Nadine Mackenzie has worked at INB for just five years, but feels like she’s grown up with the bank and its staff.

“When I first moved to central Illinois after my parents’ divorce in 2006, INB was the friendly face in the town of Riverton. Later, that bank would employ my mother, my sister and myself,” she said. “Not only have I made lifelong friends, but I have also gained mentors and leaders who have made me become the best version of myself. INB is more than just a bank; it is a family.”

Nadine, INB trainer and job coach, is celebrating her fifth service anniversary at INB for the 2nd Quarter of 2018, along with Melodey Charles, loan servicing specialist, and Jamie Bauser, remittance processor. Heather McArty, AVP, branch manager in Fairmount, and Diane Kindred, universal banker for INB’s North Dirksen branch are commemorating 10 years of service. Celebrating 15 years of employment at INB are Rose Schlenther, AVP of INB’s Remittance Center, and Caeri Chiaro, AVP, lending compliance officer who works from our Chatham Branch.

Personal Connections the Essence of INB Culture

Whether relationships with fellow employees or with customers, personal connections are the essence of INB’s culture. With such a positive workplace culture, INB experiences low turnover – enabling our staff to grow together and get to know each other over many years, not just as coworkers but as friends and family.

“INB is a family and welcoming atmosphere. I feel like I don’t have co-workers; I have good friends,” Diane said. “I also want to thank everyone at INB for all their love and support during my cancer treatments; it really meant the world to me.”

Melodey has spent the last 20 years in the banking industry and has found, after working at other local financial institutions, INB’s empowering and engaging culture is unmatched.

“I could tell from the start of my service that INB held their Retail Department in high regard,” she said. “Communication between management and staff is encouraged through one-on-one coaching, which provides an environment that allows for relationships to be formed, learning opportunities and professional growth.

“Recently, I transferred to our Loan Servicing Department, and I’m happy to report that the environment is just as professional, friendly and knowledgeable as my prior experience, which is a testament to the sound and consistent culture of INB!” Melodey added.

Colleagues Make the Difference

When Rose was asked to explain why her career at INB was important to her, she had two words: “The people.”

“I feel like I am part of a team working together to ensure quality customer service,” she said.

When Jamie Bauser got the chance to return to INB for a second time, she jumped at it. “I knew I liked working here; I like everybody I work with, and the atmosphere is really nice,” she said.

With 13 branches throughout central Illinois, INB works hard to ensure there is constant communication between its teams. Even though she works at the Fairmount branch two hours from INB’s Springfield headquarters, Heather McArty still feels a close connection to her fellow INB staff thanks to technological advances.

“The ability to video conference during meetings has allowed us to connect people in real time. The live interactive meetings with screen share have been instrumental in bridging communication within departments,” Heather said. “The very best part of my employment with INB over my 10 years here has been the relationships developed with staff and customers alike.”

Friendships Endure when Jobs End

In her 15 years, Caeri has worked in many departments at INB, from mortgage to loan servicing, retail to commercial to accounting, then audit, and back to mortgage before her current position in the Compliance Department. Regardless of her position or location, she saw friendly faces everywhere.

“I always found someone that I could consider a friend, and luckily, most of those people are still with the bank,” Caeri said. “It helps that I can always find someone to help answer a question or solve a problem. I love that people call me because they know if I don’t have an answer, I’ll be able to help find someone who will.

“The best part about this job is that we all work together, and we recognize that it takes a team to do our best for INB’s customers,” she added. “I think that I’ve stayed here as long as I have because of all of the people that I work with and the fact that I can call many of them friends.”

Even with constant growth, INB’s team of employees retains the strong values of a community bank with community relationships.

“I have seen INB grow so much in my short time,” Nadine noted. “INB has grown into other markets such as Bloomington and Champaign, but I have also seen INB grow and move with the times. From technological advances such as facial recognition on our mobile app to changing how to better serve our customers, INB always stays one step ahead. INB’s core values are at the forefront of everything we do, and I see the last effects of those values every day.”