Stephanie Hallgren, BSA/AML Quality Control Specialist, is celebrating 20 years with North Shore Bank this month! The following is a lightly edited interview with Stephanie, reflecting on her two decades of service with North Shore Bank. 

Did you work in banking prior to North Shore Bank?

No. My prior work experience was in retail. I always thought it might be nice to work at a bank. I moved to Wisconsin from Utah in October 2004 and was living in Kenosha. I applied for a position at the Northside branch in Racine and remember thinking that it must be close by as Racine is right next to Kenosha. I got the position and soon found myself with a 30-minute commute.

What roles have you held in your time at North Shore Bank?

I started in the branches as a teller, teller supervisor, and assistant branch manager of operations. I then came to corporate as a deposit operations representative, senior deposit operation specialist, BSA (Bank Secrecy Act)/AML (Anti-Money Laundering) specialist, and BSA/AML lead. I am currently the BSA/AML Quality Control Specialist. I have also been a member of the Corporate Community Outreach Committee since 2017 and have been the group’s lead since September 2022.

How do you stay current with what’s happening in your area?

We have an annual multi-day event we attend that has many speakers regarding current trends. We read the many guidances that are put out by FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) and attend ABA (American Banker Association) BSA calls that discuss topics and are attended by bank employees around the country.

How has the company or industry changed since you first started?

We used to each have a teller-specific stamp that we would have to stamp the back of every check that was negotiated. We also had a machine that we used to type the amount of the check on the bottom of the checks. If your check totals were off, you had to look through all your checks to find which check you had made a mistake on and fix it.

Periodically we needed to destroy our security camera VHS tapes. My supervisor would bring in a hammer and we would bash them to pieces.

What has kept you motivated and engaged for 20 years?

I love how North Shore Bank has always encouraged employees to move up in the company. I love the job shadow program and participate in it myself so I can better understand what the other areas of the bank do. We all play an important part in making the bank a success.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments during your time here?

BSA processes used to be taken care of in our Deposit Services area. It was while in that department that I started doing BSA work. I remember being asked to a meeting with Duane Bavlnka, the bank’s compliance officer at the time, and him saying, “We’re making a new BSA department and I want you to be a part of it.” I felt so honored to be asked to be a part of this department.

What do you enjoy most about working with your North Shore Bank colleagues?

The wonderful support and camaraderie of the employees here makes working here a joy. I love that I don’t have to worry about catty behavior from my colleagues. We are always willing to help each other.

Has anyone at the bank been especially helpful to you as you have grown your career here?

I feel extremely lucky to have Kristen Gagliano, Vice President, Compliance Manager, as my boss and mentor. Anyone that has worked with her knows that she is such a fountain of knowledge. She leads by example and has always encouraged me to continue learning. She has helped me grow professionally and was supportive of me earning my ABA Certification of Certified AML and Fraud Professional.

What advice would you give someone just starting in this field?

Having attention to detail is important. We do a lot of research regarding our customers. When looking at a customer, it is always important to ask questions like does their activity make sense, does the activity in the business account support the industry that the customer said they are in. You need to be able to articulate your findings so that anyone reading your research will understand what you found and what decision you came to.

Kristen Gagliano wanted to congratulate Stephanie on her 20th year with North Shore Bank. The team celebrated with a cake for her on Monday! Kristen said Stephanie’s attention to detail makes her a perfect fit for her role as Quality Control for the BSA team as accuracy in our information and filings is critical to the bank’s success in regulatory examinations. 

“Stephanie has grown both personally and professionally since we started working together. She is the one I turn to when I want to confirm reporting for a CTRs and SARs. She now manages some annual tasks, recommends process improvements, and is always open to feedback and updates. All those skills help the whole team work more efficiently,” Kristen said.

In addition, Kristen noted that Stephanie is fun to work with, and she looks forward to more years of a great working relationship. “Cheers to another 20 years, Stephanie!” she said.

Congratulations to Stephanie on achieving this milestone!