Carol Burmeister retires Mar 27.

Carol Burmeister has been what you might call an “accidental banker.” She admits that even after a few semesters of college classes, she had “no clue” about a professional path.

When she got married and moved to Milwaukee in 1972, her husband’s grandmother lived near a Badger Savings & Loan office. “It wasn’t far from our first apartment in Greendale. Not knowing Milwaukee very well, I stopped in and applied for a job there.”

Carol has the distinction of having been hired by North Shore (first Badger) Bank four times: in 1972 for four years; in 1983 for two and a half years; in 1990 for 13 years; and in 2006 until her upcoming Mar 27 retirement. Of those, one evolved from a temporary position through a placement agency to a permanent job.

Next week Friday, her last day, wraps up nearly 26 years of cumulative service.

And speaking of accidental bankers, one of her service segments came about when she happened on Cindy Hundt, who retired in October, in a Kmart parking lot. Cindy offered her a part-time position on the spot.

Internal, external customers served
Carol has worked part- and full-time, first as a teller, and then as a teller supervisor, as a receptionist, and as a teller supervisor a second time. Her final job has been special applications rep in our Customer Support Center: She collects reports from ATMs and helps branch staff keep them in balance.

After interacting with external customers off and on for years, Carol has found an equal amount of satisfaction in serving internal customers. “I was ready for a change.”

Automation and the diminishing number of people who visit our branch offices in person is without a doubt the biggest change she has witnessed through the years.

Now Carol is ready to trade gazing at her computer screen and focusing on balance sheets for gazing at a lake, with her pruning shears and trowel at the ready. She and her husband, Greg, live on Big Muskego Lake, about 30 minutes from her Corporate headquarters office.

Lakeside home brings work, yet plenty of relaxation
Carol says their lakeside paradise has been neglected during her banking years. “I plan to tend to a multitude of gardens around my house that look like abandoned property, weeding and cleaning up the perennial beds and adding shrubs and flowering annuals.”

But it won’t be all work. “We do lots of boating, swimming, and wildlife watching: eagles, osprey, blue herons, egrets, swans, and even white pelicans from time to time,” she says.

Their two daughters and four grandchildren — 9 months, 2, 2½, and 5 — live in the area and join them for lake fun almost weekly.

Greg will continue to work at family-founded Burmeister Woodwork in Hales Corners, but his schedule has ample flexibility for spending this April with Carol in Florida. They plan to take regular breaks from Midwest winters, but, she notes, “We’re not huge travelers; with our home on the lake, why would we need to go anywhere else?”

Colleagues in CSC highlight Carol’s contributions
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Carol for 24 years,” says VP–Security Payments Manager Lyneen Fischer, noting, “By the way, Carol, you have not changed a bit!

“Carol started at the old South office now called Jackson Park,” Lyneen says. “She was someone we could always count on to provide top-notch service to her customers and coworkers. We were all sad when she decided to not work for a while, but we were extremely glad when she wanted to get back into the workforce and chose North Shore Bank because she was always happy here.

“Thanks for being a bright light in every capacity you have worked in, Carol. You certainly set the SOAR example, and we will miss you. Enjoy all of your leisurely days with your wonderful family. Happy retirement!”

AVP–Special Applications Supervisor Wendy Gyles remembers, “Carol joined Customer Support after working in the branches for many years. She brought a superior customer service work ethic. She has been the go-to person for ATM balancing and is always there to assist branches with any questions they may bring her. The smile in her voice has always made branch staff feel they could come to her for assistance.

“Carol will be missed by branch employees and the CSC family. Her positive attitude, knowledge, and willingness to help others has made it a pleasure to work with Carol.”