Banking has always been about relationships to Cindy Hundt, who will retire Oct 31. She met VP Jude Lengell in 1987 at Republic Capital Bank. They moved on together to Badger Bank in 1994, where they connected with VPs Lyneen Fischer and Colleen Egan. Since her time at Badger, which merged with North Shore Bank in 1995, Cindy has considered the three women special members of her inner circle.

“After 20 years, there are many folks to thank, but my three amigos have been a very important part of my North Shore life,” Cindy says. “Jude, Lyneen, and Colleen have been and still are my dear friends and mentors. We’ve been through so much together, and I appreciate all they have done.”

Cindy’s first role at Badger Bank was branch manager, and she has worked in a number of offices in various capacities since then. In August 2002, she joined our Customer Support Center, where she has been assistant vice president of deposit operations.

From ‘stuffing statements’ to e-statements, Cindy has seen it all
Cindy cites the adoption of Check 21, which allows banks to exchange images of checks rather than the checks themselves, the most noteworthy improvement in her years in banking. “Paper checks were transported from bank to bank by courier after sorting by giant reader/sorter machines. When we received the sorted checks, we put the original paid checks into envelopes with statements to be mailed to customers. There was an entire department devoted to stuffing statements.”

“Electronic channels in general have allowed customers to be more efficient in the way they bank — online banking, bill pay, and e-statements, to name a few,” she says. “I don’t think my family has been to a brick-and-mortar building for 15 years.”

Cindy has thrived on the endless changes in banking. “Because I’ve always welcomed change, you could count on me for conversions.” When the dreaded glitches emerged in the aftermath, Cindy would dig in. “I loved trying to figure out the pieces of the puzzle that didn’t always come through the conversion smoothly.”

Cooking, bridge, travel, volunteering will fill retirement years
With her love of technology and nitty-gritty problem-solving, who would guess Cindy used to teach cooking before she got into banking? She had a connection with Cuisinart that “morphed into a nice career for a while,” she says. She taught in test kitchens in major department stores, and she did in-home instruction for people who requested it. For now, her sumptuous rack of lamb, tasty paella, fragrant curried chicken, and Chinese dishes will remain a hobby.

Cindy looks forward to spending leisurely time in the kitchen as the holidays approach, preparing special dishes for her son and daughter-in-law, Adam and Kelly. Then she’ll dust off her luggage and escape “the cold, snowy, dreary Wisconsin winter months” as she visits friends in San Diego and family in Fort Lauderdale. She has her sights set on an Aegean/Ionian/Mediterranean adventure next year to take in old-world architecture.

She’s counting on playing a lot of bridge, and she expects to continue her volunteer activities for the organ and tissue recovery bank, which is part of the Blood Center of Wisconsin. If she has energy to spare, Cindy might be tempted to become politically active, “helping repair our broken government.”

Cindy has enjoyed her years at North Shore Bank, and she leaves a legacy of friendship and accomplishment. Her final words for those who follow: “Work hard, be nice, smile, and always put the customer first!”

Colleagues reflect on cherished coworker
“I have had the pleasure of working with Cindy for over 27 years,” Jude says. “She has been a trustworthy, dedicated, intelligent, confident, and hardworking colleague.

“Cindy’s keen mind, combined with her outstanding analytical and organizational skills, have been great assets to the teams she has developed and managed. Her many strengths and her passion for problem solving have yielded success at whatever she has tackled, whether complicated conversions, new products or new programs.

“Cindy has inspired her teams by showing them the importance of their tasks to the overall big picture. Her compassion for and commitment to helping them learn and grow has been unwavering.

“During that career-long commitment, Cindy has shared so much of her wisdom and knowledge with others that we are assured of a smooth transition; she can leave feeling good about all she has contributed and accomplished. Although I am going to miss having Cindy in this department, I wish her a world of happiness as she enters this new time of her life.”

Lyneen adds: “I have been fortunate to work alongside Cindy during many conversions, acquisitions, branch remodels … the list can go on and on. Cindy has always taken these on with a ‘let’s do this’ mentality. She has mentored so many of our finest employees. I will miss her quick mind and quick wit, but I am also fortunate to call her my friend and know we will spend many good times together in the future. Congratulations, Cindy!”

Colleen reflects on Cindy’s legacy this way:

“No matter what capacity you worked in, Cindy, you made a difference at North Shore Bank. I know I speak for all who have had you as a manager. You have been dedicated, supportive, extremely knowledgeable, fair, and above all, fun to work for.

“As we travel through this world, people touch our lives. How wonderful that our paths crossed! I remember the day you walked into Badger and became our leader; you touched all of our lives with your integrity, kindness, optimism, and passion. Congratulations on your new adventure in life.”