New VP marketing Kate Johnson leads by serving
For her first two years of college, Kate Johnson worked as a teller at Firstar Bank in Menomonee Falls. “Little did I know this would be a precursor to the majority of my career,” she says.

As the new vice president in charge of marketing for North Shore Bank, Kate brings over 20 years of experience to her role, about three quarters of it in financial services — at Baird, M&I Bank, and Associated Bank. “It’s funny,” she says. “I’ve marketed everything from coffee makers to toilet seats to wealth management services for the ultra-wealthy, and it all comes back to understanding your customer and their pain points.”

Kate talked to Shorelines on Tuesday about the challenges facing marketers today, her management style, and of course, where you can find her when she’s not in the office. Read all about it here!

Hughes, Milwaukee Capitol team stop $7,000 scam loss

Late last month, Milwaukee Capitol branch manager Erica Hughes and her team saved a longtime elderly customer from losing $7,000 to a scam — demonstrating exactly why it’s so important to know your customer and to be alert for suspicious activity.

The customer, Dorothy, came into the branch to withdraw the $7,000 in large bills. Teller LeShala Belcher notified Erica, as she’d need an override for a withdrawal of that size. When Erica came out to the line to learn more, Dorothy told her the money was for a home improvement project. But rather than taking a cashier’s check, she insisted on cash.

“That’s when the red flags went up,” Erica says. “It’s not safe for a 95-year-old woman to carry that much cash around.”

Because Erica has a long relationship with this customer, she knew Dorothy’s daughter and contacted her right away about the transaction, before releasing any money.

As it turned out, Dorothy had received a phone call saying that her granddaughter was in court and needed help — and that Dorothy should keep it a secret, but the granddaughter didn’t want her parents to know. Of course, as a call to the granddaughter quickly revealed, it was a scam.

Dorothy’s daughter called the bank later to express her gratitude for Erica’s handling of the situation.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Erica says. “This kind of situation is exactly what we’re here for.” •••

Employees enjoy sunny day at 2019 Eggstravaganza

North Shore Bank was a part of the annual Racine Zoo Eggstravaganza once again this year, on April 20. “We participate in the event every year, and it gets bigger each year,” area branch manager Lisa Brooks said. “This year we were very busy with the big crowds, and it was great exposure for the bank at the zoo.”

Employees spent the sunny Saturday helping kids with a craft project at our table, as well as passing out candy and North Shore Bank bags. Along with Lisa, employees who helped out include Regency personal banker Bridget Anderson, branch manager Mary Benz, Westgate teller Jessica Cranley, teller supervisor Lisa Gagliardi, Kenosha Festival assistant branch manager–sales Shane Klimek, mortgage loan originator Sue Liedel, Westgate personal banker Danielle Lopez, Regency teller Zyanya Ordonez, and teller supervisor Sonya Ramirez. •••

Bayshore branch sponsoring fundraiser for first time

North Shore Bank will sponsor the Bay Ball, a fundraiser held by the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation, for the first time this year. As in past years, the May 11 event will collect money for educational needs that aren’t covered by the school district’s general budget — this year, a renovation and enhancement of the Whitefish Bay Middle School library’s media center.

“Whitefish Bay has been consistently rated the top school district in the state, and it’s events like this that help keep it that way,” said Bayshore branch manager Stephanie Bluemel, who took over the branch last year. The branch is providing a family-fun package to be auctioned off at the ball, which includes admission to the Milwaukee County Zoo and Milwaukee Public Museum, as well as a blanket, book, snacks, and toys. “Being new to this branch, I’m excited to get involved with the community and I look forward to more events like this.” •••

North Shore Shape Up: Does screen light hurt the eyes?
Because we spend so much time staring at electronic screens these days, it’s common for eye doctors to be asked if exposure to the blue light they emit can lead to macular degeneration or blindness. Some optometrists even advise getting glasses that filter out blue light. But the Harvard Health Blog says you don’t have to worry:

Compared to the risk from aging, smoking, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and being overweight, exposure to typical levels of blue light from consumer electronics is negligible in terms of increased risk of macular degeneration or blindness. Furthermore, the current evidence does not support the use of blue light-blocking lenses to protect the health of the retina, and advertisers have even been fined for misleading claims about these types of lenses.

That said, the blog warns that there are legitimate concerns about screen use: “[T]he use of these devices may disrupt sleep or disturb other aspects of your health or circadian rhythm. If you are one of the large number of people who fall into this category, talk to your doctor and take steps to limit your use of devices at night, when blue light is most likely to impact your biological clock.” •••

Upcoming Events
North Shore Bank’s 13th annual free Community Shredding Day takes place Saturday, May 4. More info here. More upcoming events here.

Internal Job Postings •••

Closing TODAY

• Personal Banker, Sussex, full time (40 hrs/wk). Pay grade: N05. Referral bonus: $500.
• Personal Banker, Union Grove, full time (40 hrs/wk). Pay grade: N05. Referral bonus: $500.

Ongoing

• Customer Assistance Rep, Corporate, full time (40 hrs/wk). Pay grade: N12. Referral bonus: $400.
• Video Teller and Video Teller Supervisor, Brookfield Square, full (40 hrs/wk) or part time (20). Pay grade: N03. Referral bonus: $400.

For complete information regarding internal job postings, application procedures, and our referral program, click on the Job Postings tile found on the home page in Ask Seymour.