Kristin Monday rings in 2023 with her MBA
Senior financial accountant and analyst Kristin Monday closed out 2022 in a big way: completing her MBA.
When she started the program in May 2021, she recalls thinking, “What am I getting myself into?!” she says. “But I’m so happy and proud that I accomplished this goal — even earning an A in every class and graduating with distinction.” Read more about Kristin’s impressive achievement!
We’re celebrating customers, communities, and you
Happy new year! 2023 is here at last — and with it, North Shore Bank’s 100th anniversary. This is just the beginning of a year full of celebration and surprises for our employees, customers, and communities.
We have a lot planned for this huge milestone, and over the months to come, you’ll hear about those plans in greater detail here in Shorelines and through Ask Seymour. For now, here’s a quick look at what’s coming.
North Shore Bank tells a story of remarkable growth
In 1941, North Shore moved our offices into part of a building we’d constructed at the corner of Oakland Avenue and East Lake Bluff Road in Shorewood. By 1958, we’d taken over the whole space.
1n 1923, a group of teachers opened the North Shore Building & Loan Association in the back room of Perkins Hardware Store, on what is now Capitol Drive in Shorewood. Back then, the company had $22,000 in assets. Just two years later, our assets had climbed to over $200,000.
By the 1970s, we were operating a network of branches — the first one opened in Milwaukee in 1972. We changed our name to North Shore Bank in 1989 and now, a century on from our humble beginnings, we’re headquartered in Brookfield, have 43 offices in two states and almost 500 employees, and our assets total over $2.5 billion.
Our current Shorewood branch — which opened in 2018, down the street on the corner of Oakland and East Kenmore Place — sports a decidedly more modern look.
You can learn more about our story on the bank’s website and see a PDF timeline of North Shore Bank’s 100 years of history (including some great pictures from days gone by). We’re excited to have you with us as we build a future that promises to be as memorable as our past. •••
Throwback Thursday: A message from City Hall
The 42-inch wooden letters on City Hall were painted white and changed by workers by means of a catwalk behind them.
Milwaukee City Hall recognized the bank’s 60th anniversary in 1983. As the Milwaukee County Historical Society explains on its website, this “lighted message system was added to the south side of the tower facing the intersections of Wells, Water, and Market streets” in 1906.
The message rotated based on local events, or simply offered a warm welcome to Milwaukee. As some will remember, the letters famously appeared in the opening credits of beloved sitcom Laverne & Shirley (see inset), which ran for eight seasons on ABC. Due to increased maintenance costs, Mayor John Norquist and the city’s Historic Preservation Commission had the letters taken down in 1988. They were placed in storage at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and are now held by the historical society, which plans to restore some of them as funds become available. •••
Is your employee number hidden in Shorelines?
In keeping with the spirit of our centennial celebration, we are excited to announce another blast from the past: the return of the employee numbers game. Starting this week and throughout 2023, a randomly selected North Shore Bank employee number will be hidden somewhere in each week’s edition of Shorelines.
Look through this week’s issue! If you spot your five-digit employee number, contact HR specialist Morgan Stark to receive your prize — a gift featuring the North Shore Bank centennial icon. May the odds be ever in your favor! •••
Branches show off their holiday spirit
Teller supervisor Karen Jach, Katie Longsine, universal banker Zach Burmeister, teller Roberta Strazishar, assistant branch manager Emmeline Knight-Guzman, teller Brittney Koeberl, and floating teller Deb Price.
Pulaski and Howard-Suamico employees traditionally plan a fun activity together for the winter holidays — this year, they went bowling. “We spent the afternoon at the bowling alley enjoying a delicious lunch, some friendly competition, and an exciting Secret Santa gift exchange,” community engagement manager Katie Longsine said.
District operations specialist Jill Heule, universal banker Kim Balser, teller Char Schaible, universal banker Fabio Zane, Lacee Kalepp, personal banker Kelly Kading, assistant branch manager Deb Cumming, floating teller Deb Price, assistant branch manager Tisha Kenfield, teller Jenny Isenhower, BSA/AML specialist Noah Isenhower, and teller supervisor Patt Kox.
Employees from the Northland and Menasha branches celebrated the holidays on December 20 with games and treats. “We did a game where you would exchange ornaments, and each one represented a gift card that went with it,” area branch manager Lacee Kalepp said. “We had to try to guess where the gift card was from, based on the ornament. We had so much fun!”
Aubrey, teller Alexx Stadtlander, and area branch manager Mickey Adams.
The Allouez team got into the holiday spirit with festive sweaters and handmade headbands. “Alexx and I made our headbands as a group thing at work and I made Mickey’s,” assistant branch manager Aubrey Abrahamson said. “I thought it would be fun to dress up, but couldn’t find any headbands at Target — so I figured it would be an even more fun team project for us to spend some time making them!”
Emily’s first-place winner at left, and Jayme’s runner-up at far right.
And results are in from this year’s gingerbread house contest at Burlington. Teller Emily Henry took first place, with teller supervisor Jayme Clarey hot on her tail. They each won a gift card of their choice.
“The customers had so much fun voting,” branch manager Robin Callis said. “Many agreed the houses were all so good, it was very difficult to choose just one. The staff had fun too, and we look forward to our next venture!” •••
Start the new year right with financial wellness tips
Happy New Year! North Shore Bank has a ton of tips and tools to help you make financial wellness a priority in 2023, right from the get-go.
- For starters, see where you stand with a Financial Wellness Assessment. In the Learning Center menu at the top of the bank’s website, choose “Financial Wellness” and then scroll down to the Topics section. This interactive tool will tell you how you’re doing and what you can do to improve.
- Our Budgeting Coach is a great next step. Scroll back up and click “Create a Budget” in the Featured section. This five-minute interactive tool walks you through creating a budget and reducing spending.
- The 50/30/20 rule is a simple, effective guideline to make saving easier. In short, divide your after-tax income by applying 50 percent of it to needs, 30 percent to wants, and 20 percent to long-term savings.
Our bankers have also shared some of their favorite savings-boosting tips in a blog post to kick off the new year. Take advantage of all of these resources to make 2023 your most financially healthy yet! •••
Refer someone and get $2,500+!
Reminder: If you know somebody worth hiring, you can earn a $2,500 bonus by successfully referring them for a job at North Shore Bank. We have openings to fill in our branches and the Customer Support Center. You can earn an additional $500 (for a total bonus of $3,000) if the referral is bilingual in English and Spanish. Referrals must be received by Tuesday, January 17. More information here. •••
Germantown impresses customer
“Erica Hughes and Andrew Eichel at the Germantown location provided exceptional customer service,” writes a customer who came in for a fixed-rate loan. “Great personal service!” Fabulous work, folks! •••
New Hires for January 5
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.
Residential loan specialist Erica Jackson has lived in New Berlin since 2000. She was a loan processor for the Bank of England from 2014 until last year. “My son, who’s now in college, and my youngest daughter, a high school senior, both were and still are involved in theater,” she says. “There is nothing like seeing my kids performing onstage and singing their hearts out. We love going to Broadway shows downtown whenever we can. Our favorites so far are Les Misérables, Rent, and Mean Girls.” •••
Travel down rabbit hole to winter wonderland
What’s going on with you? If you or someone in your family has a special event — a concert, show, sporting or charity event, or another important moment — send the details to shorelines@northshorebank.com. We’ll include information about select events to let your colleagues know about all the cool stuff happening with the North Shore Bank team.
Looking for more to do? Here are suggestions from the bank’s event calendar:
Part of West Allis Winter Week, Alice in Winter Wonderland takes place Tuesday, January 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the West Allis Public Library. This family evening will start with an “unbirthday” storytime, followed by an outdoor glow-stick dance party and “Off With Your Head” trivia for adults. There will be tea, hot cocoa, cookies, chess, and crafts, including North Shore Bank’s area for anyone to decorate their own snowman bookmarks. Guests can also snap a pic with the Queen of Hearts and Alice herself at the Cheshire Grin photo booth. More info here. •••