30 years in, Kristin Hoch values her time, loved ones
Change is a constant for Kristin Hoch — and that’s overall a good thing, says the deposit services supervisor, who’s gotten promoted since we last checked in with her, seen a family member become a colleague, and added a pup to the mix at home.
“Kristin is a treasure and so fun to work alongside,” says her boss, deposit services manager Natalie Canadeo. “We are complete opposites, but are always on the same page. Kristin has an accounting mind and a vast amount of branch knowledge — we rely on her expertise so often to solve a problem, research a transaction, or write a new procedure. She is a terrific writer, is very customer-focused, thrives under pressure, and enjoys a tight deadline — the perfect clutch hitter.”
Kristin talked to Shorelines about how things are going. See what she had to say!
Burlington gingerbread village goes up
All five of the Burlington team’s gingerbread houses.
After last winter’s success, the employees at Burlington have once again harnessed their creative energies for a gingerbread house contest.
The village went on display last week. As with October’s pumpkin decorating contest, the branch’s customers will vote on their favorite of the five holiday-themed miniature domiciles.
Teller Emily Henry’s theme for house #1 was “go big or go home” — bigger and better than last year’s. For #2, Robin went with a barn because Burlington is a farming community. “I had fun decorating the cow, pig, rooster, and sheep — although the cow was a challenge!” she said.
“Our customers have really been looking forward to this, and have been asking when we were going to have the houses on display,” branch manager Robin Callis said. She noted one change from last winter’s contest. “Last year, I purchased the same premade house for everyone, and we all used the same decorations in whatever way we liked. This year, we each bought our own kit and put in our own personal touches to customize them.”
Personal banker Jolene Cedeno said she enjoyed spending family time with her daughter while working on house #3. Universal banker Bryana Stagg loves the color red and tried to make house #4 as realistic as she could. And teller supervisor Jayme Clarey wanted to keep house #5 simple, but whimsical as well, using as much color as possible for a Christmassy effect.
Voting will end on Christmas Eve, December 24. The first-place winner will receive a gift card of their choice.
“We had so much fun with this, and are already discussing what our next project might be,” Robin said. “We can’t stop now — our customers have come to expect it!” •••
Employees grateful for chance to gather in person
SVP consumer credit sales Mike Kellman tries to win the Jingle Bell Challenge, while senior secondary market specialist Marzena Kroll tries her hand at the Snowman Shooter game.
Here are a few more photos from the Corporate holiday party earlier this month. As you can see, employees were thrilled to finally be able to gather together in person after two years apart.
The bank received a wonderful note from Kathy’s House, which employees donated $1,150 and five overflowing boxes of goods to. Along with sharing the story of a guest who stayed at Kathy’s House while her grandmother was being treated at a Milwaukee-area hospital, the nonprofit’s president and CEO wrote: “We are so grateful for the generosity of all at North Shore Bank! Thank you for this impactful contribution and donation of supplies. Holiday blessings to you all!” •••
North District managers enjoy holiday lunch
Northland/Menasha area manager Lacee Kalepp, Kerri Collins, Green Bay East/Allouez area manager Mickey Adams, Sturgeon Bay/Sister Bay area manager Becky Kolstad, Green Bay West/Ashwaubenon area manager Sharon Hack, and Katie Longsine show off the ornaments they received from their Secret Santas.
North District managers met on Wednesday, December 14, for a holiday gathering. The morning kicked off with a brainstorming session to prepare for 2023 and ended with lunch. “We added a fun holiday element this year with a Secret Santa ornament exchange!” Pulaski community engagement manager Katie Longsine said. “Each of us drew names and searched for a unique ornament for our secret person.”
District manager Kerri Collins was delighted with how the meeting turned out. “I am so blessed to work with such a wonderful and caring group of ladies,” she said. •••
Muskego bankers visit high school career fair
Stephanie and Matthew at Muskego High.
Last week, Muskego community engagement manager Stephanie Ruiz and personal banker Matthew Cieslak attended Muskego High School’s career fair for the second year.
The bankers got to give one of four 35-minute presentations to a group of 15 to 20 students who had chosen to learn about careers in finance.
“We talked about how we started with North Shore Bank, our growth development and career path, and about different positions North Shore offers,” Stephanie said. “We also talked about what credit is, and how to build credit.” Matthew asked the high schoolers trivia questions. Students who answered correctly got to play Plinko and could win prizes like glow sticks, cups, and sunglasses. •••
Tips from NSB employees can supercharge savings
We asked and you delivered! Here are some excellent savings tips from North Shore Bank employees:
“If you are able to, have your payroll check divided up automatically, with a portion going directly into a savings account. You can start small and work your way up to putting a larger amount into savings as your budget allows.”
“Make your purchases online whenever possible, and pick them up in the store. This makes it easier to avoid impulse buys.”
“Set up checking or savings accounts for different types of expenses — house bills, groceries, holiday savings, etc. — so you can easily see how much money you’ve put away for each one. And be realistic with your budget, including budgeting for random spending. If you know you like to get takeout every Friday night, just put it in your budget, instead of trying to cut it out cold turkey!”
“Use our new Card Manager to set dollar limits on certain spending categories for your debit card. Your card won’t allow you to go over the limit, reducing your spending.”
“Apply the 50/30/20 budget method: Spend 50 percent of monthly income on expenses, 30 percent on wants, and put 20 percent into savings.”
“To reduce spending, especially with online shopping, let prospective purchases sit in your cart for a few days before checking out, to see if you really need them or if they’re just an impulse buy.”
“Make your coffee at home, and pack your lunch to take to work! Create a grocery list before shopping, and stick to it. Drive your car as long as you possibly can, and use a rain barrel to collect water for your garden. And stay home and enjoy family time! A game night with popcorn and homemade lemonade costs practically nothing and is great fun — whereas taking a family of four to a movie can run $75 or more.”
We’ll use these tips in a North Shore Bank blog post in the new year. Thank you to everybody who contributed! •••
New Hires for December 22
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.
Kenosha Central teller supervisor Raven Florez was born in Chicago but has lived in Kenosha for a long time. She was previously a teller at Wintrust’s State Bank of the Lakes for more than six years. “I enjoy typing, reading, and writing short stories. I more than likely would have been a court recorder if I didn’t love banking so much!” she says. “I love to talk, and you will catch me smiling for no reason at random moments. Oh, and I have an identical twin!” •••
This weekend: last chance to visit Candy Cane Lane
What’s going on with you? If you or someone in your family has a special event — a concert, show, sporting or charity event, or another important moment — send the details to shorelines@northshorebank.com. We’ll include information about select events to let your colleagues know about all the cool stuff happening with the North Shore Bank team.
Looking for more to do? Here are suggestions from the bank’s event calendar:
Candy Cane Lane in West Allis is open through Christmas Day. The annual neighborhood holiday-lights display raises money to help the MACC Fund fight children’s cancer. Santa Claus will be there tonight and tomorrow night, Friday, December 23. Check out candycanelanewi.com for more information, including a calendar of appearances from other local groups.
For Wild Lights, the Milwaukee County Zoo transforms into an illuminated world with millions of sparkling lights and glowing animal displays, today and throughout the month of December. Stroll on a tranquil yet festive one-mile path through the zoo’s very own snow globe to see a variety of shimmering large-scale animal displays. The event will not run on December 24 or 25. Tickets can be purchased here. •••