20 years in, Cruz wishes she’d joined NSB sooner
A lot has changed for Marie Cruz since she joined Layton State Bank in May 2001. For one, in 2016 she became an employee of North Shore Bank, when we acquired Layton. More recently, earlier this year Marie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though she is doing well after having surgery in March and starting chemotherapy in June, the Forest Home assistant branch manager nevertheless describes 2021 as “a very rough year.”

“But I have a great support network of family and friends that have been with me through this journey,” she adds. “And North Shore Bank has been amazing to me as well.” Read more about Marie’s 20 years here!

Nominate North Shore Bank for Best of Racine County!

Nominations for the Best of Racine County 2021 awards are now open — and through Sunday, you can nominate North Shore Bank! Just click here and scroll down to click the big green “NOMINATE” button. The five businesses that receive the most nominations in their category will advance to the next round of voting in late August. Let’s see if we can get North Shore Bank there! •••

Germantown helps K-9 unit, Northland gets award

The Germantown branch hosted a lunch on July 15, collecting donations for the local police’s K-9 unit. “This community really loves animals and donated heavily to the animal shelter this past year,” AVP and branch manager Erica Hughes said. “The canine officers are trained in Germany and their department is funded totally through donations.” The event raised $85 for the unit.

And as reported last month, North Shore Bank’s float in this year’s Appleton Flag Day Parade won the event’s Patriot Award. Last week, a parade representative presented the award to the Northland branch staff.

“We are very humbled to receive this recognition,” teller Char Schaible said. The Patriot Award honors past and longtime parade committee members. It is the sixth award the bank has received for participating in the parade over the past 30 years. •••

Mermolia takes over at Franklin
Jason Mermolia has taken the helm at our Franklin branch, after over five years working in finance at a mortgage company, credit union, and bank in roles such as loan origination assistant, teller, universal banker, senior personal banker, and branch manager. He shared a few words with Shorelines.

What do you enjoy about your work?
I truly enjoy having the opportunity to build trust, confidence, and professional relationships with customers that allow them to feel comfortable coming to me with any of their banking needs — however I can help that can make their lives better.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t in banking?
I would most likely be a teacher. I enjoy teaching, mentoring, and helping people better understand the tasks they take on. It brings me great joy to see someone achieve their goals and become more confident in their understanding of something that was previously difficult or stressful. •••

Pause, breathe, and start early to alleviate stress

Getting even a small start on a project early on will ease your stress. Do a rough draft, jot down a few ideas — but most of all, just pause and breathe.

Try this meditation for one minute every day, or longer if you want to:

I TURN ASIDE from anxiety and take things one step at a time. I pause, break tasks down, and feel calm.

This meditation was adapted from A Mindful Day: 365 Ways to Live Life With Peace, Clarity, and an Open Heart, by David Dillard-Wright. How did it go for you? Share your thoughts and feelings in Shorelines and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book!

If you’d like a daily email reminder to do one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.” —Pat Ingelse, AVP and PMP •••

Brooks, boyfriend welcome son

Northside branch manager Lisa Brooks and boyfriend Jason welcomed baby boy Wyatt in June. He came in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces. “Everything went well, and his dad and I are elated and so in love with him,” Lisa reports. “I am enjoying every second of maternity leave with him. He is a good baby and loves to snuggle all day.” Congratulations, Lisa! •••