Jim Heinen

Mr. Heinen serves as Chief Operating Officer of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, with executive responsibility for the temporal administration and operational stewardship of a historic 100-year-old Neo-Georgian campus encompassing 1,100 acres, five bridges, and a Class II dam. His portfolio includes strategic and capital planning; finance and accounting; facilities and real estate; art and cultural patrimony; environmental stewardship; information technology; nutrition services; and conference center and lodging operations.

He provides institution-wide legal, fiduciary, and risk oversight in support of the University’s canonical obligations and civil responsibilities and serves as the principal operational liaison and delegated conduit to the Archdiocese, ensuring alignment with ecclesial governance, canonical norms, fiduciary accountability, and the mission of priestly formation. In this role, he works closely with diocesan leadership to support transparency, stewardship of temporal goods, and the long-term sustainability of the institution in service to the Church.

Mr. Heinen brings extensive executive leadership experience across the private, public, higher education, and not-for-profit sectors. His expertise includes large and mid-scale institutional operations, real estate development, facilities and asset management, capital planning, environmental sustainability, and organizational leadership.
He joined the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to USML, he served as Chief Operating and Strategy Officer and Vice President of Operations and Business Strategy at Goodwill Columbus, and as Director and General Manager with Campus Partners at The Ohio State University. Earlier in his career, he spent more than 25 years with CB Richard Ellis and Marriott International in senior executive leadership roles. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for prudent stewardship, operational discipline, collaborative leadership, and a sustained commitment to mission-driven service.