{"id":147309,"date":"2026-04-09T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/?post_type=magazine&#038;p=147309"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:17:09","slug":"the-learning-leader-spotlight-with-heather-balcerek","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/spring-2026\/the-learning-leader-spotlight-with-heather-balcerek\/","title":{"rendered":"The Learning Leader Spotlight With Heather Balcerek"},"author":52,"featured_media":147705,"template":"","tags":[32527,5181,32513],"class_list":["post-147309","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-capability-building","tag-career-growth","tag-human-centered-learning","global_topic_tax-leadership","magazine_issue_tax-spring-2026","magazine_article_type_tax-spotlight"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":"Heather Balcerek, CPTM","author_image":"","author_bio":"Heather Balcerek, CPTM senior learning and development (L&amp;D) leader at <a href=\"https:\/\/maximus.com\/federal-government\/civilian\/federal-financial?utm_source=bing&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=Federal+Financial%2FIRS+Search+Ads&amp;msclkid=94fe35d900f019312a845c13b1244214&amp;utm_term=tax%20rate%20individual&amp;utm_content=Ad%20group%201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maximus<\/a>. With nearly 20 years in the field, Heather\u2019s career path has taken her from frontline training to leading enterprise learning and leadership development programs that help people grow with confidence and clarity.","excerpt":"Discover how L&D leader Heather Balcerek builds skills, leads capability development and creates human-centered learning experiences.","main_content":"In this issue, we are pleased to spotlight Heather Balcerek, CPTM, senior learning and development (L&amp;D) leader at Maximus. With nearly 20 years in the field, Heather\u2019s career path has taken her from frontline training to leading enterprise learning and leadership development programs that help people grow with confidence and clarity.\r\n\r\nRead on to learn about Heather\u2019s career journey.\r\n<h2>How did you get started in learning and development?<\/h2>\r\nI studied psychology in college and was drawn to how people learn and succeed at work. When I realized our company lacked training for key systems, I created a full training manual for my senior capstone. That work opened the door to my first official L&amp;D role after graduation.\r\n<h2>What\u2019s your most memorable training experience, good or bad?<\/h2>\r\nRunning our executive development program this year. Hearing participants share how much they learned \u2014 and how the relationships they built will support their continued success \u2014 was incredibly meaningful. Their appreciation and growth made the impact of the work feel real in a new way.\r\n<h2>Who would you consider your most valuable role model? What were some qualities that made them great?<\/h2>\r\nEric Miller, a trainer at Verizon Wireless, remains one of my most influential role models. He made learning real through stories and analogies, encouraged people as they stretched into new skills, and he deeply believed in me \u2014 often speaking my name in rooms I wasn\u2019t in. His example still guides me.\r\n<h2>What are the most pressing issues on your professional plate right now?<\/h2>\r\nRight now, I\u2019m focused on shifting from building standalone programs to building capabilities and skills across the organization. My priority is defining a clear, repeatable process that helps the business identify and grow the skills we\u2019ll need over the next few years, ensuring development is practical, scalable and future\u2011ready.\r\n<h2>What\u2019s the most challenging aspect of your job?<\/h2>\r\nManaging diverse stakeholder expectations as we shift from program\u2011based learning to true capability building. Everyone wants something slightly different, and aligning those needs into a clear, sustainable process takes time and patience. Navigating those conversations is complex, but it\u2019s essential to doing this work well.\r\n<h2>What\u2019s the most rewarding aspect of your job?<\/h2>\r\nWatching learning take shape in real time. Recently, I was training a new class and there was a moment when the group moved from hearing the idea to truly engaging with it. The conversation opened up, and you could feel the shift. Moments like that remind me why this work matters.\r\n<h2>What\u2019s your preferred training methodology?<\/h2>\r\nMy preferred training methodology is human-centered and supportive. I focus on creating a space where people feel safe exploring, reflecting and trying new skills. I use stories, real examples and guided discussion to help concepts take shape. When people feel seen and supported, learning becomes meaningful and lasting.\r\n<h2>How do you find the time to continue your own professional development?<\/h2>\r\nI fit my own development into everyday moments \u2014 listening to podcasts while getting ready, watching short videos while doing chores or reading during travel. I also carve out time for classes and certifications. Blending small daily habits with intentional learning helps me keep growing without adding pressure to my schedule.\r\n<h2>Any recommendations for folks out there: books, partners, resources, etc.?<\/h2>\r\nI always recommend resources that support practical, human-centered leadership. \u201cTrust &amp; Inspire\u201d by Stephen M.R. Covey has been especially meaningful, and I regularly learn from the podcasts Coaching for Leaders and L&amp;D Must Change. I also rely on Training Industry\u2019s resources and membership for fresh insights and research.\r\n<h2>\u201cIf someone wants to follow in my professional footsteps, I\u2019d tell them to be sure to \u2026\u201d<\/h2>\r\nInvest in your own growth the same way you invest in others\u2019. Build your skills, keep learning in the small moments and create spaces where people can grow. When you lead with intention and humanity, the impact tends to take care of itself.","full_width":false,"content_band":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content_area","wysiwyg":"[hubspot type=\"form\" portal=\"47185625\" id=\"eda5e894-beb8-40c6-b1c2-8827958b0062\" version=\"v4\"]"}],"tice_sponsors":"","custom_dfp_keywords":"","featured_article":false,"feature_type":"","theme":"","remove_gradient":false,"title_in_image":false,"featured_text_image":null,"magazine_link":"https:\/\/www.nxtbook.com\/nxtbooks\/trainingindustry\/tiq_spring2026\/index.php#\/p\/8"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Learning Leader Spotlight With Heather Balcerek - Training Industry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how L&amp;D leader Heather Balcerek builds skills, leads capability development and creates human-centered learning experiences.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/spring-2026\/the-learning-leader-spotlight-with-heather-balcerek\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Learning Leader Spotlight With Heather Balcerek\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover how L&amp;D leader Heather Balcerek builds skills, leads capability development and creates human-centered learning experiences.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/spring-2026\/the-learning-leader-spotlight-with-heather-balcerek\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Training Industry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TrainingIndustry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T13:17:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TIM_Spr2026_Spotlight_Thumb.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TrainingIndustr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trainingindustry.com\\\/magazine\\\/spring-2026\\\/the-learning-leader-spotlight-with-heather-balcerek\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trainingindustry.com\\\/magazine\\\/spring-2026\\\/the-learning-leader-spotlight-with-heather-balcerek\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Learning Leader Spotlight With Heather Balcerek - 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