Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: Cultivating Collaboration and Leadership Through a Successful Internship Experience

Wednesday, February 18 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 

In a rapidly evolving workforce, intentional investment in young talent is more critical than ever. Join us for an engaging session that explores how The Waldinger Corporation has transformed its 12-week summer intern program into a powerful engine for professional development, leadership cultivation, and cross-functional collaboration.  Key takeaways:  a framework for designing impactful internship experiences rooted in collaboration and leadership.  Attendees will also learn best practices for mentoring and engaging interns across diverse departments. 

Speakers:

Cheri Patzner
Waldinger Corp.

Cheri Patzner brings more than 20 years of leadership and talent development experience to her work. She has designed and facilitated both classroom and online learning programs for interns, project engineers, and project managers. Cheri is passionate about elevating employee engagement, strengthening corporate culture, and championing her organization’s products, services, and technology.

She is an active member of the national Association for Talent Development (ATD) and currently chairs the awards committee for the Central Iowa ATD Professional Development Day. Cheri holds a bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing with a minor in Psychology from Upper Iowa University and earned her graduate degree in Leadership and Development from Drake.

Julie Heiden
Waldinger Corp.

Julie Heiden brings nearly 20 years of experience in business development, education, and workforce strategy to her role at The Waldinger Corporation. As co-owner of Waldinger’s internship program, she helps lead initiatives that strengthen onboarding, employee development, and long-term retention. Julie focuses on creating meaningful first impressions and building processes that resonate with today’s multi-generational workforce. She is passionate about mentoring, feedback, recognition, and inclusion as the foundations of a strong workplace culture. Julie holds degrees from Iowa State University and Drake University. She lives in Ankeny with her husband and four children.