Share what you’re thankful for by Monday!
Quick programming note: Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, next week’s Shorelines will appear on Wednesday, November 21.

We’ll be running the answers to our Question of the Month: What are you thankful for that isn’t another person?

We’ve received some nice responses and want more! Here’s what to do:

• Send your answer to shorelines@northshorebank.com. Make sure to include your name, current job title, and branch or department.
• Include a picture of whatever it is you’re thankful for, if you’ve got one! (If you can’t email the pic, text it to 608-318-3348.)

Deadline is Monday, November 19. Take a minute and send us an answer! Thanks for your support. •••

Community-Minded: DeGarmo inspires Girls on the Run
This week, Girls on the Run of Southeastern Wisconsin named product and channel marketing manager Karen DeGarmo a Star Coach. The nonprofit youth organization helps girls in grades 3 through 8 become resilient, healthy, involved members of their communities through a 10-week program that culminates in running a 5K. Karen has coached for the group since the program came to her daughter Amelia’s school three years ago. “Running is something I am passionate about, and I wanted to share it with my daughters and their friends,” she says. Karen talked to Shorelines about her coaching experiences and why GOTR matters to her — read on!

Top manager Mary Benz guides Regency to success
This month, we’re celebrating the accomplishments of our top-performing branch managers for 2018 and their teams. This week: Mary Benz at Regency.

“Mary took over in January, and what she was able to accomplish was simply remarkable,” reports district manager Brian Bozek. Unlike this year’s other two top managers, Mary has never been named a top manager before. Brian credits her success to “having a structured daily approach, staying on top of dedicated follow-ups with customers, and coaching each team member on a consistent basis.”

“Mary is rarely in her office, because she is either helping at the teller line, coaching behind the teller line, at the banker’s desk, or performing lobby management,” Brian says. “She leads by example, and it shows.” Read more about Mary and the Regency branch’s success!

SOAR Together Tributes: October 2018
Last month’s winners of our Seymour Salutes awards are Melissa Baccash, Kristin Hoch, Kelly Kading, and Max Retzlaff, along with Rising Stars Dee Brown, Carrie Feiker, and Angela Trantow. Read more about their achievements here!

Many thanks, 2018 Crime Busters!

2018 was a great year for Crime Busters! Thank you for being alert and helping our customers avoid becoming victims.

Here are a few helpful hints going forward:

• Knowing your customers and their normal transaction activities will help you detect unusual activity that might be related to a scam.
• Take that extra minute to review transaction and account history.
• Ask the customer questions to better understand the situation.
• Help educate our customers about the various types of scams occurring.
• Let Security know when you’ve been a Crime Buster — we want to recognize and reward you!

Keep up the good work in 2019 — you are all doing a great job! —Emily Glapinski, Loss Prevention Associate

2018 Crime Busters

Metro North, Metro South, and South regions: Ryan Alfaro, Erik Bankhead, Guadalupe Barbosa, Maria Baumer, Mary Benz, Sandy Blackburn, Tracee Born, Lisa Brooks, Maria Castro, Cal Cicona, Jayme Clarey, Jessica Dalba, Tiffany Duck, Audrey Elliott, Mark Fairfield, Allison Gabois, Lisa Gagliardi, Raymundo Guardiola, Shamika Harris, Merry Justin, Karen Katarow, Tawanda Kelly, Valerie Kochanski, April Kress, Tianna Lee, Karla Lozano, Shannan Mahloch, Kayleigh Marshall, Alfredo Martin, Lynne Marus, Carmen Maurer, Maria Meija-Gatica, Jaclyn Miller, Karin Nohelty, Deb Oatsvall, Linda Olhsen, Rosanne Pulvermacher, Danielle Ritz, Claudia Romo-Verdin, Josh Sales, Patience Scribner, Senka Shkreli, Ashley Singstock, Karina Soto, Marge Stai, Amy Sweet, Kerrilyn Velazquez, and Diana Villanueva.

Northeast region: Kim Balser, Sharon Hack, Karen Jach, Dawn Jelen, Leigha Johnston, Phil Koebe, Becky Kolstad, DeDe Krause, Tara Neuville, Tiffany Pennington, Katie Presser, Will Roberts, Hali Thompson, Olivia Vechart, and Kathleen Veu.

Detectives of the Year

Metro North: Danielle Ritz
Metro South: Ray Guardiola
South: Erik Bankhead
Northeast: Tiffany Pennington

Crime Buster Branch of the Year: Green Bay West

Green Bay West earns this honor because the branch had eight saves in fiscal year 2018, the most of all the branches. The team there stopped $80,840.34 in losses — awesome! Great work, everyone. •••

Video contest winners announced

Today, North Shore Bank announced the winners of our “Make Change Happen” video contest, in support of school initiatives in our communities. After being voted on by the public and reviewed by a panel of judges, four projects will each win $1,923 in funding:

• North Region: Glenbrook Elementary, Pulaski – “The Wild Card Team.” Bringing engagement ideas to the classroom.
• Central Region: Bayside Middle School – “Threads and Things.” A student-created and -run business venture that supports charities.
• Central MPS Region: Ronald Reagan High School, Milwaukee – “Reagan Stage and Production Crew.” Programs and production.
• South Region: McKinley Elementary School, Kenosha – “5th Grade Camping Field Trip.”

Entrants had to be school, classroom, academic, arts, athletics, technology, and club initiatives that have a positive impact on public or private school students from 4K to 12th grade. To enter, students or teachers had to submit a video no longer than two minutes, explaining why their project deserved $1,923 to benefit children and how the funds would be spent. Video entries were considered for their creativity, enthusiasm, and passion in petitioning for the donated funds, as well as the need and degree of merit the initiative possessed for supporting local students. Many thanks to everyone at North Shore Bank who voted in the contest! •••

Service Anniversaries for November 2018
The following employees celebrate a milestone anniversary with North Shore Bank this month.

20 years
Patty Muehl, Branch Manager, Pewaukee — read her profile here!

5 years
Peggy Theisen, Debit Risk Specialist

Leave a comment to congratulate them!

Garcia welcomes daughter

Video teller Erika Garcia had daughter Itzayana last week. She arrived weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 21 inches long. Congratulations, Erika — she’s beautiful! •••

Vechart hoofs it to Denver for goat yoga

Allouez universal banker Olivia Vechart had a maaaaa!-velous experience earlier this month, on a girls’ trip to Denver with friends.

“I had heard of goat yoga being a popular tourist activity, so I talked them into doing it with me,” Olivia says. “It was quite the experience. Being on a goat farm and in their territory, they would go to the bathroom wherever they pleased, even if it was on your yoga mat. Luckily, the instructors provided new yoga mats if that happened.”

She adds, “The goats were also not afraid to climb up on top of you, walk between your legs, or even take a rest on your yoga mat.” You can see proof above — Olivia is at left in the photo. “Overall, it was a unique experience, and I enjoyed being up close and personal with cute baby goats!”

The goat yoga trend was started a couple of years ago by a farmer in Oregon. The baby goats’ presence helps participants stay in the moment and, more importantly, brightens their day and lifts their spirits.

Take a fun vacation (or even just a short trip)? Share your travel memories in Shorelines! Send photos and info to shorelines@northshorebank.com. •••

North Shore Shape Up: A quick guide to orthotics
Last month, the Harvard Health Blog featured a post by a podiatrist about the many patients who come to him with foot pain and ask if they need an orthotic — typically a shoe insert used for arch support or another purpose to correct a problem. Here are some of the highlights from his response:

• There are three types of commonly used orthotics: over-the-counter (the kind you just buy off the shelf), “kiosk-generated” (where an electronic self-serve kiosk scans your feet and then recommends the orthotic style best suited for you), and custom prescription orthotics (which are made specifically for your feet after a thorough assessment by your doctor).
• Over-the-counter or kiosk orthotics work well for folks of average size who have average feet, and are usually less expensive, though they need to be replaced more often. Unless your doctor suggests otherwise, try these types out before looking into custom orthotics.
• Before that, though, it’s worth investing in a new, well-made pair of shoes — and having your feet measured at the shoe store before buying them. The blog notes that “many people have not had their feet professionally measured at a shoe store in years. As we age, our foot length and width changes. And sizing may not be consistent between brands; the same size 9½ narrow shoe may differ significantly from one manufacturer to another.”

There are people who definitely should look into custom orthotics, such as “people with diabetes who have loss of feeling in their feet, people with poor circulation, and people with severe foot deformities caused by arthritis.” And in fact, Medicare will cover 80 percent of the cost of diabetic shoes and orthotics. Walk on! •••

Upcoming Events
The Wisconsin Singer/Songwriter Series continues tomorrow, Friday, November 16, at the Unitarian Church in Mequon. Peter Mulvey and Katie Dahl will play. More upcoming events here.

Internal Job Postings •••

Closing Today

• Teller, Fox Point, full time (40 hrs/wk). Pay grade: N02. Referral bonus: $300.

Closing Friday, November 16

• Residential Loan Specialist, Corporate, full time (40 hrs/wk). Pay grade: N16. Referral bonus: $500.

Closing Tuesday, November 20

• Branch Manager II, Northland, full time (40 hrs/wk). Pay grade: E12. Referral bonus: $750.

Ongoing

• Customer Assistance Rep, Corporate, part time (20 hrs/wk). Pay grade: N12. Referral bonus: $400.
• Video Teller, Brookfield Square, full (40 hrs/wk) or part time (20). Pay grade: N03. Referral bonus: $400.

For complete information regarding internal job postings, application procedures, and our referral program, click on the Job Postings tile found on the home page in Ask Seymour.