JYOTSNA (JoLal) HECKMAN, "Jo"
• Banking
• Education
• Community Development
Inducted: 2024
JYOTSNA (JoLal) HECKMAN, "Jo"
Jyotsna “Jo” Heckman arrived in Alaska from India at 17.
Her journey through college and career paved the way for her life-long commitment to Interior Alaska and the state of Alaska. She has a distinguished career in banking culminating in becoming the first female CEO/bank president in Alaska’s history by serving as President/CEO of Denali State Bank from 2003-2012.
She obtained a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She spent her early banking career learning the banking operations all over Alaska from Juneau to Seward to Utqiagvik.
Heckman had the opportunity to start a bank in 1985 and became a charter member of the startup, Denali State Bank. She worked at the bank helping grow it and moving up the ladder of increasing responsibilities and positions. She was its second employee when it began in 1985, and as Chief Operating Officer she and the bank president pulled the bank into existence during the largest economic downturn in Alaska’s recent history. Heckman spent decades building the bank into a major asset for the community of Fairbanks.
In 2011, she was appointed to serve on the University of Alaska Board of Regents for an eight-year term, chairing the Board of Regents for two years.
Recently, Heckman has started putting energy and time in advocating for sustainable agriculture in Alaska – reducing the reliance on food that is shipped from Outside. She works with many entities that are working on addressing food security in Interior Alaska. Heckman shares the stories and challenges faced by farmers in her podcast, Jo’s Table Alaska, which highlights the hard work of farmers and the many challenges of growing our own food with a short season and cold climate.
Heckman is married to Steve Heckman, and they have two sons.
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