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Samantha Heffernan has always been one to follow her instincts, even when her plans don’t mesh with those of her family’s.
“My father David Heffernan played on the University of Miami’s 1983 championship football team, and my mother Colleen was a UM basketball player,” says Heffernan. “So when I announced my intention to attend Florida State University in 2012, not everyone agreed with my decision.”
She remembers the only time she saw her father wear a Florida State T-shirt.
“Dad had been a starting offensive tackle under the late Coach Howard Schnellenberger and is a dedicated Hurricanes fan. He agreed to wear a Florida State Dad shirt on one particular occasion. I never saw the shirt again,” she says, laughing.
After graduating from Palmetto Senior High School and Florida State University, Heffernan, 27, spent a summer as a marketing intern at the University of Miami. Almost overnight, she realized that her naturally ebullient personality and communication skills were a perfect match for a career in marketing. She hasn’t looked back ever since.
“I fell in love with marketing,” she says. “Even though I didn’t have a marketing degree, I bombarded companies with my resume and followed up with phone calls. I told them ‘I can do this. Just give me a chance’.”
Her persistence paid off, and in 2019 she landed an entry-level job as marketing coordinator at Thornton Construction Company, a full service contracting and construction firm specializing in educational, commercial, and residential development in South Florida (including the addition and renovation of her alma mater, Palmetto Senior High School).
Heffernan quickly learned the ropes of construction marketing and the preparation of proposals and presentations and other materials.
“Sam recently joined our company and in a very short period of time, she was promoted to marketing supervisor,” says Thornton Executive Vice President Dagoberto Diaz. “This was directly due to her focus on exceeding expectation; she works at a high level, but her most important trait is her ability to take on any challenge with a smile and her demeanor to help others to also succeed. She is a vital player in our organization whom has a great opportunity in short order to move up to a senior level.”
Heffernan will begin a two-year Master’s in Business Administration with a specialty in marketing at Barry University in May, 2021. If that isn’t enough, she is also an active member of the National Association of Women in Construction’s Miami Chapter and serves as the marketing chairwoman.
In her rare free hours, Heffernan enjoys fishing with her boyfriend and spending time with her parents and her brothers, Tommy and Sean.
