Heidi Glatfelter Schlag is a marketer, history lover, and traveler who founded Culture-Link Communications to help heritage and cultural organizations build their brands and expand their reach. With 25 years of experience in nonprofit marketing and communications, Heidi is on a mission to make heritage tourism the next big travel trend.

A strategic thinker and storyteller, Heidi combines data-driven insights with creative narratives to engage audiences and drive support for history and heritage organizations. As Director of Marketing and Communications for the C&O Canal Trust, she used both traditional and digital media to raise the Trust’s profile across communities along the 184.5-mile canal. Her C&O Canal Explorer mobile app won the Public Lands Alliance’s 2018 Partnership Award for Most Innovative Product, reflecting her commitment to innovative solutions in the heritage travel space.

Heidi now consults with history museums, heritage areas, scenic byways, Main Street programs, and destination marketing organizations (DMOs), encouraging them to unite in attracting heritage travelers eager to experience the places, stories, and cultures that shape a region’s identity.

She holds a B.A. in Communications Studies from Susquehanna University, an M.S. in Communications Management from Towson University, and is earning her Certified Interpretative Planner (CIP) credential from the National Association of Interpretation. She lives in “hip and historic” Frederick, MD, with her husband and two dogs.