Area branch manager Sharon Hack celebrates 20 years with North Shore Bank this month.

Area branch manager Sharon Hack had worked in retail clothing for over a decade when her husband spotted an ad for an opening at North Shore Bank in 1999. “I was looking for a job with more work-life balance so we could expand our family,” she says. As a manager at Elder-Beerman department store, Sharon was busy nights and weekends, and she was ready for a change. “It seemed like every Christmas Eve I was sick because we’d be pushing so hard to get through the season. So right away I thought, Nine to five, traditional banker’s hours, and went ahead and applied.”

By all accounts, it was the right move. “It’s hard to put into words how much we love Sharon around here!” Green Bay West assistant branch manager Hali Thompson says. “She’s the best manager I’ve ever worked for. She truly believes in not only the bank and our goals and initiatives, but also in everyone on her staff. She is so supportive and really empowers us to challenge ourselves and grow in our roles at the bank. And she always makes us laugh! We just love her!”

District manager Kerri Collins recently recognized Sharon’s 20 years of service, tying the moment to the bank’s “Be a Hero” theme for fiscal year 2020. “I said she’s a hero to her team — she leads by example and believes in others before they believe in themselves; a hero to her customers — she’s committed to helping them reach their financial goals; and a hero in the community — she is actively involved in the Military Avenue Business Association and volunteers for many of the bank-sponsored events in the North District,” Kerri says.

“I have been so happy here, and the time has just flown by,” says Sharon, who also helms the Ashwaubenon branch. She talked to Shorelines about her career here and preparing for life as an empty nester.

What was the transition from managing a retail clothing department to managing a bank branch like?
Customer service is customer service — the jobs were more similar than you might think. In management, you do coaching and you keep your customers happy. So it was a pretty easy transition. I did get audited not long after I was hired, and everything went fine, except that I hadn’t gotten down debits and credits — I kept reversing them, because those weren’t terms you use in clothing sales. The auditor looked at me like, How do you mix up debits and credits? After that, I never made that error again!

Which branch did you start out at?
I was hired as manager of Green Bay East in Cub Foods, which doesn’t exist anymore. And since then, I’ve actually worked at every single North Shore Bank branch in Green Bay except Allouez. But I was trained at that branch by Mickey Adams.

What has kept you here for 20 years?
The people I work with — my “work family” and my customers. I also love the variety of job responsibility. No two days are ever the same.

If you could go back to 1999, what advice would you give yourself?
Expect and accept changes quickly. Embrace them, look for solutions, and move on. Spend time on developing employees and high-gain activities. If it is out of your control, let it go.

How has your personal life changed since then?
My son, Bennett, was born not too long after I started here, in March 2001. And now our kids are grown. We are almost empty nesters. My daughter just moved to Arizona. I talked to her the other day and said, “Heather, it’s 39 degrees here.” She said, “That sounds gross. It’s 82 here!” I’m going to see her on Saturday, and I’m excited about that.

Our son is 18 and living here; he’s working to become a certified battery technician. He wants to buy a house, and he’s looking at how much it will cost, and I’m kinda like, “Oh, 3.5 percent down would be fine. You’re not going to live here forever.”