath Clayton serves as a Part-Time Adjunct Professor in the Department of Management, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship at Southern Methodist University, bringing over two decades of cross-sector executive experience to his academic role. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, he integrates his government, corporate, and nonprofit leadership background into his teaching and community initiatives.

His educational foundation includes an MS in Public Policy & Management from Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, completed through a Tribal Affairs Fellowship.

Clayton's research and professional focus centers on systemic social impact solutions, particularly corporate social responsibility frameworks that empower underserved populations including Native Americans, military veterans, and professional athletes. His work bridges public policy implementation with corporate resource mobilization for workforce development, emphasizing community-led approaches in indigenous education and healthcare access.

His distinguished recognitions include:

• Presidential Leadership Scholar (2022) collaborating with former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush
• Tribal Affairs Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University

Clayton currently leads as Executive Officer of the National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education (a Congressionally-chartered foundation) and chairs boards for Out for Undergrad and Texas Native Health. His grant-funded initiatives at Texas Native Health provide free medical services through Indian Health Service partnerships, while his National Fund role supports Bureau of Indian Education schools nationwide. He has pioneered corporate volunteerism models at Deloitte and JPMorgan Chase to drive community impact.

His global perspective, shaped by travel to over 100 countries, directly informs his approach to designing culturally responsive programs across his academic, corporate, and nonprofit leadership roles.