By Molly Schissler, SVP, Human Resources & Compliance

North Shore Bank is pleased to announce our annual SOAR Award winners for 2022. It’s never easy to narrow down all the great nominations we receive, but we believe this year’s awardees truly exemplify the SOAR spirit. They are:

Outstanding Service
Emmeline Knight-Guzman, assistant branch manager, Howard-Suamico
Sara Speich, universal banker, Muskego
Nominees for this award exhibit superior performance in the areas of customer service, teamwork, and going above and beyond.

Community Involvement
Robin Tegel, mortgage loan originator
Shannon Weber, AVP, community engagement manager, Shorewood
Nominees for this award have made a significant contribution to North Shore Bank community initiatives and/or an external organization or group.

Legacy Leaders
Maria Baumer, VP, area manager, Brookfield Square
Tricia Cravillion, VP, branch operations manager
Jude Lengell, VP, customer support
Nominees for this award have made a significant contribution to North Shore Bank throughout their employment, and must have been employed here a minimum of five years.

Here are some excerpts from our winners’ nominations.

Kerri Collins, Emmeline with her award, Katie Longsine, and VP consumer lending manager Chris Boland.

As a customer advocate, teammate, and branch and sales leader, Emmeline Knight-Guzman delivers a level of service that is exceptional and inspiring. Her commitment to helping customers with their financial goals is evidenced by the strong relationships she has built. Customers enjoy working with her and trust her guidance, and this is frequently recognized in surveys and other feedback. Her commitment to proactive outreach and her genuine approach to conversations not only contribute to the success of the branch, but also set an example and inspire others to be proactive. Emmeline approaches each day with a positive mindset and confidence about what we can accomplish. She has been part of the Howard-Suamico branch since it opened in 2016, and in that time, she has established and expanded many customer relationships. She maintains a focus on branch goals and encourages the team to have fun while working toward those objectives. She also supports the bank’s community engagement efforts by taking part in building partnerships and attending events. Emmeline demonstrates commitment to the branch and the bank in so many ways — she can always be counted on. —Katie Longsine, AVP, community engagement manager, Howard-Suamico and Pulaski

VP branch sales Craig Witz, Stephanie Ruiz, Sara with her award, and bank president Jay McKenna.

Sara Speich has been with the company for over 13 years, and for nine consecutive years, she has been recognized as a top producer every quarter. Since I’ve been her manager, I have received over 30 surveys that mention her name. When customers come into the bank and Sara isn’t here, it’s like their world is lost. Sara knows every customer by name, as well as their kids’ names, their dogs’ names — you name it. And she is so personable. The other day, an elderly customer’s husband passed away. When she came in, Sara got out from behind the teller line and hugged her. Sara has customers who will come in just to say hi, even when they have no banking needs. No matter what kind of day Sara is having, I have never seen her show anything but her best self to a customer. —Stephanie Ruiz, AVP, community engagement manager, Muskego

Mortgage regional sales manager Michael Murphy, Robin with her award, Jay McKenna, and SVP consumer credit sales Mike Kellman.

Robin Tegel goes out of her way to seek out opportunities in the community. She takes initiative to get involved and is often asked to serve on boards or hold positions within organizations. Aside from being well-liked and dependable, Robin builds trust and is able to use her networking connections to generate business not only within her mortgage role but also to produce referrals for the branch. The impact Robin has made in the community and with North Shore Bank in the short amount of time she has been here is remarkable. —Danielle Hansen, AVP, community engagement manager, Kenosha

Stephanie Ruiz, Shannon with her award, and Jay McKenna.

Shannon Weber has done an amazing job with her community involvement. Since joining the community engagement management team, I have talked with Shannon about everything she has done, and the amount of time and effort she has put into getting involved in the Shorewood community is amazing. She has created a huge list of contacts and is consistent about staying in touch with them. She attends seminars and other community events, and with all the time she has put into this on top of her management role, she deserves this award. —Stephanie Ruiz

Shannon serves on the board of the Shorewood Business Improvement District. In the years I’ve worked with her, I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t taking home extra work to help prepare something for the community. She connects with neighbors, checks in on them, and there is always someone from the community stopping into the branch to say hello to her. —Laura De Bruin, personal banker, Shorewood

Brookfield Square branch employees, video tellers, and bank leaders with Maria (third from left) after she received her award. Her husband was there, too!

Maria Baumer is the smartest and kindest boss I have ever had. She answers our calls after hours and weekends, always answers our questions, and shares knowledge daily. She shows us that she cares about us professionally and personally, and she pushes us to do our best. She always goes beyond for her customers. All her prior customers still ask for her and have the nicest comments about her. —Erika Garcia, video teller

Throughout her time here, Maria has demonstrated her desire to live the bank’s mission and to ensure her teams live it as well. Last year, she led the Brookfield Square branch to be named Branch of the Year. The video teller team has continued to thrive and adapt to a changing environment. Maria is also the primary branch contact for our Business Banking team. Her positivity and enthusiasm are contagious, and everyone who works with her benefits from her desire to be better each and every day. Maria will do what it takes to be successful and for others around her to succeed as well. Her dedication to her team, to her customers, and to North Shore Bank makes her a true Legacy Leader. —Lauri Lunde, VP, district manager

Chris Boland, Kerri Collins, Tricia with her award, AVP area manager Mickey Adams, and SVP retail banking Sue Doyle.

Tricia Cravillion’s impact on North Shore Bank over the past 34 years is immeasurable. While her current role focuses on the bank’s operational soundness, she has always maintained a vested interest in sales opportunities and other outcomes that contribute to our success. Early in my career as a branch manager, I reported to Tricia. She was a huge mentor to me as I strove to find the right balance between sales and operations and the need to delegate to my team. She always encouraged me to use my resources and think about the direct impact on the customers and the bank when making decisions. She continues to lead and mentor with this approach today, and she is always looking to make improvements that will mutually benefit the bank, our customers, and our employees. In addition, her genuine, caring personality and fun spirit are admired by many. —Kerri Collins, VP, district manager

Jude Lengell listens with colleagues while Milene presents her award.

Jude Lengell exemplifies the North Shore Bank culture perfectly by demonstrating the SOAR qualities to a T. Smile to create a positive first impression: Jude is a saint! She deals with all the Fiserv projects and issues every year, never flinches, and stays positive through it all. When she is venting about something, it’s hard to tell, because she’s so positive! She always sees things through the customer’s eyes. Offer personalized solutions: Jude offers personalized attention to everyone she works with. Whether it’s a quick question or a bigger challenge, she’s always willing to dig right in to figure out a solution in a collaborative way. Actively listen: Jude listens. I give her kudos for listening to my needs and responding sooner rather than later. Every time something is cooking in the CSC, she reaches out to me to explain what’s coming. She thinks of business partner needs and caters to them beautifully. Respond promptly and knowledgeably: This one awes me the most. I know how busy Jude is. In fact, sometimes I hesitate to ask for her help, because I know she has more urgent business to attend to. And yet somehow she graciously accepts my requests and proactively responds on a timely basis. She treats each customer (internal or external) as top priority! In summary, I believe she exemplifies a tremendously caring attitude to everyone she works with. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jude have a bad day in the eight years I’ve been here. —Milene Below, VP, training and internal communications manager