Diane Bahringer didn’t plan on 45 years in banking
When Diane Bahringer got started at Layton State Bank in 1975, she began as a vault receptionist.

Her responsibilities included safety deposit box contracts and fee collection, as well as giving customers access to their boxes and operating the switchboard. She was recommended for the job by a great-uncle who was a stockholder with Layton.

“I planned to work there for one year while I decided on what path to pursue in life,” she says. “I never expected I would still be working in banking all these years later!” Read more of her story here!

Luebke, Hughes again tapped as Five Star professionals
Two North Shore Bank employees have been named Five Star Mortgage Professionals, an annual honor based on consumer and peer evaluations, along with other research.

AVP senior mortgage lender Steve Luebke received the Five Star designation for the 11th year in a row, and AVP senior mortgage loan originator Ed Hughes won for the ninth time. Read more about their achievement.

Longtime customer gets $10, NSB to match pantry gifts

Here’s this week’s update on our Bank on Kindness campaign to spread happiness and goodwill in our communities.

Milwaukee Capitol teller Steven Ehrhardt gave an extra $10 to longtime customer Helena. “She comes into the branch regularly. I’d say once about every two weeks if not more often,” Steven said.

Helena was surprised and pleased by the gesture, area branch manager Shannon Weber said.

“She kept asking, ‘For me? Why?'” Shannon said. “Steven told her he really appreciated that we have her as a customer, and after she left, he told me it felt really good to do something kind for someone so deserving.”

North Shore Bank’s next Bank on Kindness initiative is a donation-matching campaign for local food pantries throughout the month of February. Donations can be made online at give.mastercard.com/p/northshorebank, and will be matched by the bank, up to $500 per pantry. You can also get a link to donate by texting Kindness to 77948.

Participating food pantries are: Paul’s Pantry in Green Bay, Family Sharing of Ozaukee County, Shalom Center of Interfaith Network of Kenosha County, Sussex Outreach Services, Food Pantry of Waukesha County, Racine County Food Bank, St. Joseph Food Program in Menasha, the Milwaukee Christian Center, and Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee. Help spread the word! •••

Kudos: Bluemel turns laundry chat into opportunity

A few months ago, Muskego branch manager Stephanie Bluemel was handing out rolls of quarters at a local laundromat as part of the bank’s Bank on Kindness project.

“During my visit, I met a lady who started talking about how she was doing her laundry there because she was in the process of remodeling and getting a new washer and dryer,” Stephanie said. “As soon as I heard this, I went back to the branch, grabbed my business card and our credit card brochure, and went back to the laundromat.” The woman told Stephanie she really appreciated the information, but that she was already working with a local credit union for a loan.

Just recently, however, the woman got in touch to schedule an appointment, saying she was unhappy with the service she’d received from the credit union. “She was unhappy that they were not open and that if she wanted to reach out to her local branch, she had to go through the call center,” Stephanie said.

At the appointment, Stephanie opened a checking account for both the woman and her husband, as well as changing over their direct deposits, submitting a credit card application, and getting the ball rolling on a home equity loan application too.

“She is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that she was meant to meet me that day and is so grateful she did,” Stephanie said. “She said she is very excited to start her new relationship with North Shore Bank.” And when the new customer’s sister asked why she made the change, the customer replied, “Because of Stephanie.”

“The biggest thing I can say about this opportunity is: Always be listening for triggers,” Stephanie said. “And not all sales happen in your office.” Nice work! •••

Burlington staff celebrate Callis with flowers and more

Burlington branch manager Robin Callis celebrated her 10th anniversary with North Shore Bank this month. In honor of the occasion, her team surprised her with flowers, chocolates, and a sign listing 10 things they like about her.

“I was very flattered by the gesture — it brought tears to my eyes,” Robin said. “I have a great staff!” •••

Muskego collects shoe donations

Through February, the Muskego branch will collect new and gently used shoes for Changing a Destiny, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit. The shoes will be given to people in Africa and elsewhere. A bank customer is the group’s executive director, as well as a member of the Muskego chamber of commerce.

Donated shoes will go in a barrel at the branch. Changing a Destiny’s goal is to collect 2,000 pairs by the end of February. •••

Mindful Minute: Self-care matters, so learn to do it

Your Zen minute: It can be hard to slow down. With so much to do, it often feels irresponsible to be doing anything but going, going, going at full speed. But just like an actual machine will break down if it’s operated non-stop, you will not perform well — and might hurt yourself — if you won’t take time to pause.

Self-care means taking an active role in protecting our own well-being, and having the tools to respond to stress, so it doesn’t lead to sleep loss, lack of focus, or a health crisis. Pat Ingelse tells you how to get started!

New Hires for January 28
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.

Northside’s new teller supervisor, Kelly Elliott, is from Racine and previously worked in retail management. “My family and I are all avid PC gamers,” she says. “We build our own computers.” Her favorite game is World of Warcraft.

Video teller manager Justin Kasten is from Lake Geneva and previously worked at a smaller financial institution in Racine County, helping oversee retail banking sales and operations. He and his wife have a 4-year-old son. “We love spending time outside with friends and family,” he says. “In the summer, we try to spend most of our free time finding different adventures we can go on! We love traveling, tubing and boating, and bonfires!”

Southridge teller Don Mahnke grew up in Wauwatosa and now lives in Franklin. He was previously at OneTouchPoint for 18 years, where he was VP finance. ” I love to cook — and eat,” he says. “I enjoy all types of cuisine, but I like my food to have heat. I am a ‘chilihead’ with a collection of well over 500 empty bottles of consumed hot sauce. I learned how to cook from my neighbor and mentor who led a cavalry regiment in World War II — he learned to cook because he couldn’t stomach the regiment cook’s food. His mantra was ‘If your meal doesn’t make you sweat, you’re not enjoying your food.'” •••