In the late 1970s, Steve Steiner passed up an opportunity to stay in the rarefied atmosphere of Washington, D.C., to return to his Midwest roots.

Armed with a graduate degree in city and regional planning, he had worked as a consultant in our nation’s capital for clients such as large real estate and shopping center developers, major retailers, and federal, state, and local governments.

When Steve and his wife, Patty, found out they were going to become parents for the second time, they felt a tug to be closer to family; Steve was raised in Dayton, Ohio, and Patty is from Chicago.

Milwaukee’s First Wisconsin (which became Firstar), a charter member of MasterCard, recruited Steve to work on its marketing side. His assignment was to expand use of the then-new but now-popular credit card that North Shore Bank offers under the banner of Elan.

Steve left Firstar during a major restructuring and returned to consulting, this time advising area financial institutions and other clients, including North Shore Bank. When longtime marketing director Dick Ross decided to retire, Jim McKenna and Dick Brophy invited Steve to come on board. That was August 1997.

And now, after nearly 17 years with us, Steve, senior vice president of retail banking, will retire on March 28 with multiple successes to enrich his legacy.

Website, online banking, investments added during Steve’s tenure

The late 1990s launch of the bank’s website and online banking was one major step that benefited from Steve’s marketing expertise. “Online banking has been followed by electronic bill payments, person-to-person payments, mobile banking, mobile deposits, and so on — innovations that are changing how financial services are purchased and delivered,” he says.

“Investment services were introduced in 2000, and Erika Milosevich has guided the growth of that area over the past 14 years,” he adds. “Investment services are an important component of the overall financial picture for customers. Today our investment reps help over 4,000 customers with more than $200 million of investments.”

Branch system has expanded, evolved with technology and automation
As pleased as he is with the success of those major areas, Steve cites his favorite change as “the growth and development of the branch system over the past 17 years. We have more branches today, and we offer more services through the branches than ever before.”

“The growth of electronic banking and branch technology have enabled us to automate and centralize some operational activities, freeing branch staff to focus on identifying and satisfying a broader range of customer needs,” Steve says. He credits Jude Lengell and her Customer Support Center staff for providing the expertise that helps branches operate more efficiently and effectively.

He also lauds Sue Doyle, VP, branch operations manager, and Steve Arps, VP, consumer sales manager, for their leadership in facilitating the kinds of changes that have supported growth and optimized branch operations. North Shore has enjoyed greater overall success as a result.

Steve expresses heartfelt appreciation to Jim McKenna for hiring him; Drew Wallach for providing him with a supportive reference; Dick Brophy for being an outstanding mentor and good friend; and Gary Messing and the Retail Banking team for making his time at North Shore “the best chapter of my working career.”

As quick as Steve is to credit others, his contributions and role in North Shore’s success cannot be understated. His foresight and knowledge in creating and executing strategic marketing plans in the Retail Banking area have greatly enhanced North Shore’s success.

Reflecting on the evolution of North Shore Bank during his tenure and his own satisfying career, Steve advises: “Always be looking for ways to serve your customers better and do things more efficiently. Develop a good understanding of what gives you the greatest satisfaction from your work, and seek opportunities to expand that part of your job. Be alert to ways of helping your fellow staff members.”

Volunteerism, travel, family time head his retirement agenda

Steve has selected a perfect time to retire, considering the brutal winter Wisconsinites have suffered. “I’m going to enjoy my longest summer vacation in over 50 years,” he says. He has had two consecutive weeks off only once or twice in his entire North Shore career.

He’ll continue to serve on the board of the Benedict Center, a nonprofit that provides community-based treatment alternatives to incarceration for women who have committed nonviolent crimes. Explaining the center’s mission, he says, “We work to help them make changes so that they and their children have safer and healthier lives.“

He has been invited in the past to serve on the alumni advisory board of his undergraduate university, Notre Dame, but has declined because of the significant time commitment. Now he can reconsider that opportunity.

He’s looking forward to spending time with his family — his wife, Patty, plus four adult children and six grandchildren in the Milwaukee area.

And he and Patty will enjoy time together as they travel to areas of the world they haven’t seen but have always wanted to visit, including Alaska, Germany for a Rhine River cruise, and possibly South America and China.

Steve has always counted on humor to ease tension in difficult situations, and he calls on it now to explain that his retirement plans include reporting to a new boss: “Patty has a list of jobs that, until now, I’ve avoided by using work as an excuse.” He’s actually looking forward to the tasks, as long as he can accomplish them without adhering to a structured time frame. “It’s time to relax,” he says.

Kudos from colleagues
“I have had the pleasure to work with Steve when on the Retail Banking side and also now on the Operations side of our business,” says Jude Lengell. “His knowledge stretches far and wide, and his willingness to impart his wisdom has had a positive impact on so many. Steve’s logical approach, profound thinking and composed demeanor are attributes that make him an incredible leader. I wish Steve the best of health and happiness in his retirement.”

Steve Arps adds: “During the 17 years that Steve has been at the helm of Retail Banking, associates have enjoyed stability, consistency, and a positive evolution of our culture — an accomplishment that’s difficult to achieve in business and uncommon in banking in recent years. It is a rare opportunity to work for a person who is truly gifted with vision, analytical skill, and a deep understanding of how to lead and develop people.

“Working directly for Steve the past six years has been a great experience. His ability to ask tough questions and simplify complex problems has helped me to consider issues from different viewpoints and to see things I would have missed before.

“No matter the challenge, you always know he’s in your corner as a mentor and friend. I expect that the full scope and impact of his legacy will continue to grow as we flourish as a team because of the course he has set and the skills he has taught us.”

Steve’s successor, Sue Doyle, offers these thoughts:

“Steve’s leadership and guidance have been instrumental to the success of the Retail Banking team; he has provided direction and vision, and he has always led by respect, generously sharing his knowledge and sage advice.

“I credit Steve’s mentorship for many of my professional accomplishments, and I expect his inspirational leadership to guide me for the rest of my career. Steve has been more friend than colleague, more leader than boss. In celebration of a career full of accomplishments, I wish him a happy retirement.”

Jay McKenna confirms that Steve has been a valuable and integral part of the senior management team, contributing in many ways. “We will miss his intellectual contributions to North Shore, but also his calm, measured and warm presence in the competitive and sometimes difficult environment in which we operate. Steve has played a huge role in making North Shore the strong and vibrant bank that it is today, and has had a very positive influence on the many people he has interacted with. We wish him the best in retirement.”