Mary Fleischman took flying lessons in the late ’90s, and if she hadn’t been so entrenched in banking, she might have made it her career. “I really enjoyed being a pilot,” she says.

When she arrived at corporate in April 1996, she already had eight years of financial experience, having started at Sunrise Savings & Loan in Oconto Falls and then moving to Pulaski, which was part of the 1988 Sunrise/North Shore Bank merger.

Mary built expertise in mortgage loans, acting as supervisor for almost 10 years until the department was restructured in 2007. That’s when she transferred to Business Banking at corporate, where as a commercial loan specialist she works back and forth between two monitors, preparing documentation for all commercial real estate and business loans.

Years marked by technology evolution, workplace humor 

In her 25-and-counting years in banking, Mary has welcomed multiple software upgrades, and she says every improvement has enhanced whatever area she has been in. In her current role, evolving technology has helped make the lending process more efficient. And it’s a good thing, because, she says, “Regulations continue to get more complicated, so we’ll all have to keep learning.”

Twenty-five years also have yielded some humorous memories. “Back in the ’90s, we had a loan processor who ran during his lunch hour several times a week,” Mary recalls. What made the practice so memorable was the “tiny shorts” he wore year-round, regardless of the temperature. “He had a handlebar moustache with a rat-tail-type braid down the back of his neck,” she remembers, which contributed to the lasting image. “But the moustache and braid had to go when he transferred to the loan office.”

She admits that she works in a “pretty entertaining closing office” now. “To work with as many loans as we do and to be as busy as we are, we have to laugh or we’ll go crazy.”

Mentors have encouraged, inspired
Mary remembers being especially inspired by three people she considers mentors. She credits Janice Dettman, now retired, for how smoothly the Pulaski office ran. “Jan was fair and even-handed, and she maintained a positive work environment that made for a well-functioning branch, despite staff age differences.”

“Although I don’t work directly with Duane Bavlnka (VP, Compliance) anymore, I credit him for always seeing the potential in people and encouraging and inspiring them to do more,” Mary says. She appreciated his popping in recently to congratulate her on her special service anniversary.

And Mary remembers Nicole Daniels (VP, Loan Processing & Closing), who arrived at Commercial Lending just after she did. “As a manager, she set a good example by how hard she herself worked.”

Looking ahead plus some advice
Mary wouldn’t want to have to predict what the next five years will bring. “The economic atmosphere is pretty scary, so I’ll just take it as it comes. I’m grateful every day to have a job, and I’ll keep plugging along to keep it.”

If someone starting out in banking asked for advice, Mary would tell them: “You have to enjoy what you are doing. There are so many bank positions that offer so much variety. Even in lending, you can be out in front on the sales side or behind the scenes on the technical side. Banking is not just about handling money.”

With 25 years of experience, Mary ought to know.