RETIREMENTS

Ohlert retires after nearly 15 years with North Shore Bank

Succeeding Ohlert as Chief Credit Officer is John Krostag

Mark Ohlert, SVP and Chief Credit Officer, retires tomorrow and one of the things he’ll miss about working in banking might surprise you.

“I’ve always been one that kind of liked, I’ll begrudgingly admit it, I like chaos,” he said with a laugh. “Not all the time, but a little bit. Keeps the blood moving.”

Mark came to North Shore Bank as a commercial credit manager in 2008 just as the country headed into the Great Recession, the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. And while that certainly presented challenges, Mark said he found there were things he liked about being on a team that was tackling them. 

“I got to be involved at the ground level with a lot of the strategizing. It was stressful, but rewarding. I learned a lot,” he said.

In 2017, he moved into his current role, adding consumer and mortgage underwriting and collection to his responsibilities. “I learned a great deal from the folks in those departments. Going in, I had very little experience in their worlds. I know there were times when I asked the same question multiple times and they were always patient and took the time to make sure I understood. I really appreciated that,” he said.

Acquisitions also brought new staff into the business, merging with the incredibly talented and bright people Mark said he’s been lucky enough to work beside for the last 15 years. 

“We’re a team,” Mark said. “They’re a fantastic group. They understand their market, their customers, and their duties. They make my life extremely easy. They’re very, very good at what they do.”

Among those great team members is John Krostag, VP and Commercial Credit Manager, who will succeed Mark in the CCO role. Mark hired John nearly six years ago, and the two have worked closely together ever since.

“John’s great, very experienced,” Mark said. “It helps to be very process-driven, and he is.”

John said he’s enthusiastic to take on the new role and grateful to Mark for the years they’ve worked together and the support Mark has given him, especially in the past few months as they’ve prepared for the transition. 

“It almost felt odd the days that we did not meet,” John said. “Our relationship was that close working together. Mark has been an inspiring leader and colleague.” He also always appreciated Mark’s way with words. “Most importantly, I will miss his stories. He’s a good storyteller,” John said. 

President and CEO Jay McKenna praised Mark’s key role in growing and nurturing North Shore Bank’s credit culture and varied loan portfolios. He called out his excellent collaboration and leadership skills and congratulated him on his retirement. 

“He will be able to look back at his tenure at North Shore with immense pride,” Jay said.

He also looks forward to working with John in his new role, noting that he’s confident John “will continue to help guide North Shore Bank on our successful path.”

In retirement, Mark plans to travel with his wife, Julie, seeing more of our beautiful national parks and visiting the couple’s two children. He’s got a list of things to be done around the house, and he plans to volunteer at his church, St. Luke’s in Greendale, and potentially look for other places where he can help. 

When asked for a few words of wisdom to pass along to his colleagues, Mark shared his advice for interacting with others. 

“Most of my career has involved me functioning as a problem-solver in some capacity, and I think that first requires being an active listener,” he said. “I try to apply that when people have questions for me. I try to be patient and understanding and listen more than I speak. I think that’s how you learn, and you better yourself and you better those around you.”

Congratulations to Mark and John!

 

AROUND THE BANK

Meet your new Shorelines editor!

Hello, North Shore Bank employees! My name is Jeanne Sidner and I’m the new editor of your Shorelines newsletter.

I’m a longtime journalist and editor, who has worked for several Milwaukee-based newspapers and publishers over the years. I am very excited to take on this role for North Shore Bank because it reminds me so much of how I got my start — as a writer and editor at Community Newspapers. The very best part of that job was engaging with local residents and sharing the stories that were important to them.

In my short time interacting with North Shore Bank employees, I can tell there is a real sense of community here as well. I look forward to getting to know you all and sharing your news with your colleagues — from promotions and retirements to new babies and personal achievements, from branch openings and new hires to health and security information. And more!

Let’s connect! You can reach me at shorelines@northshorebank.com.

P.S.: Don’t forget to spring forward! Daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. Sunday.

BRANCH NEWS

Northside staff members intervene to stop scam

Three staff members at the Northside branch in Racine received flowers as a huge token of gratitude for help with a scam situation. A customer came into the bank, attempting to take out a large sum of money. By asking some questions and working together, Lead Teller Kelly Elliott, Associate Banker Lexie Lawler, and Mortgage Loan Originator Susan Liedel realized a scammer was on the phone, trying to swindle our client.

The three worked together to protect the customer’s money, got new accounts set up, and reassured our customer that everything was going to be OK. The customer had flowers delivered to the branch for all involved with deep appreciation for their help.

Lisa Young, Branch Manager/AVP, thanks her team for their outstanding work. “I am incredibly proud of my staff always taking the time to not only know our clients, but protect them. This is just another example of the awesome teamwork my staff consistently exhibits on a daily basis,” Young said.

Great job, Kelly, Lexie, and Susan!

CRIMEBUSTERS

Protect your personal information online

January and February CrimeBusters

• Tarvinder Kaur – Germantown Personal Banker
• Renee Machado – Senior Checking Services Representative
• Debra Jones – Deposit Operations Representative
• Zoran Saric – Forest Home Assistant Branch Manager
• JP Kolb – Wauwatosa Teller
• Stevie Nemetz – Ashwaubenon Assistant Branch Manager
• Aubrey Abrahamsen – Allouez Assistant Branch Manager
• Sharon Hack – Green Bay West Area Manager
• Tara Neuville – Sturgeon Bay East Lead Teller
• Dan Barrett – Sturgeon Bay East Assistant Branch Manager
• Hali Thompson – Green Bay West Assistant Branch Manager
• Susan Liedel – Mortgage Loan Originator
• Denise Dionisio – Cash Flow Coordinator
• Pat Kox – Northland Lead Teller
• Danielle Hansen – Kenosha Main Area Manager

Take proactive steps to protect your personal information from being stolen

Keeping your personal information safe is challenging with all the logins for online accounts that we have set up and the increase in cyber fraud. While it is convenient to pay bills online, check your bank accounts, and access your medical information, it can be hard to remember all the logins and passwords.

Having a spreadsheet with login information on your computer that is not password-protected or auto-saving your credentials on your smartphone can make it easy for cybercriminals to steal your information if they have access to your device.

Here are some additional tips to make it more difficult for someone to steal your information:

• Avoid using the same username and password for your online accounts. Always try to pick something unique and not easily guessed.
• Every device should be password protected to prevent a hacker from gaining full access to your device without your knowledge.
• If you file your taxes online, make sure that all tax-related documents are stored in a secure folder on your computer.
• Don’t store valuable information in your purse or wallet. It is never a good idea to keep your Social Security card, passport, or full account number on you all the time. Even blank checks and your insurance card can open you up to fraud if your purse or wallet is lost or stolen.

Below are some links with great suggestions on what you can do to protect yourself.

How to Secure Your Wallet and Prevent Identity Theft (aarp.org)
Protect Your Personal Information and Data | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)

PROMOTIONS

Congratulations to our February 2024 promotions!

Please join us in congratulating these employees on their recent promotions! We appreciate your dedication to your role at North Shore Bank 03242 and enjoy watching you grow.

• Candice Sibila was promoted from Senior Consumer Credit Adjustor to Consumer Collections Team Leader
• Claudia Rubio was promoted from Personal Banker to Assistant Branch Manager at the Mitchell Street Branch
• Tamara White was promoted from Travelling Associate Banker to Personal Banker at the Southwest Branch
• James O’Brien was promoted from Travelling Associate Banker to Personal Banker at the Pewaukee Branch

 

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

Cheers to great service!

Our staff provides excellent service, and our customers take notice! Specific shout-outs this week go to the Bayshore branch, and to Mickey Adams and Mariah Hintz at the Green Bay East branch. See the comment cards below for some nice words from our customers! Congratulations to the branches and employees mentioned.

 

COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Discover events and activities in and around your community

• Get your Brown County Spring Showcase of Homes Tickets at any northeast Wisconsin North Shore Bank location. March 7 and 8 are Family Nights with free admission for children 16 and under. Showcase hours are 4-7 p.m. March 7 and 8, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 9 and 10.