12 HќќѠіђџȱ юћјђџ Ѣћђȱ2014 ȱ¢ȱȱȱęȱ¢ǰȱȱ long as we could expand the bank. I didn’t want to work in Whiting only. ȱ ȃ ¢ȱȱȂȱ ȱȱ¡ȱ outside of Whiting, so his reaction was guarded. But he gave me the latitude to expand and choose future ȱǰȱȱ ȱȱĜȱ needs, marketing programs and different types of lending. “I fell on my face a number of times, and I credit my father for giving me the latitude to experience setbacks. Parents can have trouble Ĵȱȱȱȱȱȱ ¢ǰȱ so I give my father a lot of credit. “In the long run, the experience gave me an appreciation for risk and tolerance, and determination to leave a legacy of Centier as a familyowned, private bank for future generations. “We have a Centier ‘Declaration of Independence’ that each new associate signs. It is their acknowledgement that they’re going to do what they can to make sure we preserve our independence as a private, family-owned bank.” Please tell a bit about Centier’s community outreach. “Partnering is very important to us, and we partner with schools and community organizations in as many ways as we can. One way ȱ¢ȱȱęȱ¢ǯ ȱȱȱȱȃ ȱȱȱȬȱęȱ- pabilities coordinator who works with Centier associates as they go into schools and community centers to help students and adults develop ȱęȱǯȱ ȱȱ our presenters are bilingual and work in markets of large Hispanic populations. “A venture we are working on is a public television ȱȱȁ ¢ȱ ǰȂȱ geared toward adults. The show brings in experts to talk about fraud, identity theft and related topics. “Another form of outreach is the Schrage Family Foundation scholarship program. We established it 20 years ago, on our 100th anniversary. Unlike many scholarships, ours is not weighted heavily toward need or academics. “Instead, ours is two-thirds weighted on leadership in the school and leadership in the community. A lot of our scholarship recipients ȱ ȱ ǰȱȱ¢ȱȱ who are active in their churches or synagogues, or school newspaper editors. “Centier also partners with charitable organizations, much of it in sweat equity. When our associates join an organization, we want them to be active and to lead in some capacity, whether by chairing a fundraiser or serving in a presidential position.” Centier Bank has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce continually since 2007. What is the secret of this success? “The secret to this success starts with hiring. We hire people with servant’s hearts. It makes for a great Continued from page 10. 6LQFH &HQWLHU KDV PDGH WKH ,QGLDQD &KDPEHU·V 7RS OLVW RI %HVW 3ODFHV WR :RUN LQ ,QGLDQD ,W ZDV UDQNHG 1R LQ 6RFLDO PHGLD KDV EHFRPH DQ LQWHJUDO SDUW RI WKH FRPSDQ\·V FRPPXQLFDWLRQ FKDQQHOV WKH EDQN KDV RYHU )DFHERRN ´OLNHV µ
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==