“Bee the Connection” helped build relationships
The Bee the Connection program started in 2001, when Pat Ingelse identified a problem at Corporate.
“What I noticed was that folks were communicating so much via email or messaging, yet they wouldn’t recognize the other person if they met in the hallway,” said Pat, who worked in Information Systems as application development manager at the time and retired last year. So she approached Dean Trout and chief operating officer Dick Brophy with an idea. Read on to learn what happened next!
Looking sharp at 100: our centennial signage
In celebration of North Shore Bank’s 100th anniversary, our offices are displaying our great-looking centennial signage throughout 2023. Take a look at some of the branches below — after clicking on a thumbnail, you can use the left and right arrows on your keyboard to scroll through the images.
Don’t see your branch here? Email us at shorelines@northshorebank.com and we’ll be sure to get you in the next roundup! •••
Throwback Thursday: Building Racine’s Festival Park
The front page of The Shoreline Leader from May 24, 1984, featuring an article about North Shore’s donation to the festival site.
Racine’s Festival Park opened in 1984, and North Shore Bank helped make it happen.
In the early 1980s, the city of Racine embarked on a plan to revitalize its downtown, after the newly built Regency Mall had begun to draw business away from many local small businesses. Part of that effort was the construction of the park and Festival Hall within it. With around 85 festivals a year taking place in the area, landscape architectural firm Johnson, Johnson and Roy suggested building a park and indoor venue that could host them. As the city’s website puts it: “The consensus was that the park needed a dynamic building that could fulfill many uses from hosting concerts, weddings, banquets, and large conventions to being able to compete with other venue centers around the area, such as Oshkosh and Green Bay, for music and other entertainment.” The site’s opening also commemorated the city’s sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary. 03148
Mr. McKenna, Bob Gibson of SC Johnson, and Harold Radewan, vice president and managing officer for North Shore in Racine, with a sketch of the proposed Festival Park and Festival Hall.
North Shore Savings & Loan Association — which had become part of the community after merging with Racine’s Southeastern Savings Association in 1983 — gave $5,000 to help make the festival site a reality. At the time, then-president Jim McKenna was quoted in the Shoreline Leader newspaper: “We’re optimistic about Racine growth and sense a feeling of economic comeback here. There’s a wonderful spirit in Racine. We want to put something back into this community, not only money but also a commitment by our staff to make a personal commitment of time, energy, and talent to worthwhile causes.” •••
Join the Kindness Crew at the Milwaukee County Zoo!
Help is needed for a Kindness Crew Mob at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Friday, June 16, from 1 to 3:30 p.m.!
We’re going to surprise and delight zoo-goers with 100 minutes of fun giveaways to celebrate North Shore Bank’s 100th anniversary. Be a part of the fun and give away North Shore Bank Safari Zoo Train rides, popcorn, ice cream, train mold-a-ramas, and food to feed the goats.
Note: Because this is a random act of kindness, please keep this quiet until the actual event.
If you can help out, please sign up ASAP on Bucketlist! Contact Kate Knox with questions. And remember to check Bucketlist regularly check to learn about upcoming bank events throughout our markets and other ways you can can help out. •••
It’s centennial trivia time again!
Hope you’re ready to strain your brains, because it’s once again time for North Shore Bank Centennial Trivia!
Your question for this month is:
In what year did North Shore Bank move into its current Corporate office?
Go to Ask Seymour and submit your answer by 5 pm today to be entered to win some fabulous North Shore Bank centennial swag! The winner will be randomly selected from a list of everyone who submits the correct answer. Full rules are here.
The winner will be announced on Ask Seymour tomorrow, Thursday, June 9, and in next week’s Shorelines. Look for the next Centennial Trivia question in August! •••
Geese waddle past Corporate
Honk if you’re happy.
“Just a normal Wednesday afternoon,” joked commercial banking manager SVP Margaret Capper, who caught this photo of a flock of geese stopping by Corporate late in the workday last week. (Just the latest critters to visit the bank recently.)
Cudahy tellers Colin Tanner and Jody Perron getting ready to enjoy a slice or two.
And Cudahy branch manager Kathleen White was one of the winners of the bank’s recent 100 Days of Kindness challenge, earning a pizza party for her crew. •••
Colorful, messy fun in Appleton, mascots, and more
Video teller Dan Timko, Northland area manager Lacee Kalepp, Char, and lead teller Patt Kox — before, during, and after the Color Fun Run.
Northland employees came out for the Color Fun Run at Jefferson Elementary in Appleton the other week, which North Shore Bank was a sponsor of. “As the kids ran the race course, there were stations set up where volunteers threw color on them,” teller Char Schaible said. “The kids had a great time and got very messy.” As you can see, they weren’t the only ones.
Left: Inna, Brock, Farrah, and Key at the Cupcake Color Run. Center: Key and Farrah with Mr. Cupcake. Right: Our busy table.
North Shore Bank was also at the Fox Point-Bayside PTO Cupcake Color Run on June 3, giving away water bottles and temporary tattoos for the 14th annual event. “They had a great turnout — approximately 350 runners of all ages and eight other vendor booths,” said area manager Farrah Mason, who was there with Fox Point personal banker Inna Dzenzeol and associate banker Key Miller-Johnson. Farrah’s kids Norrah and Brock helped out, along with their friend Addie.
Mary at left with the clipboard, and Brian and son Cam at our table. Cam also played Seymour Savings, pictured here with Kingfish mascot Elvis.
Employees and fans had a terrific time at the Kenosha Kingfish Hot Dog Hundo Night on May 30, where hot dogs were selling for $1 and one lucky individual found a $100 bill wrapped around theirs.
“The night went great! The game was sold out. We had many great interactions with people and even gave out some business cards to interested people,” area manager Mary Benz said. “Overall, I would say it was a success and a really nice way to promote the bank with the public.”
Along with Mary, district manager Brian Bozek, contact center specialist Debbie Oatsvall, Burlington branch manager Jonathan White, and Brian’s son Cam helped out that night.
Muskego associate banker Sara Speich, lead teller Mel Grode, and Stephanie at Jammin’ on Janesville.
Muskego employees showed up for Jammin’ on Janesville on June 2, where we had a bag toss game set up and were also giving away finger lights and Polaroids, while attendees enjoyed food, drink, and live music.
“We’d ask if they’d like their picture taken. It printed immediately, and we put them in a nice little North Shore Bank sticky frame,” branch manager Stephanie Ruiz said. “People were coming out of the woodwork saying, ‘I heard we can get a picture here.’” •••
Get the most out of a new job with these tips
With high school and college graduation upon us, many young people will soon be starting their first jobs — and North Shore Bank has some tips on making the most out of your new paycheck:
Know your income. It’s important to know how much money you are making. Write that number down so you can create a budget for it. If the amount of money you make per month fluctuates, whether due to hours or tips, estimate an average (and stick on the lower end to allow yourself wiggle room in your budget!).
Identify wants versus needs. Make a list of things you want to spend your money on and a list of things you want to save up for (a car, college, etc.). Write down how much you think each item on your list will cost. Then make sure you are using the 50/30/20 rule for those costs: 50 percent of your income for needs, 30 percent for wants, and 20 percent for long-term savings.
Track your habits. Once you are making money, keep track of what you are spending that money on. If you’re buying two iced coffees a day, can you cut down on that and save instead?
To be honest, these tips may be helpful even for folks who aren’t starting a new job! Remember that North Shore Bank’s website offers lots of free and valuable advice and tools to help people achieve financial wellness. •••
Promotions for May 2023
The following employees were promoted in May:
- Lakayla Burkes was promoted from Universal Banker at Brookfield Capitol to Municipal Benefit Plans Processor in the Municipal Retirement Program Services department.
- Emily Henry was promoted from Teller to Lead Teller at Burlington.
Leave a comment to congratulate them!
New Hires for June 8
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.
Sussex teller Dana Hofmeister is from Brookfield and previously worked in accounts payable at Kohl’s corporate office. She and husband Christopher have been married 23 years and have two kids and two German shepherds. “We love wilderness camping deep in the woods of Canada,” she says, adding that Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario is a favorite spot. “We love the fishing, and it was really neat for us to see a bear swimming in the water on one of our canoe trips!”
Sussex lead teller Lisa Prechel is originally from Elroy, but has lived in Pewaukee for the last 20 years. She previously worked at Pier 1 Imports. Lisa, husband Tim Gluth, and their kids love traveling to U.S. National Park Service sites. “We have traveled to over 250 parks since 2015 and hope to visit all of them. There are 424, so we’re over halfway there!” she says. “My favorite so far has been Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in Iowa. It had a really neat interactive display in their visitor center that the kids really enjoyed. They do the Junior Ranger program and have badges from all the parks we have been to.” •••
Volunteers needed to bring back the ’90s at MKE Recess
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.
Six to eight volunteers are needed for MKE Recess at NorthSouth Club in Milwaukee next Thursday, June 15. Presented by North Shore Bank, this event is taking things back to the ’90s with live music, classic N64 Mario Kart, school-yard games, a photo booth, a complimentary cereal bar, and more!
Volunteers are needed to hang out at stations throughout the event. More info here.. If you can help out at MKE Recess, mark yourself as going in Bucketlist ASAP. Reach out to Milwaukee Capitol branch manager Mike Williams with questions.
Looking for more to do? Here are suggestions from the bank’s event calendar:
Through June 17, we are raising funds to help Friends of the Parks of Pewaukee put on the village’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show. Members of the public can stop in at our Pewaukee branch and get their coins counted for free, and then donate some or all of that money to the fireworks. North Shore Bank is matching donations up to $500. More info here.
The 72nd Appleton Flag Day Parade takes place this 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.
Milwaukee and the rest of the country will celebrate Juneteenth on Monday, June 19. The federal holiday commemorates the emancipation of Black slaves in the United States and is a time to reflect on the legacy of slavery, celebrate Black culture, and recognize the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality. More information about observing Juneteenth in Milwaukee is here.
The Kenosha Kingfish will host Mascot Mania on Monday, June 19, when they play the Traverse City Pit Spitters at Simmons Field. This fun event will feature mascots from various area businesses and organizations, including North Shore Bank’s own Seymour Savings. More info here. •••