A Heartland associate is not just a bank employee. These associates are dedicated team members, community partners and client advocates. They strive to provide value in every transaction, and they take pride in accomplishing a new goal, completing a strategic project or building long-term relationships. Angela Murphy has been a Heartland associate since 2019, and she is proud to know that she is making a difference one day at a time.
Angela shares, “I began my career at Heartland as the Assistant Manager at the Whitehall Branch, and I am currently AVP, Construction Desk Supervisor for Heartland Bank. My team monitors all of the construction projects for the bank - commercial, residential and agricultural. We make sure that projects stay on budget and on time, and work through problems if those things do not happen. The team works closely with our lenders to make sure that there are no surprises and to make it possible for them to communicate clearly with their clients when, and if, we are not available.”
Quality and Excellence
Quality and Excellence is valued at Heartland – so much so that a peer-to-peer award is voted on bi-annually for those who uphold Heartland’s shared values on a daily basis. “To me, quality and excellence means always being a team player - being willing to take on new challenges, even when you aren’t sure what path it will lead you down. It means that while you are working hard on perfecting the process with your team, you never stop providing great customer service and going the extra mile to make sure that everything runs smooth for our projects, clients and for the bank,” said Angela.
Her efforts are noticed – by her team and her leaders. According to Director of Mortgage Banking Matt Booms, “Angela makes an impact every day by being a great teammate and advocate for our clients. She works diligently to find innovative solutions that balance the risk tolerance of the bank with the needs of the client. Angela is constantly striving to improve her team and herself, with the overall goal of providing consumers with an excellent experience. She is positive, genuine, and cares for her coworkers/clients and these attributes are apparent in everything she does.”
Creating Success
Empowerment has been key to success within many teams at Heartland, and leaders embrace this culture to also promote associate retention. Ownership of the workflow and strategic initiatives allows Heartland associates to build on experience and mold their futures. “One of the things I am most proud of is that when this team was created, the turn times for draws from receipt of documents to funding was roughly 45 days, and over time, we have been able to decrease that time to less than 6 days average which is a huge accomplishment,” stated Angela.
Recently, her team has also been more involved in the upfront stages of commercial loan origination, allowing them to have a glimpse of what to expect when the documents hit their desks. This has resulted in a deeper relationship between her team and the commercial lenders, thus boosting the partnership between the two departments. This organic cooperation contributes to the turn-time improvements and deepening customer service – goals that Angela claims as her own too!
It’s All About Family
Not only is Angela committed to her Heartland family, but she also admits, “I completely adore my family. I was born into a large family, and I never take for granted the time I get to spend with them. If you cannot find me on a soccer field at a particular moment, I am with them celebrating a birthday or just hanging out because we can.”
Born in Zanesville, Angela is one of four girls and now lives in Etna. She is the mother of two little girls, Vada and Mabry. Angela is a board member for the Whitehall YMCA, a soccer coach and a Heartland volunteer for events and LifeTown Lessons for Life. She enjoys baking, soccer, golf, running and roller coasters.
Closing Advice
“Ask questions because you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s ok to fail, when you fail it is a matter of how you deal with that failure and recover from it that makes you stronger,” offered Angela as she zeroed in on what contributed to her success. If you are looking for a bank where associates are encouraged to be team players and client advocates, check out Heartland’s locations for the one nearest you!