Heather L. Bunning

Known to have an inspirational and collaborative nature for cultivating relationships with various stakeholders, Heather is a Principal Consultant with over 25 years of marketing communications experience promoting the CPA profession and serving as an advocate for student advancement. 

Heather thrives on brand awareness and serving as a visionary for the development and implementation of new and innovative programs and services that will empower students and professionals alike. Through her career, Heather has created and managed national programs to educate, engage and recruit the best and brightest students to pursue accounting as a viable career path with intention to ultimately become a CPA. Additionally, she has managed a brand refresh for a nationally known Career Technical Student Organization which included agency relationship management and implementation of a full marketing communications strategy, development of a new website, and oversight of the organization-wide adoption and roll-out.  

 A former journalist that still likes the good story, Heather has focused her professional career on roles and responsibilities that have been about enrichment, educational advancement and transformation for others. Along that path, she has dedicated many professional and personal hours working with, mentoring, and championing students, many of whom she has been honored to maintain relationships with to this day. 

Heather’s work and commitment to student advocacy has been recognized by a number of organizations including Business Professionals of America where she was elected to serve on the National Board of Trustees and awarded with the Outstanding Service Award in 2013, INROADS where they acknowledged her passion and commitment by inviting her to serve on the Southeast Region Board of Directors in 2012, and the American Institute of CPAs’ Academic & Career Development Team, which recognized Heather nationally for her commitment to student education and outreach in 2001. 

 A self-proclaimed curious learner and community advocate, when she’s not focused on work-based projects, she’s working on her green thumb, trying a new DIY project build, spoiling her Basset Hound Franklin Fury Baggins, or keeping up on her side-craft as a licensed bartender. After losing her mother to breast cancer in 2001, Heather became vigilant in advocating for breast cancer awareness and has been inducted into the Pink Honor Roll for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s Indianapolis Affiliate in 2006 & 2007, and has climbed both Mount Hood (2011) and Mount St. Helens (2012) for the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center’s Climb to Fight Breast Cancer initiative.