Seven SOAR Award winners make big impacts
North Shore Bank is pleased to announce our 2023 SOAR Award winners. Nominated by their colleagues for their exceptional commitment to our customers, our communities, and our company, this year’s winners across three categories are Ryan Alfaro, Kelly Kading, Joline Lazarski, Susan Liedel, Don Mahnke, Colleen Egan, and Craig Witz. Read all about our winners now!
MLK Drive was built to be part of its community
Mayor John Norquist passes a plaque to branch manager Darleen Binder at the MLK Drive grand opening in October 1996.
From the very start, our MLK Drive branch was intended to be not just a bank, but part of a community.
John Patzke speaking at the grand opening.
Even before the location opened in late 1996, important groundwork was being laid. Branch manager Darleen Binder and checking services manager Erica Johnson — who would be customer service supervisor at MLK Drive — joined the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District and spent months getting to know local leaders, residents, and neighborhood businesses.
“John Patzke was the leading force behind the MLK branch,” recalls security/payments manager VP Lyneen Fischer. As chairman of Badger Bank, Patzke — who died in 2019 — had led the charge to open a branch in the neighborhood. When North Shore Bank acquired Badger in 1996 and Patzke became a senior vice president here, work on MLK Drive was already in motion. Read more about the branch’s history!
Bucks’ Connaughton appears as video teller
Forest Home universal banker Kim Dane, Rachel Rasmussen, Brookfield Square assistant branch manager Mariella Zarb, deposit operations rep Debra “Jonesy” Jones, universal banker Erin Hunsberger, senior video teller Teresa Sanchez, and video teller Jessica Cranley with Pat Connaughton at Corporate last Friday.
Erma and Pat at work.
Customers using North Shore Bank’s video teller machines got a shock last Friday, March 31, when Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks appeared onscreen to help them — and give them free cash.
“When Pat appeared on the video teller screen, most customers knew who he was — and were completely surprised that he was working as a video teller,” said VP marketing Kate Johnson. “The Bucks played the Celtics the night before, and lost by over 40 points. So Pat would say to some of the customers that after last night’s game, he was looking into other careers. All in good fun.”
Because Connaughton’s appearance was part of our ongoing centennial celebration, he gave away $100 to every customer he helped.
“He really got into it, playing around with how to surprise customers,” Kate said. “Sometimes he did it at the end of the transaction, sometimes at the beginning. It was really cool to see him ad-lib to get the best reaction.”
Video teller Erma Schroeder assisted Connaughton while he worked the station.
“I had so much fun!” she said. “We took a selfie and did some hoops with a little basketball hoop, and I made the first shot and Pat didn’t — it was funny. And customers’ reactions were so funny, too.”
In the video above, you can watch Erma jokingly ask the NBA star what he did before he got into banking.
And of course, as part of our 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge, four employees got to attend a meet-and-greet with Connaughton at Corporate, where he signed autographs and took photos.
“He was so friendly and easy-going,” marketing data analyst Rachel Rasmussen said. “I brought my ‘Pat hat’ that he designed last season to get signed, and it is now on display with our other sports paraphernalia.” •••
Throwback Thursday: Softball a big hit at NSB
The Mighty Gulls in 2000, including Dean Trout pitching at right.
The company softball team has been a mainstay of corporate America for decades, and North Shore Bank is no exception to the rule. We’ve fielded at least one group of champions and some others who…were not champions — but when it comes to having fun, our employees have always been winners. Take a look!
Bank employees go wild (kind of) for Spirit Day
The Jackson Park team rocking leopard print: tellers Paulina Garcia and Diana Villanueva, Janet, personal banker Alexandra Calderon, and teller Fabiola Guel.
We held our first bankwide Spirit Day on Friday, March 31, to celebrate North Shore Bank’s centennial year. The theme was “Out Like a Lion,” in honor of our sponsorships of the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Racine Zoo, and Green Bay’s NEW Zoo & Adventure Park.
In keeping with the theme, employees were invited to wear their favorite animal print or other critter-themed clothing. Check out these great photos.
It’s time for more centennial trivia!
Hope you’re ready to strain your brains, because it’s once again time for North Shore Bank Centennial Trivia!
Your question for this month is:
Who was North Shore Bank’s president before Jim McKenna?
In the spirit of wanting to make Centennial Trivia more fair for all employees, we’ve made some slight changes to the original rules. Starting this month, the winner will be randomly selected from a list of everyone who submitted the correct answer.
Go to Ask Seymour and submit your answer by 5 pm today to be entered to win some fabulous North Shore Bank centennial swag! Full rules are here.
The winner will be announced on Ask Seymour tomorrow, Friday, April 7, and in next week’s Shorelines. Look for the next Centennial Trivia question in June! •••
Yucky weather made Hanson glad for VIP parking
Nancy, on exactly the kind of day you’d want VIP parking.
As part of North Shore Bank’s centennial celebrations, each week, three Corporate employees are chosen to enjoy VIP parking. Corporate receptionist Nancy Hanson was one of the lucky beneficiaries last week. 02937
“It was especially nice on the cold, snowy, rainy days,” she says. “Thank you for this perk, NSB! I enjoyed feeling like a VIP for a week!” •••
BizTimes covers NSB centennial
Click the image to see the digital edition of BizTimes.
BizTimes included North Shore Bank in its coverage of milestone business anniversaries in the March 27 issue of the Milwaukee business publication.
You can read the story here or see it on page 39 of the magazine’s digital edition. •••
Correction: Ackeret opposed bank expanding
An article in the February 9, 2023 edition of Shorelines inaccurately credited former North Shore president Walter Ackeret with expanding the company into a network of branches. Interestingly, although Ackeret led the bank when the application to add our first branch was filed, he was actually deeply opposed to his successor Jim McKenna’s plans to expand North Shore Savings & Loan into further locations. As we all know, Ackeret lost that battle, and North Shore Bank now operates in 43 offices in Wisconsin and Illinois. •••
My Credit Score allows customers to monitor credit
Last week, we added My Credit Score to our mobile app and Online Banking — a free tool that provides North Shore Bank customers with personalized information about their credit scores.
“It’s important that we provide resources that educate our customers and put them in a place to make informed financial decisions,” product manager Mary Ott said. “By monitoring their credit score, they can better understand their credit position and detect fraudulent activity or inaccuracies on their credit reports.”
Although in some cases, doing a credit check can actually lower the credit score being checked, My Credit Score uses a “soft inquiry” that allows users to check it daily without any impact. Along with regularly seeing their credit score, users can also review their credit report and use a simulator to see how certain actions will impact their score — such as paying off a credit card or applying for a loan. My Credit Score will also show users customized offers for financial products.
After last week’s soft launch, we already have over 1,400 customers enrolled in My Credit Score. That number will only go up after we start officially promoting it next week. Find more information about My Credit Score here. •••
Promotions for March 2023
The following employees were promoted in March:
- Jayme Clarey was promoted from Teller Supervisor at Burlington to District Operations Specialist.
- Shana English was promoted from Universal Banker to Teller Supervisor at Kenosha South.
- Kristin Monday was promoted from Senior Financial Accountant and Analyst to Accounting Operations Manager.
- Nicolle Pullos was promoted from Universal Banker at Westgate to Accounting Specialist.
- David Stone was promoted from Accounting Operations Specialist to Senior Accounting Specialist.
Leave a comment to congratulate them!
Beer & Cheese Fest supports Boys & Girls Club
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:
Presented by North Shore Bank and the Appleton Fox Cities Kiwanis Club, the 2023 Fox Cities Kidz Expo is a free family event filled with fun and educational opportunities. It takes place Saturday, April 15, at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center in downtown Appleton. More info here.
The Dairy State Beer & Cheese Festival takes place Saturday, April 15, at the Parkway Chateau in Kenosha. A fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, this event will feature Wisconsin cheeses, some of the state’s most sought-after beers, and great live music by Lynette and the Rock Daddys and the Big Style Brass Band. VIP ticket proceeds will go toward expanding attendance at the club’s Youth and Teen Center. Info on tickets and more here.
The next installment of our Path to Wealth seminar series takes place Wednesday, April 26, at our Jackson Park branch. In conjunction with the Latino Entrepreneurial Network, area manager Alfredo Martin and community lending manager Miguel Pesqueira will cover “The Importance of Saving.” More info here. •••