Official Support Network
Thomas Croft is the Executive Director of the Steel Valley Authority (SVA). His previous works include Up from Wall Street: The Responsible Alternative. (Cosimo Books, 2009). Forward by Richard Trumka; “Targeted Responsible Investments,” a chapter in The Next Generation of Responsible Investing, Edited by Tessa Hebb. (2011, Springer Publishing); “Helping Workers’ Capital Work Harder: A Report on Global Economically Targeted Investments (ETIs).” (2009). A Report Commissioned by the Global Unions Committee on Workers’ Capital (CWC), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); “Collaboration Between Labor, Academics and Community Activists to Advance Labor/Capital Strategies.” A Chapter in Money on the Line: Workers’ Capital in Canada. (2003, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). Isla Carmichael and Jack Quarter, Editors. Heartland previously commissioned Working Capital: The Power of Labor’s Capital (2001, Cornell University), edited by Tessa Hebb, et al. Forward by Leo Gerard. Tom has also authored numerous articles over the years.
Heartland Team
Alaa Mohamed is a strategist and facilitator with deep experience in stakeholder engagement, equitable program design, and organizational planning. She currently serves as Managing Director of the Heartland Capital Network, where she advances innovative finance and workforce strategies by connecting investment, labor, business, and community leaders. Previously, Alaa was a Senior Program Manager at Burch Energy, leading equity-centered program delivery, and served the City of Pittsburgh as Senior Civic Innovation Specialist and Policy Coordinator in the Mayor’s Office of Equity. In these roles, she designed and facilitated cross-sector coalitions, guided citywide strategic initiatives, and managed stakeholder engagement processes that advanced immigrant inclusion, digital equity, and small business development. With a background in public management and sociology (MPM, Carnegie Mellon University), Alaa brings a people-centered approach to strategic planning, rooted in principles of justice and community voice. She specializes in designing participatory processes, conducting stakeholder interviews and focus groups, and producing clear, actionable plans that center equity and accountability.
Ramsay Merritt Stevens works at the intersection of labor, capital, and community development, advancing high-road strategies that strengthen responsible construction practices and expand investment in the real economy. For more than a decade, he has worked for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association to advance projects and policies that drive growth, innovation, and opportunity within the organized electrical industry. As a long-time advisor to Heartland, Ramsay contributes to our efforts advocating for labor’s capital, education and policy initiatives, and expanding capital access aligned with durable, high-road economic outcomes.
Betony Jones is a nationally recognized leader in climate and economic policy, known for transforming ambitious climate goals into real economic opportunities for workers, businesses, and communities. At Heartland, Betony will help advance our mission of mobilizing responsible capital for durable, high-road investments that rebuild communities, strengthen local economies, and empower workers. With a career spanning government, academia, and consulting, she has driven innovation through policy design, cross-sector partnerships, and groundbreaking frameworks like the Community Benefits Plans. As Labor Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Energy Jobs at the U.S. Department of Energy, Jones played a pivotal role in aligning federal energy investments with workforce needs, ensuring inclusive job creation and long-term resilience. Prior to founding Inclusive Economics, she held influential roles at UC Berkeley’s Labor Center and the Sierra Business Council, where she integrated climate action with economic development and quality jobs. Her career began in the Clinton White House and is marked by a relentless focus on scalable, high-impact solutions. With degrees from Yale and the University of Michigan, Jones continues to shape policy through research, coalition-building, and a commitment to inclusive progress.
Carrie Mihalko is a senior manager with over 20 years of experience in project management, digital marketing, and nonprofit leadership. As the Managing Director for the SVA, she has spent the past decade overseeing fiscal management, grant writing, fundraising, and digital strategy. Her expertise includes building strategic partnerships, launching statewide initiatives, and managing multimillion-dollar budgets. Carrie holds an M.A. in Public Relations from Full Sail University, a B.S. in Communications from Duquesne University, and certificates in nonprofit management, project management, SEO, and Power BI. She is skilled in Salesforce, Wix, Canva, and Microsoft 365, and has a robust portfolio of articles, videos, reports, and websites.
Heartland Partners
