25th Service Anniversary: Joline Hendren
The Southwest branch manager, who celebrates two and a half decades with the bank today, originally had her sights set on becoming a teacher. But when she bought her first car, she was so pleased with the banker who helped her get a vehicle loan, she changed her mind. Read more about Joline’s career — and her rodent-filled adventures! — here.
Around the Bank
Members of the deli committee stand with contest winner Kevin Wilderman (center) as he cuts the ribbon on the new food spot. Committee members, from left to right, are Facilities & Services VP Steve Dowe, VP of HR Molly Schissler, HR Rep Cheryl Fregoso, Building Engineer Bob Effinger, and Marketing Product and Channel Manager Karen DeGarmo. Not pictured are committee members Nicole Curtis, Lynn Jack, and Colleen Moore.
• Downstairs Deli opens at Corporate. On Monday, a new food stop opened downstairs at Corporate. “The motivation was really to provide healthier and fresher food choices,” says Facilities & Services Vice President Steve Dowe, who oversaw the establishment of the Downstairs Deli. The deli offers options like sandwiches, salads, entrées, fruit, and snacks, along with beverages and ice cream. No cashier is on staff; employees can pay at an automated register with a credit or debit card, or by using a prepaid account. (They can pay in cash, too, but won’t receive change — the extra funds will go into their account.) “The response has been very good,” Steve says. “We’ve had some very positive comments so far, and we’ll modify the selections based on our employees’ suggestions.” Marketing VP Kevin Wilderman won the contest to decide the deli’s name; he got $100 in an account for the Downstairs Deli. “You’d almost expect the VP of marketing to win, wouldn’t you?” Steve jokes.
Clockwise around the table from right are Branch Managers Deb Cumming, Mary Rose Balzer, Patty Muehl, Sharon Hack, Michelle Padovano, and Heather Starr, showing off their exciting new facial hair.
• Summer All–Branch Manager Meeting. Our branch managers got down to business when they gathered on July 23 at the Sailing Club in downtown Milwaukee, but also managed to have some fun. VP Sue Doyle sent in the photo above, congratulating the team of “celebrities” who showed off their starry, mustachioed style during a teambuilding exercise. DM Kerri Collins reports that each “challenge team group” of managers had to run through a set of 15 questions to get to know one another, and there were prizes for the group that did best on each question. The group above scored best on “Have you ever appeared on radio, TV, or in the newspaper and been mentioned by name?” Kerri figured the winners for that question were big enough stars that they deserved their own mustaches. (Tom Selleck, eat your heart out.) “It was a beautiful day overlooking the lake shore,” Kerri says. “We had a lot of great interaction, conversation, teambuilding, and getting to know each other.”
July 2014 Promotions
North Shore Bank and Illinois State Bank are known for their practice of promoting from within. The following employees were promoted in July.
• Kristin Monday, Senior Financial Accountant/Analyst
• Demetrius Nash, Assistant Branch Manager–Sales, Silver Spring
• Senka Shkreli, Branch Manager, Oak Creek
• Steven Walber, VP, Business Banking
Shorelines Shout-Outs!
As proven in our Customer Pulse Surveys, you are the heartbeat of the bank’s success. Here’s a sampling of what customers have to say about banking with us.
“A while back, I was unsure of where to put money from my CDs. I asked one of your reps, and she steered me in a good direction for investing my money, and it turned out to be very profitable.”
“I began using North Shore Bank over 10 years ago when I moved into the neighborhood. What I found was one of the most friendly, accommodating groups that I’ve ever experienced — and in my 90 years, I’ve seen quite a few!”
Ava, Patti, and Danielle take a knee at the track next to the luminaria for Kim Kohler-Foltman.
• Relay for Life. New Berlin Teller Ava Howland assembled a team for the area Relay for Life on July 18, to support the American Cancer Society and honor cancer patients and survivors. Her team, which also included Teller Patti Groh and PB Danielle Hansen, walked on the track at Nathan Hale High School to raise funds for the organization, in honor of Branch Manager Kimberly Kohler-Foltman, who had been diagnosed with melanoma a couple years before. Kim herself couldn’t make it to the relay, as she was at the doctor’s — getting word that her cancer had gone into remission! The New Berlin team raised $50, and Ava notes that the members had very limited time to plan and raise funds, as they learned about the event only two and a half weeks earlier. “We did it on kind of a whim,” she says. She’d like to put together another team next year. If you want to form a team for a similar event, get in touch with Wellness Coordinator Lynn Jack at (262) 797-3346 or ljack@northshorebank.com.
Shorelines is published on Thursdays. We love to hear about your professional milestones and the important moments in your life outside of work, too. Send news, questions, story ideas, suggestions, and fun photos to shorelines@northshorebank.com, or share your message using the comment form below.