By Molly Schissler, SVP, Human Resources & Compliance

Many thanks to everyone who nominated colleagues to be recognized with North Shore Bank’s annual SOAR Awards. We are pleased to announce our 2020 award winners:

For Community Involvement: Jeff and Vikki Dolezal and Erica Johnson

For Outstanding Service: Mickey Adams and Yasmin Hossain

And our Legacy Leaders: Lauri Lunde and Lori Rouse

Vikki and Jeff are our first-ever winners who also happen to be married to one another, and as such are being recognized together. Here are some lightly edited excerpts from the nominations submitted for each of our winners:

Jeff Dolezal, Building Engineer, and Vikki Dolezal, Retirement Plans Representative

“Jeff was instrumental in starting the ‘Clean Sweep’ program for three communities to dispose of hazardous household waste; it has now grown to six communities, including Burlington, Dover, Rochester, Union Grove, and Waterford. And Vikki has served on the Waterford Library Board for many years and also serves as a poll worker — including this year, when it was needed the most, due to the chaos with the coronavirus.

“This year, Vikki and Jeff volunteered to work the ‘A Night to Shine’ program sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. This night celebrates people with special needs, giving them a rare chance to go to a formal evening event. Jeff and Vikki’s duty was to be a ‘buddy’ for one attendee each. This required training prior to the event, and even though it was out of their comfort zone initially, they stayed committed. When they arrived for the event, they found out both of their buddies were non-communicative, and Jeff’s was a fairly high-maintenance person to help. Despite this, an observer remarked that Jeff was smiling the whole time with an ‘I got this’ attitude. Regardless of the challenge, Vikki and Jeff’s buddies had a rare experience they would not have been able to have otherwise, and Jeff now encourages us all to not hesitate to do the same, even if it seems hard or even somewhat scary.”

The Dolezals are also known for entertaining kids every Halloween as the Munsters and taking care of neighbors. Jeff helped streamline the bank’s Community Shredding Day, and the couple has hosted a foreign-exchange student and celebrated Vikki’s daughter Sydney’s high school graduation by bringing the whole family on a mission trip to Panama.

“These are just a few of the ways Jeff and Vikki help everyone around them,” their nomination says. “They always exhibit true servants’ hearts and positively impact people’s lives in all endeavors. While they would never ask for it, they are certainly very deserving nominees for this community service award.”

Erica Johnson, Checking Service Manager

“For as long as we have worked with Erica Johnson, she has been involved in volunteering in and outside of her professional life. Erica has been a member of Shiloh Lutheran Church for well over 26 years. She assisted with different areas at the school and also the church side, which touches hundreds of families. In February 2019, Erica and her family were recipients of the Trailblazer Award, which recognizes individuals and families whose ‘longevity, tireless commitment, and efforts persevere and perpetuate.’ Erica and her late husband, Fred, began their catering business here through their food ministry and cooked for many church events; her food ministry continues today with her leadership with the coffee fellowships on Sunday, lunch for the youth membership participants, etc. And Erica’s involvement does not only include her food ministry — she is also a longtime member of the church gospel choir. Those of us who work around Erica daily can often hear her singing and humming. Erica also has served as the choir’s treasurer for several years, recently joined the church finance committee, and took on a leadership role as a church reporter for the Lutheran Women’s Mission Society.

“Erica’s volunteering does not stop at the church. During her 30-plus years here at North Shore Bank, Erica has been part of different credit counseling programs — she was very active in the MLK Business Improvement Development group that help bring new business and the local community to our new MLK branch office when it was built. Erica was involved with Fighting Back Inc. for 10 years from its inception in 1997 and was elected to the group’s board of directors. When Fighting Back Inc. and Jewish Family Services merged, Erica was elected to sit on that new board as well, to ensure the missions of Fighting Back were implemented.

“Throughout her tenure with North Shore Bank, Erica has volunteered for many bank-sponsored events as well. Her experience in assisting with credit counseling has allowed her to be effective as the administrator of our Overdraft Privilege Program. The OPA is primarily responsible for review and management of accounts that go into overdraft within established overdraft limits. Erica’s keen ability to work with account holders to help get them back on track is no small task and one that takes experience, patience, and a willingness to help. It is because of Erica that many of our account holders find their way back to good standings. We know our customers appreciate Erica’s assistance. She has dedicated much of her life to helping others.”

Mickey Adams, Area Branch Manager and AVP

“For the past 36 years, Mickey has held numerous positions with North Shore Bank. In every role she has held, she has always been focused on delivering exemplary service to both internal and external customers. Many of her peers, as well as other employees in the North region, reach out to Mickey often for her knowledge and expertise in retail banking. Mickey has created a following of customers by building trust and rapport, identifying potential financial needs, and making the proper recommendations to help her customers reach their financial goals. Mickey has been a mentor to many of her employees and has helped them grow both personally and professionally. She believes in others before they believe in themselves, and she coaches her employees to reach their full potential in whatever position they hold. Mickey is also very coachable and adapts to changes in the industry quickly. She had been a leader in the North District, and many of her peers hold her in high regard for all she has accomplished throughout her career.”

Yasmin Hossain, Teller, Northland

“Yasmin goes above and beyond with customers. She has come in on off days to help customers and is always willing to help. She always greets customer and co-workers with a smile. She makes everyone feel welcome and is amazing at helping customers with their financial needs and goals. She organized events such as the Christmas parade and helped design the float.

“She knows all of her customers by name and works hard to uncover needs and do the right thing for them. She has also allowed us to serve a new group of customers: Yasmin speaks Spanish, so our customers who speak Spanish are able to understand her and feel more comfortable. She has been able to uncover needs at the teller line that we would have missed. She will sit in on account openings and writes letters to help Spanish-speaking customers understand products and services. She takes it upon herself to study and research before appointments. It is important to her to make sure that she understands the banking terms and the correct translations. She had a car accident this year, but was right back to work with her crutches and her positive attitude. She has been a leader on our team, making sure we are working together at openings and closings to get the work done. She has been a great addition to our branch.

“A customer brought in a letter that Yasmin wrote to her in Spanish about our rewards credit card, and the customer gushed about how amazing it was that she took the time to do that and how for the first time she actually understood what we were trying to explain to her. I have heard the same thing from many customers who keep coming back because of the service Yasmin has provided. She is an integral part of our team and has helped build our branch and customer confidence and deserves to be recognized for that.”

Lauri Lunde, District Manager

“Lauri has been a valued leader for over 35 years. Starting in the Racine market as a branch employee, she quickly demonstrated her ability to develop customer relationships and earn the trust and confidence of customers. She has progressed through many positions in her career and yet still has customers at Regency and Westgate who remember her and value her advice. Lauri’s steady leadership and constant focus on serving both our team members and customers have earned her the respect and confidence of her team. Key business partners in corporate departments respect her for talking through issues to find resolutions that support the bank’s mission while keeping the customer experience front and center. Lauri’s impacts could easily be overlooked, as she always strives to put her employees in the limelight. Yet that does not negate the importance of her support, her direction, and her influence on her team, which consistently lead to great outcomes. Lauri embodies the SOAR principles and has earned the honor of Legacy Leader.”

Lori Rouse, Branch Operations Support Specialist

“Lori is a behind-the-scenes player who avoids the limelight and is not one to be comfortable when praised, but she is there for us in even the face of conflicts. Her calm demeanor is reassuring, and she never avoids a challenge. Lori is an excellent mentor and teacher. She provides clear, concise instructions and makes the learner feel at ease even when asking questions. Her feedback is constructive, and she chooses positive words. More than anything, she listens. When working with Lori, her attention is directed at the task at hand and avoids interruptions. She makes you feel valued and respected. She has created impeccable instructions for difficult tasks. Her organizational skills shine through in her work. Lori is encouraging and patient. Lori exemplifies the SOAR attitude and considers both internal and external customers as she assists with multiple important bank ventures. She supports our mission and upholds the values and standards of North Shore Bank. For Lori the question is not if it can be done, but when it can be done. Lori Rouse deserves the accolades and respect that this award represents.”

•••

Our winners were each presented with a trophy, as well as a check for $500. Congratulations again to each of these very deserving North Shore Bank team members, who exemplify our SOAR standards every day!