Coulee Courier

Each month, I have the privilege of meeting with my Vistage group- a gathering of inspiring leaders committed to personal and professional growth. This month's focus on effective communication sparked an inspiring conversation about adapting to other’s communication styles and listening to everyone’s response before speaking.

 Some team members prefer a conversation that gets straight to the point while others prefer a more in-depth discussion. Making a concerted effort to understand someone’s communication style minimizes confusion, saves time, and ensures a clear understanding of the message being conveyed. This component of communication is important; however, effective communication is twofold.

The second component of effective communication is listening. In organizations, job titles imply a certain level of expertise or experience in their given field which often gives that person’s response more weight. It’s also natural to feel the urge to immediately contribute your perspective or propose a solution to the problem at hand. As a leader at Coulee Bank, I try very hard to be the last person to speak. I have surrounded myself with experts in their field, so I want to hear from everyone at the table before I formulate a thoughtful, reasonable response. 

I believe that innovation is driven by the perspective that each person brings because of their background, experience, and skills. New ideas or solutions can come from unexpected places. When people feel heard, they are more likely to engage and become invested in the result. I hope to instill these effective communication techniques into the senior leadership team surrounding me allowing more colleagues at Coulee Bank to be invested in their positions and ultimately to feel heard and respected with whatever title they hold.

 ~Dirk Gasterland, CEO

Inside Your Mortgage Payment: Unpacking the Four Core Parts

A mortgage is a great way to purchase a home without paying the entire amount upfront. With a mortgage comes a monthly payment to the lender. This mortgage payment has four components, principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI).

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Reach out to Kris Farwell and her team if you are ready to purchase a home.

Coulee Bank. Bank with Confidence. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS#410835

Understanding Traditional 401(k) and Roth 401(k) Accounts

Most employers offer a traditional 401(k) or Roth 401(k) or in some cases both. Employees can contribute to both accounts, and employers can opt to match a portion of the employee’s contribution. To best meet your retirement goals, it’s important to understand both options.

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Frugal February Savings Challenge

Here are ways you can bounce back from a holiday spending hangover

The holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration, but it often leaves many people facing the challenge of paying off credit card debt that accumulated during this period. If you can relate, participating in Frugal February may be the perfect cure for a holiday spending hangover.

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Tips from IT

Tips from IT: Reboot Your Device for Better Performance

Computers and smart devices are essential in our day-to-day work, so we must maintain our devices to ensure they work properly. A good rule of thumb is to power off or reboot your devices at the end of every workday. But why is rebooting your device crucial to the performance? 

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Coulee in the Community

Coulee Bank commits to workplace excellence and nurtures growth and support within the communities we consider home. We volunteer, empowered by the belief that we can create positive change! You can be confident in our efforts to support the community. 

Sometimes, the smallest acts of kindness make the biggest impact! Our Rochester crew enjoyed their time at the Gift of Life Transplant House, packing away a charming miniature Christmas village. It was awesome to help create space for new decorations to brighten up the residents’ stay! Let’s keep spreading joy, one small act at a time!

A huge shoutout to our amazing La Crosse team for their hard work at WAFER Food Pantry.

From sorting fragrant citrus fruits to packing up cat food, your kindness truly shines! WAFER staff said it best: "We love when Coulee Bank employees arrive with smiles in tow and lots of elbow grease!" Keep spreading the joy, team!

Joshua H., Universal Banker in our St. Paul branch had an absolute blast volunteering at Dayton’s Bluff Recreational Center with his girlfriend, Molly! They coached 80 energetic kiddos aged 4-6, focusing on dribbling drills and teamwork. Great job, Joshua, and Molly. Let’s keep inspiring the next generation!

Employee Spotlight

We are incredibly grateful for all of our employees. They work hard and make significant contributions that enrich our company culture. This month we are recognizing Annie Peterson, Business Banking Assistant, Rochester, MN.

Meet Annie Peterson, Business Banking Assistant (BBA) at the Rochester branch! Peterson is a small-town girl with a strong work ethic — the work ethic of a horse she says. Because of her strong will and desire for independence, she moved out of her mom’s home at 18 and worked two to three jobs from ages 17-31! During this time, she says she received an associate’s degree in business administration and later received her bachelor’s degree from Winona State University in Business with a focus on management. With this schedule, she didn’t get the true college experience, but she learned to have fun outside the office all on her own.

Peterson started her career in banking when she was in high school. “I worked at a small bank after school and on Saturdays for like…ever! I took a break from banking in college, and after college, I picked up a part-time teller job and worked my way up until I landed a BBA position after six years as a personal banker and teller.” She later came to Coulee Bank after Matt Nigbur sought her out specifically because they had worked together at another community bank. She says, “It’s one of the best career moves I have ever made!”

Peterson recently received an award at Coulee Bank for her flexibility. Flexibility is one of Coulee Bank’s core values, so this was truly an honor for her. When asked about her ability to be flexible, she simply stated it’s literally just doing the job. She has an extensive background in banking, so she can pivot easily when needed. It probably also stems back to the work ethic. When there are tasks to be completed, you can count on her to do them and to do them well.

Peterson has achieved a lot in her 30-plus years on the planet, but she credits her mom. She says, “My mom is an incredibly strong woman. I watched her navigate tragic events, one after the other, while maintaining her career and providing for her family.” As a kid, Peterson never knew they were struggling because her mom kept it together so well. “I take my strength, independence, endurance, and work ethic from her. She isn’t one to give up on what she believes in, and neither am I,” she says.

This strength, grit, and determination are always present, but after work, Peterson lets go of the day and allows plenty of time to decompress. Peterson is an avid volleyball player, and from what we can gather, she is pretty darn good! She loves good movies and TV shows, but it’s mostly about popcorn — and lots of extra butter. Along with good movies, she also loves concerts, stand-up comedy, sporting events, long walks with Duke, her dog, and spending time with people she loves.

She believes there is nothing better than a good meal either prepared at home or in a restaurant. Peterson says, “When I make meals at home, there’s nothing better than the satisfaction that I made it, on the other hand, if I am eating a good meal in a restaurant, I don’t have to do dishes. And that’s a win!”

Because a good meal is high on the list of things she enjoys, we asked her if she could have dinner with anyone, who would that be? “I want to sit down with all the courageous women in history who paved the way for me to have freedom and those who have changed the world! I would like to chat with Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Betty Ford, Coco Chanel, and Katharine Graham. I would even sit down and chat with them with or without dinner,” she says.

We are so happy to have you here at Coulee Bank, Annie. You bring so much to the table every single day, and we thank you for that.

New Hire Spotlight

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of our team, who brings a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives to our organization. Please join us in welcoming Sandy Steele, our new Sr. Treasury Management Officer in La Crosse!

Sandy Steele, a native of La Crosse, has recently started an exciting new chapter in her career as a Sr. Treasury Management Officer at Coulee Bank. She loves working with people and has a wealth of experience in sales and operations in financial institutions. Her transition to Coulee Bank, a community-focused bank, is a fulfilling change for Steele. She is committed to building relationships with customers and finding joy while volunteering in the community.

A few fun facts about Steele are that she opened her first checking account at 16 with Coulee Bank. Steele is also a hopeless romantic. She loves watching Hallmark movies with her husband Vince of 19 years.

When it comes to a good meal, Steele enjoys cooking with her husband and cooking for her grandchildren. Her grandkids love lasagna! If she cooks for her vegetarian daughter, she makes her famous meatless potato soup. When asked about sharing a meal with anyone, she would dine with her parents who have passed away. She knows her parents would love meatloaf and scalloped potatoes so that would be on the menu.

Listening to Steele talk about her family, you can tell the only way to vacation is with her friends and family. For Steele, traveling is more than just visiting new places; it's about creating memories and spending quality time with loved ones. The best travel destinations are those where she can enjoy the company of her family and friends whether it’s near or far.

And finally, she loves sitting around the bonfire with family and friends, toasting marshmallows and making s’mores and making memories.

Welcome to Coulee Bank, Sandy Steele! We are grateful you chose to start a new chapter with us!

We love a reason to celebrate with our colleagues!

Happy Birthday to all our amazing Coulee Bank co-workers!

Here's to another year of hard work, laughter, and teamwork. Wishing you all the best on your special day. Let's make it a celebration to remember!

Happy Work-i-versary to our amazing colleagues!

It's been an incredible journey with each and every one of you. Your hard work, dedication, and positive energy make our team unstoppable. Here's to many more years of success and growth together!

Customer Spotlight

Thank you to our AMAZING customers for choosing us for all your banking needs! We are grateful for your loyalty, support, and trust in our products and services. Here's to many more years of building a strong relationship together!

Meet, Coulee Bank customer, Patrick Coyle, president and owner of Ten Ten Films. He is an award-winning Playwright and Screenwriter.

Stories have always captivated Coyle. From an early age, his favorite spot was reading under the covers at night with a flashlight. “I love stories. I love the escape books and movies provide,” says Coyle.

His love of the written word naturally led him to study English Literature at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He took every writing class available and later discovered the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Nebraska. He continued to grow as a writer, and one day, his college friend, Doug, dared him to audition for a play. Coyle was cast as the lead. Before you know it, he enrolled in acting and directing courses. “Being around other writers and actors was invaluable, sharing ideas and experiences, researching roles, creating characters, running lines. I learned as much from my peers as I did in the classroom,” says Coyle. He graduated with a bachelor’s in English Literature and a minor in Theatre.

His passion for storytelling led him to write and direct three feature films: Detective Fiction (Sundance Film Fest Official Selection), Into Temptation (starring Kristin Chenoweth and Jeremy Sisto), and Unholy Communion. He wasn’t about to let go of the acting bug after graduation. His most notable stage roles include Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, Billy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Ricky in Glengarry Glen Ross.

All these incredible opportunities are built from his authenticity. He believes in telling the truth and creating stories, dialogue, and characters that an audience can relate to. His favorite genres are drama and film noir, but good comedy and musical theater are also favorites.

His passion for stories is evident, and he is grateful for the opportunity to continue creating films as a career. “Coulee Bank has been incredibly responsive to my banking and financial needs as I navigated the making of a feature film,” says Coyle. He believes he couldn't have done it without our help. He went on to say he was drawn to Coulee Bank because it is smaller and privately owned. “I clicked with Mark Landy, a great guy, smart, thorough, and always helpful throughout the making of my film.”

We are so grateful you chose Coulee Bank for your financial needs. May success find you in all your future endeavors. 

Customer Testimonials

Financially Free Gen-Z Podcast

Join your hosts, Rachel Munger and Joshua Herrmann, as they discuss the financial questions and topics prevalent to Generation Z. This podcast is brought to you by Coulee Bank. Member FDIC.

Disclaimer - All content contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon to make any financial, accounting, tax, legal or other related decisions. Each person must consider his or her objectives, risk tolerances and level of comfort when making financial decisions and should consult a competent professional advisor prior to making any such decisions. Any opinions expressed through the content in this newsletter are the opinions of the particular author only.