Janis Bertagnolli

When Janis Bertagnolli started working as a teller at Badger Bank three years after graduating from high school, little did she know she’d still be in banking 35 years later. “I would never have imagined it, but I’m glad I’m here,” she says.

She credits the people she works with for creating such a comfortable atmosphere and for the sense of camaraderie everyone shares. “There is so much cooperation and collaboration,” she says. “To me, North Shore Bank has always been a top place to work, even though it has had formal recognition for only the last two years.”

Her role in Mortgage Originations — her formal title is assistant vice-president / mortgage technology and system analyst — involves providing support to loan originators and processors. If a question arises on some technical aspect of completing a loan application, Janis is there to help. If a processor gets an error message that stalls the procedure, Janis answers the call. When there have been updates or changes in the system, Janis runs tests to be sure things operate as they should.

Regulation changes keep bankers in learning mode
Janis says that when she started in banking, years went by with very little change. She can’t claim that now.

With the amount of regulation that continues to affect mortgage lending, Janis has to be in constant learning — and training — mode.  “If I hadn’t gone into banking, I would have liked the education field. My current position entails training processors and loan originators, so I have the best of both worlds.”

Although it would be easy to rail against the continual flow of new government regulations, Janis points out, “They are put in place to protect the consumer. Because of a handful of unscrupulous lenders, all banks have to pay the price.”

That’s why Janis advises people new to banking, “Although it can be hard to just get familiar with one practice or procedure and then have to learn something new, be willing to change. You’ll expand your knowledge, and that could help you move up in the organization. The future will continue to be all about change — in every department.”

Janis remembers a class she took at the start of her career. “We were told that we’d be a checkless society in 30 years. That sounded radical at the time, but look where we are now. When I’m in line at the grocery store and someone ahead of me is making out a check, I think, ‘How ancient.’”

Memories include humor, caring customers
Reflecting on memories, Janis recalls the time at a Badger Bank branch when her co-workers hired a gorilla to visit her office to sing “Happy Birthday.”

And the time she left work on a foggy night, thinking, “It’s so foggy I can’t even see my car.” There was more than fog affecting her visibility; her car had been stolen!

“I walked to a customer’s home, and they graciously let me in to use the phone and wait for the police and a ride home. They even offered me dinner. I don’t have much customer contact any more, but I’ll always treasure their kindness.”

With the positive attitude that Janis has continued to display through the years, it’s not hard to see why she still enjoys coming to work every day.