The following is taken from a conversation between INB President and CEO Sarah Phalen, SVP, Retail Executive Kathy Greer and Retired VP, Branch Manager Debbie Shelton. The three were among INB’s first employees.
Springfield didn’t have much in the way of community banks in the late 1990s. Over the preceding two decades, they’d been purchased and re-purchased by the big, nationwide brands looking to expand their reach.
Sarah, Kathy and Debbie had been part of “the sale.” And they did not like the banking experience it provided customers nor the work environment. Debbie summed it up this way, “I wanted to be happy going to work again.”
Then she heard the rumor that someone was talking about creating a new, community bank. And like Sarah and Kathy, she was “in.”
Creating The Bank from the Ground Level
Once INB had a charter, the team of fewer than 20 had 60 days to open the bank. They set up on long folding tables in an empty room in an office building at MacArthur and Outer Park Drive owned by Charlie Robbins, an original bank investor.
At about this same time, INB was able to secure a permanent location to welcome customers. The Central Illinois Light Co. (CILCO) headquarters at Capitol and 2nd streets was closing, and while some staff would need to remain during the phase out, the first floor could be vacated, making it ideal for welcoming new customers.
While the first floor had cashier windows that could be used as a teller line, the rest of the space was sparse and dirty, with lots of scotch tape residue on the large windows. They bought cleaning supplies and got to work. Someone brought in a rug. And true to her nature, Debbie tried to make it homey in other ways. Sarah notes, “We wanted “nice,” but our first customers pretty much didn’t care that the space wasn’t up to par. “They were just excited that we were here.”
One of the best parts about the small staff and limited office space is they allowed everyone to see and solve problems right away. “Customers were very patient,” Kathy noted. Sarah adds: “We focused on what was best for the customers.” And the team was humbled by the number of people who took a chance on the new INB.
The Right People in the Right Jobs
It wasn’t long before Kathy and Debbie had distinct yet intertwined roles. Kathy suggested to Sarah that they needed someone to be more operational. Write policies. Assure they followed banking rules. Work with vendors. That left Debbie to manage the bank’s second location In Montvale Plaza.
Over the years, Debbie has reported to Kathy, and Kathy to Debbie. “It hasn’t mattered,” Kathy says. “We respect one another’s different strengths.”
Sarah credits Kathy and Debbie with being able to spot talented potential employees. There’s the summer seasonal employee who became a commercial lender. A teller/manager who took advantage of an opening in marketing. Even today’s chief operating officer started in retail.
When Kathy joined INB, she looked at it as an opportunity to be part of a once in a lifetime thing. While people hired today don’t have that same ground-level experience, if they come in with an open mind, they’ll be ready when there is a good opportunity. Debbie, who admittedly is more of an extravert than Kathy, suggests, “Make yourself known. Put in the work. People will notice you.”
“Who knows?” Sarah adds. “You could find yourself in a place where you’re the expert!”