Fun, flexibility have kept Wendy Repka here 20 years
Senior infrastructure specialist Wendy Repka celebrates 20 years with North Shore Bank this month.

“Wendy is a tremendous asset to North Shore Bank,” VP information systems Dana Scherff says. “She understands our technological environment and our business needs. Her attention to detail is commendable. I have enjoyed working with her and look forward to many more years!”

Wendy talked to Shorelines about her career at North Shore Bank. Read what she had to say!

Sweet wins election for seat on Union Grove board
Training specialist Amy Sweet won a seat on the Union Grove Village Board in April’s spring election. She will serve a two-year term as trustee on the board, which includes five other trustees and the village president.

“I absolutely love my community,” Amy said of her motivation for running. “And I want to be a part of helping it grow while maintaining the small-town culture and values that make it such a great place to live and raise a family.” She talked to Shorelines about her new role. Read about it now!

For tenth year, North Shore Bank named Top Workplace

As you’ve surely heard by now, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has recognized North Shore Bank as one of southeast Wisconsin’s Top Workplaces for the tenth year.

This year’s list of Top Workplaces included 147 employers. Top Workplaces are chosen based on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. Surveyed employees rate their employers on qualities such as leadership, career opportunities, workplace flexibility, compensation, benefits, and innovation.

You may have noticed a new screen-saver (above), login screen, and desktop image — created by marketing manager Mary Ott — to celebrate the recognition. Congratulations, and thank you to all of you who have helped make North Shore Bank a Top Workplace for ten years. •••

Emerging Leaders Group gets on bus for night of art

The bank’s Emerging Leaders Group hopped on the bus for Gallery Night MKE on Friday, April 22. The quarterly “gallery hop” event gives attendees a chance to check out Milwaukee’s art scene, as well as dine and shop.

ELG members visited the Marshall Building, Walker’s Point Center of the Arts, and the offbeat Saint Kate hotel. Traveling on the “art bus” meant they got to enjoy snacks and live music too.

“This was a great way to kick off the big plans the Emerging Leaders Group has for the rest of the year,” North End assistant branch manager Breanna Rooney said. “The group works hard to come up with opportunities for career development, mentoring, and networking, and this gave us a chance to share ideas. We also got to meet with featured artists in their personal gallery spaces and hear their unique stories and what inspires them.”

ELG members who attended Gallery Night include Breanna, video teller Erika Garcia, Southridge area manager and community engagement manager Ray Guardiola, teller Alex Kellman, senior financial accountant/analyst Kristin Monday, senior secondary market specialist Rachel Rasmussen, Brookfield Capitol teller Janette Rodriguez, Shorewood universal banker Micki Usama, and branch operations support manager Beth Wianecki. •••

Painter featured as Grafton’s Artist of the Month

Grafton’s Artist of the Month for May is Renee Schreiner. Her acrylic paintings went up in the branch’s Stone House Gallery this week. A member of the Cedarburg Artist Guild, Renee earned her tuition for art school by joining the Women’s Army Corps in the 1970s. When she was stationed in Europe, she used her off-duty time to travel and visit art museums. Besides painting, she also makes beaded jewelry. Stop in and see Renee’s work through the end of the month during regular branch hours. •••

“Be Kind” installation planned for North End “parklet”
The North End branch will get even more friendly and fun next month, with the creation of a “parklet” in front of the building featuring a giant kindness-themed art installation.

Milwaukee artist Fred Kaems will paint 7-foot-tall letters spelling out BE KIND. The artist, responsible for some of the city’s most beloved murals, will work his magic on the branch windows as well.

As part of the ongoing Bank on Kindness initiative, we’ll also be holding community events in the new parklet space once it’s ready. More information on the upcoming art installation is in our press release. •••

Our journeys are bumpy, so appreciate your victories

In the coming decades, we will see the merging of humans with computer technology like never before. We will also see the convergence of many disciplines, so that we approach problems from many different angles. But this progress has not come without a few bumps. Your journey has probably been bumpy at times as well, but the progress you’ve made has made you stronger. You have come to know yourself better and have worked through many obstacles.

Try this meditation for one minute today, or longer if you wish:

TAKE A MOMENT to appreciate the insights and victories you have had so far. Celebrate them.

We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done. —Alan Turing, British mathematician and computer scientist

How did this meditation go for you? Share your experience with your fellow North Shore Bank employees at shorelines@northshorebank.com and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana.

If you’d like a daily email reminder to practice one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.” •••

Promotions for April 2022
The following employees were promoted in April:

• Breanna Rooney was promoted from Personal Banker to Assistant Branch Manager at North End.

Leave a comment to congratulate them!

New Hires for May 5
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.

Union Grove personal banker Eric Rambis is from Kenosha and has previously worked as an investment adviser and insurance agent. In his free time, he enjoys camping and biking the trails at Wisconsin’s state parks, traveling internationally, Caribbean deep-sea fishing, golf, and playing the slots at Wisconsin casinos.

Allouez teller Alexx Stadtlander is from Buffalo, Minnesota, and previously worked as a teller at CCF Bank in Eau Claire. She has a degree in music, plays upright bass and piano, and has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as for musicals, operas, and other symphony orchestras. “Performing with the Minnesota Orchestra was amazing,” she says. “I got to train beside some amazing bassists for a week and then did part of a concert with them.” •••

Flower sale at New Berlin branch
Looking for something to do? Here are suggestions from the bank’s event calendar.

The New Berlin Junior Woman’s Club Flower Sale runs today through Saturday at North Shore Bank’s branch there. Beautify your yard and support your community by purchasing from a large assortment of hanging basket and patio planters at great prices. Masks are required. More information here.

Our Golden Ticket Giveaway continues through May 15. The winner will get unlimited rides on the North Shore Bank Safari Train at the Milwaukee County Zoo for a whole year. To enter, members of the public simply share, like, and watch our social media posts. Each action they take increases the odds of winning.

North Shore Bank’s next Welcome Party will be held in Green Bay, at Titletown Brewing Company, on Thursday, May 19. The Welcome Party brings together new area residents, neighbors, local businesses, and community organizations for an evening of complimentary food, music, and more fun. The party is free, and interested folks can sign up here.

The 2022 Milwaukee Dealmakers Conference, presented by North Shore Bank, will take place Tuesday, May 24, at the Pfister Hotel. This event connects hundreds of local dealmakers and offers sessions on topics covering the breadth of the mergers-and-acquisitions landscape. North Shore Bank VP and senior commercial lender Mike Cornell will be part of a panel on building effective capital stacks for acquisitions, real estate growth, and other expansion. More info here. •••