Heather Anckner

Passion, drive, and a deep compassion for customers and employees… these words begin to describe Heather Whitney Anckner.

Often confused as her middle name, Whitney is her maiden name, tying her back to her start in the transportation industry. Heather excels at tying the past to the future; bringing organizations from deeply historic roots to a progressive business emerging from today to tomorrow.

Heather’s management and training style adjusts to fit the needs of the individual.  Just as no two snowflakes are the same, neither are two people.  A systematic review of a client’s goals is followed by an in-depth conversation with the employee or customer.  Once Heather understands the employee’s or customer’s goals, it is then that a thorough development plan can be written.  The plan is reviewed with both the client and the subject of the plan to ensure buy-in is achieved at all levels.  Implementation is a steady and progressive process.  Periodic reviews are standard with follow-up an integral part of the process.

About her accomplishments:

Heather has built several successful commercial teams, with team members of varying experience; from no industrial experience to 40+ years of professional railroad experience.  She firmly believes that one learns from all levels of an organization and all levels of experience.

Heather has designed and implemented new sales manager training programs while leading an eight railroad territory at RailAmerica.  The training process was incorporated across the organization and held semi-annually at the corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, FL.

She has proven that she can quickly enter a territory, assess both the customers and company employees in order to develop and implement sales and marketing plans.  Her strategic plans at RailAmerica and Patriot Rail led to increased sales, development of sales managers and provided an integrated process allowing Operations and Sales to quickly work more efficiently toward the common cause of growing revenue.

While at Waste Management, Heather led the Media and Community Relations efforts for a 51 county territory in North Florida.  As the primary media contact for the area, she recognized the need to quickly respond to media inquiries and direct the story in the direction that best suits the client, through carefully crafting the client’s response.  Heather identified the need to train all members of management in Crisis Communications.  She implemented Key Messaging Boot Camps; training the Operations Managers in crafting key messages for media interviews during States of Emergency.

About her education:

Heather graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing. Her Bachelor’s degree was completed in three years while working to support herself through college.  It was more about her eagerness to begin doing what she loved, versus an academic need to overload.  One will find that Heather’s intellect is matched by her dedication, passion and integrity, all traits that Heather carries with her to every job.  Clients can expect no less.

A search for warm weather and desire to experience a different way of life drove her south, to Florida, where she completed her MBA at the University of North Florida.  She worked as a graduate assistant in Logistics while concentrating her studies on International Business and Finance.  Her International Business studies allowed her the opportunity to participate in study abroad course offerings in London, England and Tours, France.  These courses introduced her to a fundamental truth, though customs and business etiquette changes from country to country, from community to community, it is all the same.  Businesses succeed through thoughtful, strategic and earnest planning and execution, through being mindful of their audience, as well as their employees.