Dead Sea Scrolls Grand Opening Gala

Heather Headley was born and spent most of her childhood on the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad. The family moved to the United States in the early 90’s where Heather’s love for the arts continued. In 1997, she won the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of the Elton John and Tim Rice’s Tony-winning musical The Lion King. In Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, her portrayal of the Nubian princess won the praise of critics and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She also received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. That year she was listed as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and Essence Magazine’s 30 Women to Watch. In 2012 she starred in The Bodyguard in London’s West End, where she gained the critics' praise and a new fan base overseas.

Heather continued her musical success on the pop charts with her 2002 debut album on RCA Records, This Is Who I Am, earning her numerous accolades, including Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. She returned in 2006 with In My Mind, her second solo album. The opening title tune single became her first #1 hit, topping the Dance and R&B charts. In 2009 she released Audience of One, which won the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album, and in 2012 she released Only One in the World.

Heather returned to Broadway in 2016 starring in the Tony Award winning The Color Purple in the role of Shug Avery. In 2018 she had a recurring role on Chicago Med playing Gwen Garrett, and in 2021 she won the critics' praise for her role of the witch in the New York City Center’s production of Into the Woods. Heather can currently be seen as a series regular on the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias.

Steve Green became president of Hobby Lobby in 2004 and has helped grow their family business to close to 1,000 stores in 48 states, opening an average of 40 stores per year and employing over 45,000 people companywide, with $7.5 billion in annual sales in 2024. On August 3, 1972, Steve’s father, David, began operating Hobby Lobby in six hundred square feet of retail space located in north Oklahoma City. Steve took on a variety of roles over the years as the business grew into the large corporation it is today.

In Green’s role as co-founder and chairman of the board of Museum of the Bible, he helped create the 430,000-square-foot museum dedicated to a scholarly and engaging presentation of the Bible's impact, history, and narrative. It opened in November 2017 in Washington, DC, three blocks from the US Capitol. 

Steve has added the titles of speaker and author to his resume, penning Faith in America (2011) and The Bible in America (2013), which explore the history and impact of the Bible in today’s world, and, most recently, This Beautiful Book (2020), which shows how the books and stories of the Bible come together to tell one overarching story.

Steve and Jackie Green have been married for 40 years. Jackie Green is a full-time homemaker who relishes her roles of wife, mother to six children, mother-in-law, and “Gigi” to eight grandchildren. She is actively involved in philanthropic efforts with non-profit organizations around the country, as well as continuing to serve in different roles at Museum of the Bible and in her community.  She is also a founder of Women of Legacy, an effort to help women discover and leave a meaningful legacy for future generations. She has taken on the role of co-founder of Museum of the Bible, author, and speaker since 2010, and together, Steve and Jackie authored This Dangerous Book (2017). Jackie authored Only One Life (2018) with their daughter Lauren McAfee, with a Bible study entitled Legacy (2019).