Rain doesn’t stop Kindness Rocks! at North End

North End invited customers, employees, and the general public to stop by for Kindness Rocks! on Saturday, June 25. Against the backdrop of the “Be Kind” art installation that went up in June, attendees got to paint bright colors and inspirational messages on small stones, which they could keep, contribute to the branch’s rock garden, or scatter around Milwaukee as a fun surprise for others to find. (Corporate employees painted their own rocks in May.)

“It was a rainy day, but we did have some small crowds show up to paint,” said branch manager Heather Somers, whose kids came out for the event too. “It’s actually a really calming way to relax.”

The day was the latest installment of our ongoing Bank on Kindness campaign, which continues tomorrow, Saturday, July 16, with a “Dog Days of Summer” event at North End from 9 a.m. to noon. Hosted in partnership with Pete’s Pops dessert shop and the Wisconsin Humane Society, the morning will offer food and fun for dogs and their owners. Attendees will also get to hear about the forthcoming MKE Dog Park, under I-794. More info on that here. •••

North District managers convene for blast from the past

North District branch managers spent this past Wednesday, July 13, at a meeting on district manager Kerri Collins’s deck. “My group had not been together since 2019, and it was great to have everyone together again,” Kerri said.

The day’s agenda included brainstorming on topics like generational diversity, as well as lunch, catching up — and traveling back in time.

“Our 2014 kickoff theme was ‘Building Our Legacy One Person at a Time,'” Kerri said. “Katie Longsine found our box in Pulaski and brought it, so we could all see what was in the time capsule the branches put together then. It was so much to read all of the contributions to the box, and many of the pictures also gave us something to smile about.” •••

Hack, English, Canadeo shine, along with bank

We’ve received a small passel of positive feedback cards from customers this month. “We trust NSB and always have great service and smiles,” says this one.

“Outstanding customer service, would definitely recommend,” reads another card. And the next one says, “Very good + courteous service.”

Another simply declares, “Outstanding!” Lastly, some kind words for our Green Bay area manager: “Sharon Hack is the best! She is professional, friendly, efficient, and willing to do it all for us.”

Congratulations to Kenosha South Shana English, winner of the second-quarter referral bonus. “I was very excited about it,” she says. “It definitely was not expected, and brightened up a tough day. I love that North Shore Bank has perks for referring new employees. Just another reason why I am proud to work here.”

And deposit services manager Natalie Canadeo received a very welcome email from a non-customer who wants to change that. “Thank you, Natalie! I so appreciate your promptness and communication. God bless you!” the woman wrote. In a postscript, she added: “I have been given such wonderful, attentive help at North Shore, I am planning to move my bank accounts to you folks!” Nice work! •••

Tune in to the present, notice what you want to develop

This present moment has such a richness — not only multiple futures branching out from it, but also a depth and texture of its own. Only when our senses and mental processes align with the present can we see clearly — accept mistakes, stop seeking to avoid the life we have. Consider the qualities you’d most like to develop, rather than the wish list about what you’d like to happen. In this way, you prune the branches of possibility down to those that most represent your values.

Try this meditation for one minute today, or longer if you wish:

REALIZE YOU HOLD all the possibilities for the future right here with you. Notice the qualities you would most like to develop.

At times almost all of us envy the animals. They suffer and die, but they do not seem to make a “problem” of it. Their lives seem to have so few complications. They eat when they are hungry and sleep when they are tired. … For the animal, happiness consists in enjoying life in the immediate present — not in the assurance that there is a whole future of joys ahead of him.
—Alan Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity

How did this meditation go for you? Share your experience with your fellow North Shore Bank employees at shorelines@northshorebank.com and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana.

If you’d like a daily email reminder to practice one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.” •••

Service Anniversaries for July 2022
The following employees celebrate a milestone anniversary with North Shore Bank this month.

40 years
Kerry Carrasco, Residential Loan Service Manager

15 years
Lisa Brooks, Branch Manager, Northside

10 years
Katie Longsine, Area Manager, Pulaski

5 years
Kim Balser, Universal Banker, Northland
Eugene Fox, Teller Supervisor, Kenosha Main
Marlese McEvoy, Teller, Sister Bay
Evelyn Vasquez, Senior Mortgage Servicing Specialist

Leave a comment to congratulate them!

New Hires for July 14
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.

Wawautosa teller supervisor Tyreese Hernandez is from Milwaukee and graduated from Waukesha County Technical College in May with a degree in business management. He plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting and become a Certified Public Accountant. “I have tons of hobbies, from listening to music to playing piano and guitar, wrestling, exercising, and watching movies,” he says. “My favorite movie is Interstellar, and my favorite musical artist is Giveon.”

Howard-Suamico teller Brittney Koeberl is from Green Bay and previously worked as a receptionist for a chiropractor. She also just finished her freshman year at UW-Green Bay, majoring in accounting. “You’ll usually find me outdoors during my free time,” she says. “I love to golf, fish, water-ski, kneeboard, hunt deer, hike, camp, four-wheel, snowmobile, downhill ski, and ice-skate. I’m always up for an adventure!”

Wawautosa teller Ethan McWilliams is from De Pere and attends UW-Milwaukee, where he has one semester left. He likes traveling, especially to national parks — he has visited ten of them! “I also enjoy taking my dog Sullivan, a Siberian husky, on walks and to parks,” Ethan says. “And I’m a music lover and avid concertgoer.”

Cudahy teller Cody Treland was born and raised in Cudahy and was previously a delivery driver for Jimmy John’s. “I am getting married to the love of my life in October, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her,” he says. “She’s actually the reason I began my career with North Shore Bank — I wanted more stability in my life and to work closer to home, my fiancée, and my young nephew, whom I adore.” •••