haffner was born in 1954 in morristown, new jersey. she attended norwalk, connecticut public schools, and graduated from wesleyan university in middletown, connecticut in 1975. haffner received her masters of divinity from union theological seminary. she received a masters of public health from the yale university school of medicine. she was a research fellow at the yale divinity school in 1996-97. haffner received a doctor of public service, h.c., from widener university in 2011.