40 Years of Service for Nancy Gerdes-Hibsch

From the Pontiac Daily Leader

By Luke Smucker 

Posted Aug. 12, 2016 at 1:42 PM 

Chatsworth, Ill. She grew up in Chatsworth, graduated in Chatsworth and now, she’s been working at Citizens Bank of Chatsworth for 40 years. Nancy Gerdes-Hibsch, a loan officer and vice president at Citizens Bank of Chatsworth, considers the bank to be her second home and the customers to be friends and family. “People that know me, know I’m not one to boast,” Gerdes-Hibsch said. “But, I’m pretty proud of working at one place for 40 years. In this day and age, there probably aren’t many people who have been at the same job for 40 years. “I’m not saying it’s not a good move, but for me, it was a good choice to stay here. I grew up in this area, my first husband was from this area, my family was from this area — so it was perfect to have a job right here in town.” An open house will be held on Aug. 16 to commemorate her years of service. She started at the bank as a drive-up bank teller. Although she has taken other positions throughout her years with the bank, she said the teller position is one that she still holds in high regard. “I like a challenge, so every chance that they gave me to advance, I looked at it as, ‘I’m going to conquer that challenge,’” Gerdes-Hibsch said. “I knew, with each position I moved to, there was much more to learn about banking. That’s not to say that being a teller isn’t important, I have a lot of respect for tellers because they are the ones who make a difference when customers come in.” She worked as a teller for a few years before being offered a job in bookkeeping, which is now commonly referred to as “operations.” “When I got to go back to bookkeeping, I realized how everything worked and it helped make other duties of the job make sense,” Gerdes-Hibsch said. “Then, when I came to the secretary position to the loan side of the bank, my work in book keeping made that job easier and likewise, when I became the bank’s loan officer, that just made this job that much easier for me.” Working 40 years is a lot, but Gerdes-Hibsch said she’s not done working yet. She hopes to continue working at the bank until her retirement. “Banking has changed a lot over the years, some changes for good, some I’m not so sure, but you know, that’s life,” she said. “There are always going to be changes, you just have to be receptive of those changes to make everything go in a positive direction. I have had an opportunity to grow in a small town bank with opportunities that I probably would not have had at a larger bank. I am very blessed to have worked in the same business for so many years.”

Outside of banking, Gerdes-Hibsch said she enjoys spending time with family and friends. “I like to get together and do things, go on vacations and such,” she said. “I feel fortunate to have a job that has allowed me to enjoy my leisure, too.”