By Molly Schissler, Chief HR Officer

North Shore Bank is pleased to announce the annual SOAR Award winners for 2024. Winners are nominated by their colleagues for their exceptional commitment to our customers, our communities, and our company.

Outstanding Service

• DeDe Krause, Travelling Associate Banker
• Morgan Stark, Human Resources Specialist

Community Involvement

• Cristen Baumann, District Manager
• Jolene Cedeno, Branch Manager, Union Grove

Legacy Leader

• Kerry Carrasco, Residential Loan Service Manager
• Ava Howland, Associate Banker, New Berlin

Possibility Thinker

• Jason Roloff, Information Systems Infrastructure Specialist Lead
• Caitlin Maloney, Assistant Branch Manager, Pulaski

Here are excerpts from their nominations:

DeDe Krause: DeDe offers every customer a warm smile when they come to the bank. She consistently goes the extra mile by sitting down with the customer to work through their needs. She constantly offers support to her coworkers by making herself available to aid in any issues that arise. DeDe looks at the whole person and their situation when suggesting products and services. DeDe will take the time to find the answers, research what she is not sure on, and reach out to those who have that knowledge. Her attention to customers is unmatched. DeDe helps so many people every day with grace and respect. She truly is “The Bank of You”. ~ nominated by Nicole Goska, Teller, Green Bay East

Morgan Stark: When I think of outstanding service a company provides, I’d want someone like Morgan to be the first impression people get. She lives and breathes our company vision of providing superior service to anyone she comes in contact with. Whether over the phone or in person, her positive demeanor shines. Need help with a project? She’s your gal. Always willing to take it on with no complaints. She always delivers impeccable results! Thank you, Morgan, for being the best colleague anyone could ask for. Your awesome service is invaluable to customers, colleagues and North Shore Bank! ~ nominated by Milene Below, VP, Training & Internal Communications Manager

Cristen Baumann: She is passionate about impacting her communities through service, particularly at the board level. Cristen’s service includes organizations within both her home community, and communities she covers as a District Manager for the bank. On the home front, she is treasurer for the middle school PTA, where she actively volunteers for events. Cristen also channeled her passion for our four-legged friends into long-term service to the Elmbrook Humane Society, serving as an executive board member for 6 years. Both education and financial literacy are important to Cristen as well, leading to participation in advisory boards for Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). ~ nominated by Craig Witz, VP, Branch Sales Manager

Jolene Cedeno: Jolene Cedeno has done a remarkable job of being heavily involved in the Union Grove community. The Graham Public Library has partnered with North Shore Bank of Union Grove to present a financial literacy program for teens, young adults, and anyone who wants to be better with money.Jolene volunteers her time after hours to teach people foundational practices for long-term financial success and stability. Her dedication to teaching and community is remarkable. Jolene is also the first person in my district to help at a community event, either wearing the Seymour costume or helping run a booth and promoting North Shore Bank. ~ nominated by Brian Bozek, District Manager

Kerry Carrasco: With Kerry’s many years of experience, she consistently demonstrates her knowledge of the Fiserv Mortgage System, North Shore Bank’s mortgage products, compliance regulations, and leadership to her staff. My observations, from outside her department, is that she provides an excellent example to her staff and guides them in providing quality service to our customers and always in a calm manner. I have worked with her in the past couple of years on some corporate projects for automation and efficiency. Her input has been invaluable to their success and implementation and she leads her team in transitioning to and embracing these new processes that are very important to North Shore Bank and keeping us compliant. Kerry’s abilities, experience, work ethic, and dedication makes her very deserving of this award. ~ nominated by Ron Olson, Process Risk Analyst

Ava Howland: Ava embodies all the best qualities that North Shore Bank’s customers have come to expect from our bank. Qualities like being knowledgeable, friendly, hard- working, and going the extra mile. Being a part-time employee, she gives 110% every hour she’s working. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone throughout the bank that has interacted with Ava and had a bad experience. Her wit and wisdom have made a positive impression on those who’ve been lucky enough to work with her. Ava is competitive, kind, generous, and also humble about how amazing she is. ~ nominated by Sara Swosinski, Branch Manager, New Berlin

Jason Roloff: Jason approaches every conversation, issue, new technology, etc. with an open mind, focusing on how we can improve our environment, help our users, which then benefits our customers. He has improved processes within IT several times, saving hundreds of hours of work. He is a very solution-oriented thinker, going through various scenarios until he gets the proper process in place. He continually looks for ways to improve our security posture. His co-workers go to him to bounce ideas around and he usually comes up with a way to help and improve a situation. I have yet to present an idea or discuss an issue with him where he doesn’t offer a solution or at least is willing to work through his ideas. ~ nominated by Dana Scherff, VP, Information Systems

Caitlin Maloney: Caitlin’s ability to approach situations with a positive, solution-oriented outlook helps her build trusting relationships and offer the best possible customer and employee experiences. Referring to her office as the “Solutions Room,” Caitlin consistently demonstrates the “way we do business” in her interactions. She embraces the uncommon sense mindset and thinks outside the box to problem solve and provide positive outcomes for customers and employees. Caitlin proactively dedicates time to coach and mentor team members to strengthen product knowledge and confidence in conversations. Caitlin seeks opportunities to make new connections and partnerships in the community. ~ nominated by Katie Longsine, Community Engagement Manager and Area Branch Manager

Congratulations to all the SOAR Award winners!