Michael (ChE 1969) and Barbara Heffner
When Michael Heffner (ChE 1969) was six years old, he received his first chemistry set and nearly set his bedroom on fire. But the mishap did little to diminish his early fascination with science and mathematics.
Growing up in Miami, Florida, he'd only left the state once before enrolling at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1964. He eventually became a world traveler, as his education helped prepare him for a career in the international energy industry, with assignments in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa.
"We've become citizens of the world," Heffner said of his experiences abroad with his wife, Barbara.
Choosing Tech
Because of his interest in math and science, Heffner said, “It was clear that I needed to become an engineer.”
Georgia Tech had mainly been on his radar due to the “aura it had back in the 1960s with the Ramblin’ Wreck and Bobby Dodd coaching a great football team.”
However, he didn’t apply until he learned from friends who later became fraternity brothers about Tech’s co-op program, which could help cover his expenses.
“I quickly applied, and the rest is history,” he said.
Soon after gaining admittance to Georgia Tech, Heffner won a full-ride scholarship to the University of Florida. “But I had already committed to Tech, and I was not about to change my mind,” he said.
Initially an aerospace engineering major, Heffner changed direction in 1966 after taking organic chemistry with Professor Charles Liotta, prompting him to switch to the School of Chemical Engineering (now Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering).
In 2025, Heffner had the chance to reconnect with Liotta, now a professor emeritus, at Georgia Tech Homecoming. “I described my career, and he was thrilled to hear how organic chemistry had led into chemical engineering, taking me on an incredible journey in life.”
From Engineering to Business
After graduating in 1969, Heffner joined Bechtel Corporation's refinery and chemical division in San Francisco as a cost engineer, helping estimate and manage the expenses associated with major projects.
"I didn't know what a cost engineer did at first, but the job got me to San Francisco, which was a prime motivator," he said.
His decade with Bechtel included assignments in Edmonton, Alberta, where temperatures sometimes plunged to 40 degrees below zero — a dramatic change from his Miami upbringing.
After 10 years at Bechtel, he found himself increasingly drawn to the business side of operations. He decided to pursue an MBA full time at Rice University.
Upon completion of the degree in 1981, Heffner joined Standard Oil of Ohio, working on oilfield development in Alaska's Prudhoe Bay. The company was later acquired by British Petroleum (BP), opening the door to an international career.
“That’s when the real adventures began, taking us to places we never imagined,” he said.
An International Career
At BP, Heffner’s responsibilities expanded beyond engineering and project management into environmental regulation, government relations, and international business development.
He said an early assignment involving negotiations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency helped establish his reputation for working effectively with government officials. That ability became particularly valuable as his career took him overseas.
From 1992 to 1996, Heffner managed joint venture relationships for a $2 billion oil and gas development in Colombia. The position required extensive interaction with government officials and business partners.
“I had to become quite fluent in Spanish because of all the government meetings,” he said. “I took Spanish lessons every day for five years so I could negotiate in the language.”
His final assignment was as president of BP Algeria from 1996 to 2001, overseeing more than $5 billion in energy assets.
Michael Heffner's international business career fueled his passion for travel (here pictured in Bali).
In Algeria, Heffner learned French to help navigate the country's complex business and political environment and work with government officials to advance major energy developments.
He and his wife, Barbara, also participated in community improvement efforts, including projects that brought solar electricity and water wells to remote communities in the Sahara Desert.
“My wife is an adventurer,” he said. “If it’s slightly dangerous, that makes it more interesting to her.”
Citizens of the World
The Heffners took advantage of their years living in Colombia, England, and Algeria to explore neighboring countries and experience different cultures.
“So far, we have visited almost every country in Central and South America, most of Europe, and some of Africa,” Mike Heffner said.
“These experiences transformed us into ‘citizens of the world’ where one realizes that people are the same everywhere. The family is everything. People everywhere just want to live in peace and harmony. They want their kids to be educated so they can live a better life than their parents.”
The couple shares a particular affection for Bogotá, Colombia, where they maintain friendships more than 25 years after leaving.
Michael Heffner sailing in Bali
Michael and Barbara Heffner snorkeling with a stingless jellyfish in Palau on one of their favorite trips
A New Chapter
By 2001, the couple realized they missed their friends back in the United States and needed to spend more time with their aging parents.
“So, we decided to at least experiment with retirement,” he said. “We had a home in Walnut Creek, California, that we planned to return to but the rental tenants still had six months left on their lease, so we chose Reno, Nevada, as a temporary place to camp. It had all the things we loved – skiing, hiking, biking, golf, a university, and an NPR station.”
Within a few weeks, they decided to find a home there. “The house we live in today is the first one we looked at almost exactly 25 years ago.”
While Heffner anticipated a more leisurely life, retirement hardly meant slowing down for him. He became involved with the University of Nevada, Reno, serving on its College of Engineering advisory board. He also joined the advisory board of the local NPR station and spent years in leadership roles with his homeowners association.
But he’s beginning to pare back those activities to create more time for travel. The couple’s recent trips have included Mendoza, Argentina, and Corsica, France. They have plans to snorkel in the Maldives and tour Sri Lanka next year before returning to Tech for Homecoming weekend.
Giving Back to Tech
Every few years, Heffner returns to Atlanta for Georgia Tech Homecoming and to reconnect with his fraternity brothers in Lambda Chi Alpha.
Valuing the lifelong friendships and opportunities that his Georgia Tech education afforded him, Heffner decided to include a $1 million gift to the Institute in the couple’s estate plans. They have directed $750,000 for an endowed ChBE fellowship, $125,000 for an endowed ChBE scholarship, and $125,000 in unrestricted support for Georgia Tech.
“We don’t have children, so we thought about what we could leave to make a difference, and a big part of the answer was education, along with gifts to NPR and the Nature Conservancy,” he said. “These are all causes that are important to us.”