Bank commits $50K to financial literacy program
Marketing communications manager Kate Knox looks on as Jay McKenna reveals a memento shaped like the North Shore Bank Safari Train at the Milwaukee County Zoo at our May 11 event at Corporate.
At a centennial celebration at Corporate on May 11, North Shore Bank announced a $50,000 commitment to support the ELEVATE Wisconsin financial wellness program.
Rolled out by Governor Tony Evers in June 2022, ELEVATE Wisconsin is a collaboration between the state’s public and private sectors aimed at improving Wisconsinites’ financial literacy. In its first phase, the initiative targeted the state’s approximately 30,000 government employees. Our announcement kicked off the second phase, which aims to reach 500 private employers and more than 100,000 employees by 2025.
North Shore Bank’s financial commitment to the program is a joint contribution with our partners at Mastercard, Cetera Investment Services, and Fiserv.
Along with president and CEO Jay McKenna, executive chairman Jim McKenna, and other North Shore Bank executives, the commemoration event featured dignitaries including Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, Brookfield Mayor Steven Ponto, Cheryll Olson-Collins from the Department of Financial Institutions, Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, and Wisconsin Bankers Association president and CEO Rose Oswald Poels. We received a commendation from Evers and Farrow, and were the subject of a special proclamation made by Ponto.
You can watch a video of Mr. McKenna, the lieutenant governor, and others speaking at the event here:
The event also included a display of items to be included in a 100th-anniversary time capsule that will be placed inside a wall in the Corporate lobby — and of course, cake. •••
Throwback Thursday: Flags and honor flights
An American Legion member disposes of a flag at a retirement ceremony in November 2015.
Heading into Memorial Day weekend, it’s a good time to share our appreciation for Stars and Stripes Honor Flight and Old Glory Honor Flight. The Wisconsin organizations send U.S. military veterans on free daylong trips by chartered jet to Washington, D.C., to see the monuments in our nation’s capital. North Shore Bank has a proud history of supporting these two groups, as well as doing other good work for our veterans.
Allouez area manager Mickey Adams helped out at a flag retirement ceremony in Green Bay in November 2016.
Former facilities and services manager Bob Effinger enjoys a red, white, and blue popsicle in a Captain America tee at a celebration of Corporate’s fundraiser for honor flights in 2012.
In 2011, former vice president consumer credit and collections Jim Saladin got to accompany a World War II veteran on an honor flight — or more technically, he accompanied about 150 of them. You can read about his experience here.
For many years, our branches collected worn-out American flags in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day in November. The flags were then properly disposed of by veterans and Boy Scouts in flag retirement ceremonies. Considered a sacred symbol, an American flag is supposed to be burned when it becomes too ragged or faded to be displayed any longer. Our flag collection drives typically included donations to both honor flight groups as well.
In 2012, Corporate employees raised $1,000 to send veterans on honor flights. Some employees also shared words of praise for the veterans in their families with Shorelines — you can read them here.
And in 2021, as part of our ongoing Bank on Kindness initiative, North Shore Bank employees helped raise almost $10,000 for honor flights for Wisconsin veterans. Over the long holiday weekend, please remember the veterans in your life, too. •••
Employees spend time reading to kids at Next Door
Sue reading to a boy at Next Door.
Earlier this month, North Shore Bank employees volunteered for Next Door’s Read for Children event, by reading to kids at the Milwaukee nonprofit’s headquarters. SVP retail sales Sue Doyle is a longtime supporter of Next Door and asked if other employees were interested in volunteering with her.
Angela Byrd and Billy Lewis read at Next Door.
Volunteers included MLK Drive branch manager Angela Byrd, business relationship manager Cheri Cicona-Trudell, and mortgage loan originator Billy Lewis.
Some of the nearly 15 pounds of pop tabs collected by Corporate employees.
Corporate employees collected nearly 15 pounds of pop tabs from cans to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin, as part of the org’s Pull Together fundraiser. The tabs were recycled on Saturday, May 20 — or Tab Toss Day.
And our Coins for Kids drive to raise funds for Children’s Wisconsin brought in over $3,300 for the hospital foundation. Many thanks to everyone who donated coins to get us there! •••
North Shore Bank recognized again as Top Workplace
Accounting operations manager Kristin Monday, security and payments manager Lyneen Fischer, chief HR officer Molly Schissler, VP customer support Jude Lengell, loss prevention manager Nikki Shelton-Moss, and SVP retail banking Sue Doyle accepted our 2023 Top Workplace award at a breakfast on May 19.
North Shore Bank was recognized as one of the Milwaukee region’s Top Workplaces for the 11th year last Friday, May 19. This honor is based on employee feedback gathered through a research-backed engagement survey. You can read more about it here. Many thanks to everyone who responded to the 2023 survey! •••
Employees dress up, decorate for Spirit Day
Employees at all of North Shore Bank’s locations celebrated Spirit Day last Friday, May 19, by dressing in and decorating their spaces with an assigned color. Here are some photos from around the bank!
Muskego cooks up tasty meals
Grill master Matthew at left, fresh pancakes at right.
Things are really cooking at Muskego — or the employees there are, anyway.
Nice weather inspired the team to cook out on May 4. Personal banker Matthew Cieslak ran the show as grill master.
And on May 15, branch manager Stephanie Ruiz surprised the team with breakfast, including pancakes with chocolate chips, bananas, and powdered sugar, along with sausage and orange juice. The slapjacks were slung right on the spot. “I brought the griddle to work,” Stephanie said. •••
Employees enjoy food, music at Swing With Shorewood
The North Shore Bank table at the Swing With Shorewood gala. Counter-clockwise, starting in front: Shannon and husband Jeff, BSA/AML specialist Lisa Gagliardi and husband Jeff, Shorewood universal banker Micki Usama and boyfriend Jack, and North End branch manager Heather Somers and husband Bob.
North Shore Bank employees came out for this year’s Swing With Shorewood gala at Milwaukee’s Discovery World science and technology museum on Saturday, May 6. The annual event is a fundraiser for the Shorewood SEED Foundation, which helps fund the village’s public schools. This year’s gala featured a Kentucky Derby theme, as it took place on the same day as the famous horse race.
Our raffle prize.
The gala included an online auction, a raffle, a performance by the Shorewood High School Orchestra, and great food. Along with being a sponsor for the event, North Shore Bank contributed a basket as a raffle prize, containing a cooler, four tickets to the Milwaukee County Zoo (including passes for the North Shore Bank Safari Train and a parking pass), two water bottles, a blanket, stuffed animals, and some other fun treats.
““We all loved the music, food, and atmosphere,” Shorewood area branch manager Shannon Weber said. “I greatly enjoy how this event brings so many people from the community together in one place to support the school district and the children, and I am so grateful North Shore Bank can be a part of it.” •••
More than 200 kids come out for Burlington Fisheree
Jonathan standing with the young winners of the bikes.
Burlington branch manager Jonathan White attended the Burlington Conservation Club’s 53rd annual Kids Fisheree on Sunday, May 21, at Echo Veterans Memorial Park. North Shore Bank was a primary sponsor of the free fishing event, which provided poles and bait to anyone who wanted it and awarded prizes for the winning weights of different types of fish caught.
We also donated two bikes that were raffled off at the end of the event. Around 200 kids were registered to fish, Jonathan said. “But there were plenty of families and kids there who didn’t fish as well.” •••
Elkins takes over at West Allis
Mariah Elkins is the new branch manager at West Allis. She brings more than a decade of experience in the banking industry to the role. She started working as a teller at age 18 and worked her way up to management.
“What I enjoy most about managing is the ability to influence positive productivity within a team and watching individual employees grow,” she says. When she isn’t working, Mariah says, she’s a dance mom and also enjoys sewing clothes. •••
New Hires for May 25
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.
Kenosha Central universal banker Merriet Alfano-Tilch is from Kenosha and was previously assistant manager at Follett Bookstore. She is a single mother of two kids and has one grandchild, age 2. “In my spare time, I like to sing and draw,” she says. “I also am a number freak — I remember numbers easily after looking at them.” Her favorite times of the year are spring and fall, when it’s cooler out but there’s no snow.
Residential loan specialist Lana Huebner is from New Berlin and was previously an underwriter at Associated Bank. “I am now a crazy cat lady, with four fur-babies,” she jokes. There’s a Himalayan named Sky, a Persian named Georgie, and two Maine coons: Sophie and Saylor. “They all have different personalities and are a handful! When we first got Georgie, he dragged the chalker on a string from the pool table downstairs all the way upstairs, and I woke up with it in the bed. I was like, Where did this come from?!?”
Grafton universal banker Aradonis Nusberger was born and raised in Glendale. She spent 11 of the last 13 years in the Air Force — six years on active duty as a parachute rigger for special forces and the last five as an air transportation specialist in the reserves, with a two-year break. “I grew up in a bowling alley,” she says. “My family owned it for 35 years, and it was basically my second home.” When Aradonis was around 10, she and her brother bowled against actor Jamie Foxx. “We beat him,” she says. •••
One fan will win $100 at Hot Dog Hundo Night
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:
North Shore Bank will present Hot Dog Hundo Night with the Kenosha Kingfish this Tuesday, May 30, at Historic Simmons Field, as they battle the Kalamazoo Growlers. Hot dogs will be $1, and fans will find money in the wrappers of the first 250 dogs sold at the Northwoods League baseball game — and one lucky person will discover a $100 bill! More info here.
The 72nd Appleton Flag Day Parade takes place Saturday, June 10, at 2 p.m. at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and North Oneida Street. A historic concert by the 1st Brigade Band will set the patriotic tone at 12:30 p.m., and party at American Legion Post No. 38 will continue the celebration at 6 p.m. Appleton’s is the oldest Flag Day parade in the country, and annually attracts hundreds of participants and more than 50,000 spectators to Appleton. More info here. •••