Ross DeVol is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer at Heartland Forward, a role he assumed in 2025. Under his leadership, Heartland Forward has launched a series of award-winning research, programs and policy initiatives focused on accelerating economic growth throughout the heartland. In recognition of this work, the organization received the 2025 National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Impact Award for its efforts supporting entrepreneurship. He has been highlighted in Arkansas Money & Politics’ C-Suite, Chief Executive and numerous other publications as a leader in his field. 

Since joining the organization in 2019, DeVol has elevated Heartland Forward’s national profile through strategic media engagement, including quotes in The New York Times, The  Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Axios, as well as op-eds in the Dallas Morning News, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, and Des Moines Register. He has also made numerous television appearances across the Heartland, highlighting the organization’s mission and impact. He has keynoted numerous conferences addressing strategies for boosting state and community economic growth.

Before leading Heartland Forward, DeVol served nearly two decades as Chief Research Officer at the Milken Institute, a globally recognized economic think tank based in California. There, he oversaw research on international, national, and regional economic performance, the role of capital access in job creation and key health-related issues. His thought leadership in these areas earned him recognition as one of the “Superstars of Think Tank Scholars” by The International Economy magazine.