Laurie O’Brien considers herself “one of the lucky ones” after she was asked to take on a full-time position with INB. 
“I had been a temp employee in the processing center when I was ‘loaned’ to the loan operations department. I was fortunate that they saw my potential and asked me to join them permanently,” she recalls. “I found it to be a very positive experience the way the two departments were willing to work together to get my position filled.”
Laurie says, “My five years have passed quickly and been filled with lots of shared knowledge and great coworkers,” as she reflects on celebrating her 5th service anniversary during the first quarter of 2020.
Though Courtney Bryant has worked across several areas of the bank, her passion lies in supporting the INB retail staff behind the scenes.
"A lot of people think that everything is instant when they click a button, but we are the ones back here to make it seem like that!" she says with a laugh. "When you walk in the door of our Deposit Operations department, you never know what the day is going to be like. I love all the different customers I deal with on a day-to-day basis, whether that be our business customers or internal customers."
Justin Graves, mortgage closer, is also celebrating five years at INB with Laurie, while Cayla Keyes, VP, branch manager of INB 6th St. celebrates 10 years as well as Courtney Bryant, Deposit Operations Specialist. Commemorating 15 years at the bank are Kelly Raison, VP/retail operations and process improvement and Chatham branch manager; Veronica Armbrust, cash management coordinator; and Jackie Hughes, senior trust support analyst.
Professional, Personal Relationships Go Hand in Hand
“I started here 15 years ago as a part-time teller and have worked my way up; this is a company that invest in its people, and if you put in the hard work, they notice!” Kelly shares. “It truly is great to work for a company where you know most of the people in different departments and enjoy talking to them not only on a professional level but on a personal level, too.”
Cayla echoed Kelly’s sentiments about INB’s continual investment in our staff.
“They not only care about their customers and the communities they serve, but they even go above and beyond for those that choose to make INB their employer. INB’s collaborative working culture and their commitment to the continuing education of their employees is what I have cherished most as an employee,” she says.
Cayla has attended regular financial seminars and workshops, participated in Leadership Springfield, and most recently, attended Graduate School of Banking – all with INB’s support. In turn, she hopes to provide that same support and mentorship to new staff.
“INB has helped me learn our industry inside and out and helped me to develop my own leadership skills,” Cayla says. “And I think the thing that makes me the happiest is the fact that I not only get to continue helping customers, but I also get to assist in the development of my staff. I am excited to help those entering into the banking industry to learn as much about it as I have.”
Waking Up Happy to Go to Work
For Justin Graves, knowing that his role as a mortgage closer is part of “what is hopefully an awesome experience for our clients” is extremely fulfilling.
“What makes me happy is the fact that I am helping in the process of our customers either getting their dream home or even their first home,” he says. “I wake up enjoying what I do, and who I work with. It makes it very easy for me to recommend INB for anything from employment to banking needs.”
Veronica Armbrust says the relationships she’s developed over the last 15 years stand out to her
“I have worked alongside many great people over the last 15 years, and when you spend this much time together, you build both professional and personal relationships with each other. We are a family that extends past the workplace at INB,” Veronica says.
“We are also building trusted relationships with our clients providing quality customer service across the organization. I find it very gratifying when a customer contacts me to say ‘I know this is not what you do, but I know you will help me…’. There is great satisfaction knowing customers value what you do and trust you with their business.”
Jackie Hughes enjoys the learning experience that each day brings and looks forward to continuing her career at INB.
“There are no two accounts that are handled the same, whether it be from individual assets held in the accounts to how funds are to be distributed. Learning all of the pieces of our accounts and processes has been eye-opening for me and keeps my job interesting every day,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for better management or co-workers. I’m excited to see what the next 15 years will bring.”