Heidi attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where she earned a degree in English and art history, then moved to Boston, Massachusetts where she worked for Carney & Sandoe Associates, recruiting and placing students, teachers, and administrators in private and independent schools. In 2006 she joined the development team at Middlebury College, where she worked in annual and parent giving roles up until she joined the Shelburne Farms development team.