September_October_2014 - page 16

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Wisconsin Community Banker
September/October 2014
CBW Honors Employee Service to Member Banks,
Community
Mary Lou Santovec
A
gain in 2014, the Community
Bankers of Wisconsin honored a
special group of bank employees with
its Lifetime Service Awards. The award
is given to employees who, for over
the past 30, 40, or even 50 years, have
exemplified commitment, loyalty, and
service to community banking and to
their community.
Bank of Mauston
JoAnn Johnson
, chief financial,
cashier, and operations officer, was
honored
for 45 years
of service.
Johnson
began work-
ing at the
bank in
1964 during
her senior
year of high
school, where she spent two hours a
day filing checks, typing statements,
and doing other miscellaneous jobs. In
December 1965, she started working
full-time in the bookkeeping depart-
ment until 1969 when she took time
off to start her family.
Johnson returned to the bank
full-time in 1972. Since then she
served as a receptionist, secretary,
teller, bookkeeper, loan teller, human
resources officer, security officer, and
compliance officer before becoming
the bank’s chief financial, cashier, and
operations officer. Johnson’s commu-
nity service efforts include jail out-
reach through her church.
American National Bank Fox Cities
Dan Nisler
, senior lender, has
exhibited tremendous dedication
to help-
ing bank
customers,
as well as
volunteering
in the Fox
Valley for
the past 40
years.
Nisler
started his career as a bank examiner;
seven years later he joined the staff of
a community bank. In 1984, he joined
Valley Northern Bank (later M&I/
BMO) and rose through the ranks in
the commercial banking department
to senior lender. He joined American
National Bank Fox Cities in 2001 as
senior lender. As a member of the
senior management team and corpo-
rate board, Nisler has helped guide the
bank’s growth and profitability.
He has shown leadership in several
community organizations including
the Tri-County Community Dental
Clinic where he has served as a mem-
ber of the finance committee, the
board, and as treasurer. He’s a board
member and president of both Apple-
ton Downtown, Inc., and the Apple-
ton Northside Business Association.
He’s been a board member of Project
Bridges, a member of the United Way
Strengthening Families committee,
and the Fox Cities Chamber Ambas-
sador and Business Retention com-
mittees, in addition to his service as
treasurer and church council member
at First Congregational United Church
of Christ.
Nisler has also been involved in the
Rotary Club of Appleton since 1999
where he spent seven years as a board
member, and one year as president.
In 2013, he was the recipient of the
Charles and Adele Heeter Outstand-
ing Community Leadership award.
First National Bank of Park Falls
Kris Wirsing
was recognized as
a 40-year employee whose commit-
ment has
been instru-
mental to
the success
of the First
National
Bank of Park
Falls, which
celebrated
its 100th
anniversary in 2014. Her recent his-
tory in the loan department has been
essential to the bank moving for-
ward into today’s extreme regulatory
environment.
Her ability to take on projects on
her own and make sure that project is
completed in a satisfactory manner is
very comforting to senior executives.
Trust is a key part of being in the
banking business and Wirsing has
earned that without question through-
out her career. Her ability to work
with her fellow employees and interact
with the bank’s customers creates a
pleasant work environment.
Oak Bank, Fitchburg
Bob Gorsuch
, CEO and chairman
of the board, has been a community
banker for
50 years
and his
impact on
the industry
is immea-
surable. A
graduate of
Northern
Michigan
University in accounting and the
Graduate School of Banking at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, he
began his banking career with First
National Bank & Trust in Marquette,
Mich., while still in college. A little
over a decade later he joined Park
Bank in Madison where he spent 25
years before opening Oak Bank in
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