Julia Peters marks 20 years with the bank on June 30.

When process analyst Julia Peters came to North Shore Bank in 1997, she was newly single, after 17 years trotting the globe while married to a U.S. Marine. “I responded to an ad in the Waukesha Freeman, interviewed with Jim Saladin, and was offered the job,” she recalls. At the time, Julia says, she couldn’t have guessed it would lead to a career lasting over two decades.

When you started, how long did you think you might work at the bank?
I honestly wasn’t sure. My history of moving meant that I changed jobs every two or three years, so I really didn’t think beyond that. I am absolutely AMAZED that I am still in one place after 20 years.

In your 20 years at North Shore Bank, what is one of your biggest accomplishments?
Keeping the leasing portfolio balanced and secure through four software conversions. Each conversion brought new challenges in documentation, compliance, balancing, reports, and customer service. I can honestly say that we have had very good audits over the years, and I take great pride in that.

How have the tools and technology you’ve used changed over 20 years?
Wow! When I started, we did not have an IT department. We had three women who helped us with our computers. No servers, no help desk, not much integration between software. Leases needed to be manually booked; payments were processed manually. Back in the day, everything was done using Excel spreadsheets. Today, I have several very cool report-writing softwares that allow me to gather information much quicker and with greater accuracy. Ninety percent of our softwares now “talk” to each other. Communication between customers and other staff has improved dramatically through email, internet, and Jabber applications.

What has been an interesting challenge you’ve faced, and how did you solve it (or not)?
Creating the mapping to move the lease applications from Appro into the Infolease system and the mapping to move the loan applications from ALSCom/Appro through Transport into the Fiserv system.

Mapping fields from one software to another was a totally new concept, and it was like learning a new language. I read every manual and help feature on all the softwares involved. I used the test systems to change fields and see what those changes affected. Then I documented everything I found through trial and error — and before I knew it, the interfaces were working and everything balanced. It was a blast, and I loved every minute of it!

Who taught you something really important, and what was it?
My mother and father taught by example that a great work ethic will get you far in this world. If you show up on time and ready to work a full day, you will be rewarded. They were correct. I have worked hard and have been richly rewarded.

On my first day at North Shore Bank, Jim Saladin taught me to follow the money to research things and understand the software systems. He always said if you follow the money trail, you can figure out what the system is doing or wants to do. He was absolutely correct, and I use that philosophy to this day.

What might you have done differently?
I would have tried harder to balance work and home. My dad always said that you should work to live and not live to work. You have to have balance. When I am at work, work is the only thing I focus on. When I go home at the end of the day, it’s important to leave work behind. I have struggled with that from time to time.

What are you glad you knew?
How to adapt to any and all changes and how to think outside the box. There have been many times over the years that coming up with a solution to a problem or issue required some creative thinking and the willingness to stretch our boundaries to accomplish our goal.

What are one or two of your favorite memories from the last 20 years?
Well, the first one is easy: A colleague and I organized a couple of motorcycle rides with other North Shore Bank employees. Mr. McKenna and his wife went on the rides with us. It was really cool and a lot of fun.

My second one is that every Christmas, our department has a white elephant sale — and some of the “gifts” have been hysterically funny. One person actually brought a jar of dirt from his backyard as a gift one year. More recently, Sarah Gantner brought a package of “Squirrel Underpants” that I got as my gift. They really were mini pants for squirrels. The gatherings and events in our department have always been fun and entertaining.