About William Heckman

William C. Heckman, M.S, NBCT, DAIS Will Heckman joined The American Institute of Stress in 2019 in the position of Executive Director. As such he plays a pivotal role in steering the organization towards its mission of stress awareness and mitigation, making a lasting impact on both national and global levels. In March of 2020 Will founded AIS's podcast, Finding Contentment, hosting more than 65 episodes and adding more monthly. In that capacity Will leads discussions on stress management, well-being, and related topics with some of stress medicine’s leading scholars and personalities. In addition, he moderates AIS webinars, cultivating insightful dialogues in more than 20 sessions to date. As the AIS webmaster, Will utilizes his technical proficiency to support the Institute's premiere position in the field by publishing blogs and updating stress management research. He has three decades of experience in education, earning his MS in Library Media Science from Nova Southeastern University in 1994. In 2007 Will earned National Board Certification as a teacher for Library Media from early childhood through young adult. As an educator, Will has been trained and is an expert in bibliotherapy to help children and young adults overcome stress-related problems. He established bibliotherapy centers in several public schools. Will has authored numerous articles on stress and education. His insights have been frequently cited in the national media. He has also been a presenter at educational technology conferences, and a book reviewer for a national publication. As a former New York City police officer in the early 1980’s, he received training in behavioral psychology that provided him with a unique perspective on stress management. His background and education enable him to quickly recognize and adeptly diffuse a wide array of stressful situations. This hands-on experience has not only shaped his understanding of stress but also fueled his passion for exploring effective strategies to alleviate it. Mr. Heckman has been a member of MENSA for 35 years, and as a motorcycle enthusiast he founded The Knights MRC, a national motorcycle organization in 2012.