Heartland Consulting Group believes that managers play a special role, supporting all Associates with their individual goals, projects, and professional development. We have created core criteria that outline manager expectations:

• Inspiring and leading others
• Managing the business
• Coaching and developing for peak performance
• Communicating
• Attracting and selecting top talent

Two keys to professional and personal growth at Heartland Consulting Group are feedback and goal setting. Regularly, Associates collaborate with their managers to set goals. This process helps ensure that all Associates have clear direction to set objectives that are linked to Heartland Consulting Group's strategic imperatives, helping them to understand and feel a part of the big picture. In addition, Heartland Consulting Group supports individual development to encourage Associate leadership and management growth.

Susan Atkeisson oversees all aspects of Heartland Consulting Group's pension and retirement plan business. With over 20 years of experience, Susan has held several management and consulting positions in the financial services and consulting industries, prior to founding her own firm in 1995.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance at Kansas State University. Susan has earned the designations of Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), Certified Retirement Services Professional (CRSP), and Certified IRA Services Professional (CISP). She is Past President and Board member of the Kansas City Chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS).

Joel Atkeisson brings to Heartland over 25 years of experience in sales and client servicing from national, regional and local levels. He has been honored with many customer service awards throughout his career. Joel has also earned the designation of Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

Joel's responsibilities at Heartland include client communication, marketing, participant enrollments, product development, document and amendment preparation, and systems coordination. He also serves as Heartland's primary liaison to investment advisors.