An Illinois-based legal professional with over three decades of experience, Robert Heist has served as the principal attorney at R. Connor and Associates, PC, since 2001. Alongside his work as an executive corporate attorney, Robert Heist previously served as chairman of the board of managers of Milton Hershey School, which recently launched an early childhood education initiative.
Launched with the support of the Hershey Trust Company, the Milton Hershey School's early education initiative aims to open up to six early childhood resource centers (ECRCs) in Pennsylvania. When completed, the centers will provide early learning programs to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds build the educational, social, emotional, and cognitive skills needed to succeed in school. The centers will also provide support services such as nutritious meals and transportation.
The first of the ECRCs will be built on the Milton Hershey School campus, and a second center will be located in Harrisburg. The locations for the remaining centers in the $350 million initiative have yet to be determined. Construction of the ECRCs will take place over the next several years, through approximately 2026. When completed, each center will operate as a subsidiary of Milton Hershey School.
