Karyssa Pedersen says that “everyone needs a Debbie Shelton in their life!” Debbie, longtime branch manager at INB Montvale and then Wabash, has been a mainstay at INB since 1999 and will retire Feb. 29. But not before she was able to spend several years mentoring and training Karyssa to replace her.
“Debbie has influenced me in so many ways,” Karyssa shares. “Debbie is big on ‘going the extra mile.’ She always emphasized that you never truly know what someone is going through and that going the extra mile makes such a difference, even when you may not know it.”
With Debbie’s retirement, we’re now excited to announce Karyssa’s newest promotion to Branch Manager of INB Wabash.
“I am very grateful and proud to have come this far in my career. I am very humbled that my mentors see the potential in my work ethic to excel and grow in this new role,” Karyssa shares.
Education, Commitment Benefit Karyssa and INB
Karyssa joined INB in July 2020 as a teller at our downtown location after receiving her bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration and finance from MacMurray College. Quickly showing initiative for more responsibility, she relocated to our Wabash Branch in early 2022 to dive into all aspects of bank retail operations.
In September 2022, she was promoted to Branch Operations Supervisor, and in summer 2023, she received another promotion – this time to Assistant Branch Manager/Branch Management Trainee at Wabash.
“INB has always been encouraging in seeking other positions to grow,” Karyssa says. “Becoming branch manager has always been a goal, but to come this far in less than four years is something I am proud of. I would not have been able to do these things if it weren’t for my coworkers and family!”
Customer Service Key to Doing the Job Right
Over the last six months of training, Debbie emphasized to Karyssa the value of customer service, and Karyssa is looking forward to carrying on that legacy at INB Wabash.
“She has always been big on customer service and taking care of the customer, and I plan to emphasize that value here because it really speaks volumes when your bank makes you feel like you’re a part of a family,” Karyssa says.
Karyssa says her time at INB has been “nothing short of amazing” and she’s very excited about the opportunity to grow.
“I am passionate about my Wabash team; I want them each to thrive here at the bank, and I plan to help them do that in any way I can,” she shares. “When you become a leader, you really stop thinking about you and start thinking about everyone else. My team has many goals to achieve this year, and I am confident we will crush each and every one of them!”
Congratulations Karyssa!