This month’s employee spotlight features our Senior Vice President, Jennifer Eckert, an effective leader and respected colleague of the Heartland Bank management team. As the bank’s Compliance and Risk Manager AND Corporate Secretary for the Board of Directors, Jennifer keeps busy managing the bank’s compliance program, chairing the risk management committee and organizing and recording board activities.
Jennifer’s job has expanded significantly since she first started her job with the bank in October of 2011. “I have accomplished much more than I ever expected since coming to Heartland Bank, including a degree from the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin. Each assignment leads to new insight, which has provided a lot for my career development. Never be afraid to take on a new project or assignment,” she said.
The Quality and Excellence Award has been a tradition at Heartland Bank since 1994 and many of our employees wear the pin each day that signifies this honor. Employees that have been given this award were chosen based on excellent customer service, being an example of a team player, helping other employees and exceeding the expectations of their job duties and responsibilities. Jennifer was proud to be presented with the Quality and Excellence pin in April of 2012. To her, it means “Always helping your fellow co-workers and never using the phrases ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ and ‘that’s not in my job description’”.
Jennifer’s family of eight (ten if you count two daughters that are grown and no longer living at home) recently moved from the hustle and bustle of New Albany to a home with acreage in Johnstown. Along with her husband, Andy, and 16 year old son, she is ‘mom’ to five (yes, five) dogs – a Great Dane and four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. When she looks to retirement, “a long, long time from now,” she and Andy look forward to spending their summers in a nice cabin in Northern Michigan.
“The last five years have been very rewarding to me and I am so thankful to be a part of the great team at Heartland Bank”, she said. “I’m so glad I made it here.” If you’re looking to “make it” somewhere, why not ‘Come on over to Heartland’, where banking really feels good!