Cheena Burtner

Good customer service isn’t just provided by banking center staff. Cheena Burtner, Operations Manager for Deposit Operations with First Merchants, helps manage a back-end department known as Items Processing, where staff double check transactions like deposits, process transaction files for several delivery channels, and ensure funds are credited to the correct accounts. Even though Cheena’s department never interacts with the public, she has a crystal-clear knowledge of how her team contributes to First Merchants’ “Helping You Prosper” promise.

“No, we’re not dealing directly with customers – but the branches are our clients, and they have customers directly in front of them,” she explained. “By doing our job well, we’re helping them provide that excellent service First Merchants is known for.”

To aid in this mission, Cheena has made a number of changes within her department to help team members put their all into their work. And they’re changes she’s been recognized for – Cheena was a 2024 recipient of First Merchants Gold Shield Award, which recognizes employees who exemplify the bank’s mission and values.

Those improvements started with communication: Cheena helped streamline the department’s work assignment system, and built representative committees to help team members feel like they had a representative they could share concerns and ideas with.

“To me, having a voice is the most important thing you can have, and I wanted my team to be heard,” she shared. “Being on a committee is voluntary, but it’s had a big impact. I’ve seen my team grow in confidence, because they’re given this opportunity to brainstorm and grow without feeling like they’ll be shut down.”

It’s something that aligns with her driving force: To improve the lives of those around her.

“That’s what I’m about – whether I’m volunteering, managing my department, or just being myself at home, at the grocery store, or with my kids, being good and doing good – that’s my heart, that’s how I’m going to change the world,” she said.

And she feels she can do that at First Merchants – something she learned when she joined the company 15 years ago.

“I spent some time at another bank, but ultimately, I found my way back,” she explained. “I grew up with First Merchants, and no other place ever truly felt like home. There’s something special about this organization that stayed with me. I’ve witnessed so much growth and change over the years, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

In her spare time, Cheena serves on the board of the Muncie YWCA – a local women and children’s shelter – and enjoys spending time with her two children, running, weightlifting, playing softball, writing poetry, or settling down with a good book.

The Teammates in Action series features First Merchants teammates who embody the spirit and impact of the company’s Vision: “to enhance the financial wellness of the diverse communities we serve.”