Mike Kellman celebrates 20 years at North Shore Bank this month.

Back in 2001, senior vice president consumer credit sales Mike Kellman didn’t know he was joining a company he’d still be with two decades later.

But that fit with what he was looking for. “I like stability,” he says. “I always hoped the jobs I had were long-term jobs. While you never know what is in store for you, I planned and expected to be with North Shore Bank for a long time.”

“Mike has been a great representative of North Shore Bank as a leader in the community and industry,” president and COO Jay McKenna says. “He has served on the board of the United Performing Arts Fund and chaired the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association, as well as being involved with several other community organizations. With unlimited energy and enthusiasm, Mike has led our mortgage and consumer lending results to new heights. He has been an invaluable member of the senior leadership team, and I enjoy working with him every day to keep North Shore strong and growing.”

Mike talked to Shorelines about his career and why he’s happy he’s stuck around.

How did you get started at North Shore Bank?
I was working as a branch manager at Firstar Bank and received a call from North Shore Bank. They wanted to talk about an opportunity they had. We met for lunch and, long story short, it was a great opportunity for me and I jumped at the chance.

What were your plans when you started here 20 years ago?
Frankly, this job was several rungs above what I was doing at Firstar. My first few years were a scramble to learn all I could about the many parts to my new job. I worked hard to learn all I could as quickly as I could. I saw an opportunity to learn more at the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison. That was a three-year program where I learned a great deal about all aspects of banking and was able to turn that into practical knowledge through the significant homework the program entailed. I then parlayed that into an MBA, which helped my direction and deepened my knowledge at the bank.

What’s one important thing you’ve learned during your time here?
North Shore Bank is different. We are different from our competition and other organizations because of our mutuality. This is a game changer for the way we do business and approach opportunities. Also important is the message I regularly hear from Jay McKenna: “We do the right thing at North Shore Bank, period.”

What would you tell 2001 Mike if you could send a message back in time?
R-E-L-A-X — an excellent Aaron Rodgers quote from a few years ago that would have helped me. I was always looking into the future What I should have realized is, good things happen when you work hard, continue to grow, and are prepared when opportunity knocks on the door.

What are you excited about in the bank’s future (and your own)?
North Shore Bank is a great work environment and a great place to grow and work. I love that we are big enough to have all the products and services one could want, yet small enough to know and care about each of our customers. The future is bright!