Want to know our teammates’ deepest, darkest secrets? Well, we can’t share those; they’d probably report us to HR for telling you.
So instead, we sat down with Employee Development Administrator Sally Chapman over a mug of iced black tea to chat about her 20-year Bankiversary and ask her to spill the tea about what it’s like to be on the front lines of FNB’s award-winning workplace culture.
Sally Chapman
Position: Employee Development Administrator
Department: Employee Development
Years at Bank: 20+
Hometown: Iowa Falls, Iowa
Education: Iowa State University
You see, Sally started at the Bank back in 2003 training Tellers at all of our branches.
“At the time I started, our Tellers had one computer monitor to look at customer accounts. That’s it,” Sally said.
She spent fifteen years training in Personal Banking, and for some of those years she also did training for our Employee Development team — including leading our new teammate orientation, now called “Culture Camp.”
“It was originally a two-day event, both days in the morning,” Sally said. “On the first morning, we’d have teammates from around the Bank give overviews of their departments and different aspects of our culture, we’d play games, and we’d finish by eating lunch together. And then, on the second day, we’d have more speakers from around the Bank and a scavenger hunt in our Downtown location so new teammates could get acclimated to the main office.”
Five years ago, Sally moved full-time into Employee Development, where she now serves as Employee Development Administrator.
In this role, she assists with teammate onboarding, makes sure all teammates are trained to meet banking regulations and keep up with changing laws, and continues to lead Culture Camp.
While a lot has changed throughout her 20-year career journey, one thing that will never change for Sally is her love for the Bank and of introducing teammates to our outstanding culture.
Camp counselor
Culture Camp looks a little different these days, as Sally is continually evolving the program to meet the needs of our teammates.
The orientation program currently takes place over three separate days (teammates convene every other month across six months).
Executives, managers, and teammates from across the Bank still make appearances to introduce new employees to our different departments. Maggie Groteluschen, a fifth-generation Baker and FNB shareholder, stops by to provide a history lesson on the Bank.
Teammates play games like FNB Family Feud, Two Truths and a Lie, and BINGO. During one session, our Executive Team has lunch with the new employees and leads them through a service project: either making tie blankets for the Children’s Home Society or assembling hygiene packets for the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House.
“My favorite part of Culture Camp, aside from getting to know all the new teammates, is listening to the speakers,” Sally said. “Even though I hear their presentations all the time, I always learn something new from them.”
Sally Chapman (center) administers a Culture Camp session.
As for the scavenger hunt, that went away during the COVID pandemic and while our Downtown branch was undergoing an extensive remodel.
“I’m going to try to bring the scavenger hunt back because it was so much fun. You would see these new teammates running down the hallway,” Sally laughed, “because the person who got back first had first choice for the prizes!”
But with all of the different games teammates play during Culture Camp, Sally’s favorite remains FNB Family Feud.
“Just like with the real Family Feud, I send out a questionnaire to Bank teammates for their answers,” Sally said. “I usually get responses from at least half the Bank.”
One of the questions is, “What’s your favorite FIRST Value?” According to Sally, Family always takes the number one spot.
Fun fact: Family is Sally’s favorite FIRST Value too. That one’s a freebie for you, future Culture Camp participants.
“This is my Bank family,” Sally said, “and in my opinion, I think everyone feels like you’re part of a family working here.”
Building a family
That “Bank family” Sally speaks of doesn’t just form naturally.
In fact, Sally plays a vital role in building it up.
“Don’t let your ‘development’ go extinct.”
On top of leading Culture Camp, Sally aids new teammates in their onboarding process. She meets with them after their first 30 days, and again after 120 days, to see how things are going, answer any questions they may have, and straight up get to know them on a personal level.
“I would hate to ever give up meeting new teammates,” Sally said. “That’s a lot of fun for me — getting to know them. I love the one-on-one interaction, and I always try to remember at least one thing that I can talk to them about in the hallway or the breakroom.”
And if you ask us, Sally’s work is a huge part of the reason we received the Workplace Excellence Award in Culture from the Sioux Empire Society for Human Resource Management in 2022.
Years of Service
When teammates reach milestone anniversaries at the Bank (two years, five years, 10 years, 15 years, etc.), they receive a monetary Years of Service gift as appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
Sally used her 20 Years of Service gift earlier this year for a pretty special family vacation.
“My son lives in Illinois, and we like to get together sometime around his birthday,” Sally said. “This year, we decided we were going to meet in Minneapolis.”
One of the highlights of their weekend was touring Prince’s estate, Paisley Park.
“Prince had his costumes, and he had over a thousand pairs of shoes,” Sally said. “They were custom-made to go with his outfits. Of course, since he was so short, they all had heels to make him a little taller.”
Additionally, they toured the production studios where Prince recorded his music, and they even had the opportunity to hear some of his unreleased songs.
“If anyone’s in the area, I recommend they go see Paisley Park,” Sally said. “It was a really cool experience.”
To celebrate Sally’s 20 years at FNB, we thought we’d ask her a steaming hot round of 20 questions!
But then we decided that was a terrible idea and no one (especially Sally) wanted that, so we asked her these questions instead:
If you could switch positions with anyone at the Bank, who would it be?
“To be honest with you, I feel like I’m doing what I want to do right now. But I do still miss being in a customer-facing role; even being a teller was a lot of fun, so I would do that again in a heartbeat.”
When it comes to food, what’s your guilty pleasure?
“Dark chocolate and red wine. And they go really well together, too!”
What’s your favorite place that you’ve traveled to?
“We go to Marco Island, Florida, every year. My husband and I have been married for 33 years, and we’ve been going there for more than 30 years.”
You have to sing karaoke. What song are you picking?
“I love to sing ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry whenever it comes on the radio.”
If you had $1 million to start your own business, what would it be?
“A wine shop. I love all different types of wine. I love going to wine tastings. Plus, you have the customer service aspect of that too.”
What’s one of your financial goals right now?
“My husband and I try to plan at least one major trip a year. So, for us, it’s really being able to travel and having the time to do it.”
