Doug Heron

Doug Heron is the Associate Vice President of Duke State Relations.

In his role, Heron serves in a variety of capacities in government relations and as Duke’s registered lobbyist in North Carolina. Heron also leads Duke State Relations, which is responsible for representing the legislative, regulatory and policy interests of Duke University, Duke Health and Duke LifePoint to elected and appointed officials throughout North Carolina. He also serves as Duke’s representative to the Board of Directors for both organizations.

Prior to joining Duke, he worked as a partner and an associate in a government relations practice at a large multistate law firm in Raleigh, NC representing clients on a wide variety of matters, including healthcare and higher education. He also served as the director of government affairs and legislative counsel for the North Carolina Bar Association, and prior to that spent several years lobbying in Washington, DC for a large international law firm. In all, Heron has 25 years of government relations experience with nearly 20 of those years spent lobbying in North Carolina.

Heron previously served as the President of the North Carolina Professional Lobbyists Association, and is the current Chair of the Durham Chamber Public Policy Committee and of the Legislative Committee for the NC Center for Nonprofits.  A graduate of James Madison University, Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson School of Law and the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, Heron is a licensed attorney who achieved the rank of Captain in the US Army Reserves Judge Advocate General Corps. Heron is also a graduate of Leadership North Carolina Class XXV and the Duke Leadership Academy.