Commitment to Financial Education

National Exchange Bank & Trust strives to make financial education accessible on their website, through their social media profiles, and in the communities it serves. Part of the bank’s mission statement is to “give back to the communities we serve with financial support and through the talents of our employees,” and National Exchange Bank & Trust employees put the mission into action through teaching financial education in classrooms or at local organizations, participating in Reality Days at local schools, offering bank tours, hosting seminars for customers and more.

The month of April focuses on financial education through numerous efforts including National Literacy month, Teach Children to Save day, America Saves week and Money Smart week. Although April focuses on financial education, National Exchange Bank & Trust works with local schools and organizations year-round to provide financial education. The bank’s efforts were recognized by the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation (WBF) on a bank wide and individual banker level at conferences held in November 2023 and February 2024.

In total, bankers at National Exchange Bank & Trust took part in 110 financial education presentations during WBF’s last fiscal year. Thank you to the following employees for helping make an impact in the community: Kim Baillod, Jeanette Baughman, Karen Beck, Tya Beger, Josh Blatz, Leah Boettcher, Emily Brooks, Cassie Busalacchi, Shane Christophersen, Kari De Smith, Becky DeVries, Patti Dilley, JoNell Empereur, Patty Fritsche, Abby Funk, Linda Gage, Molly Gilbertson, Bryant Greenfield, Nicki Hau, Amy Hill, Debra Hopp, Kendra Hopp, Travis Immel, Jennifer Kinjerski, Kari Marquardt, Katie Morrissey, Karri Oelke, Sandra Payne, Candace Pierce, Tammy Pitts, Kelly Plocher, Sherry Pomplun, Betsy Reigle, Jaclyn Rutkowski, Heidi Sattler, Beth Schmidt, Amanda Schultz, Raechel Siegel, Wendy Soyk, Julie Stigler, Jodi Vande Kolk, Tammy Wagner, Monika Waisbrot, Josh Wegner, Mollie Wegner and Dustin Zanin.
    
The remarkable efforts shown by Jaclyn Rutkowski and Jodi Vande Kolk stood out among the many dedicated volunteers, and they received a Certificate of Excellence for surpassing 20 total presentations. Emily Brooks, JoNell Empereur, Molly Gilbertson, Nicki Hau, Karri Oelke, Tammy Pitts, Beth Schmidt, Amanda Schultz, Raechel Siegel, Monika Waisbrot, and Dustin Zanin were also each recognized with Certificates of Recognition for their individual efforts in financial literacy as well for surpassing five total presentations.

“Throughout Wisconsin, bankers go above and beyond in their commitment to their communities,” said Chair of the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation Rose Oswald Poels. “We thank the team at National Exchange Bank & Trust for their outstanding work in helping individuals and families to build foundational financial skills.”

In addition, National Exchange Bank & Trust was awarded WBF’s Financial Education Innovation Award this past February, for the It’s OK Not to Know program. 

The Financial Education Innovation Award is the most prestigious Excellence in Financial Education (EFE) Award presented by the Foundation. The Financial Education Innovation Award recognizes one bank per year that has taken an outstanding, unique approach to empowering the financial decisions of Wisconsin’s consumers. 

The bank’s program — It's OK Not to Know — includes a diverse range of content addressing a wide spectrum of financial questions. The WBF’s selection committee particularly appreciated the bank’s use of popular social media platforms to proactively engage with its audience and position the institution as a judgment-free resource ready to provide support and guidance.

As the nonprofit arm of the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA), WBF’s mission is to promote financial literacy and financial capability to the public and to broaden consumer empowerment in the financial services industry through research, education, grants, and scholarships.