Brenda Doles Is Set To Retire From VCNB
Ask Brenda Doles about her thoughts on retirement and you’ll get an impromptu master class in banking, people, and her seemingly endless zest for life. Brenda’s 37-year career in banking will end on May 1. While she says that not working at Vinton County National Bank will be hard, she looks forward to what her post-career life has in store for her.
The Chillicothe native intended to work in the medical field but some unexpected life twists and a chance meeting led her to a job in banking. She says she fell in love with the work and the people and never looked back.
While she has been with VCNB for the last seventeen years, Brenda spent the first twenty years of her career at another community bank. When that bank was purchased by a larger regional bank, she felt there was something else waiting for her. “They were nice people and they were offering me a great position but my heart was in community banking. I like the community involvement and local decision making you find at community banks so I applied for a lending position at VCNB and got the job,” she explained.
“A lot of people thought I was crazy to leave what I had and start over here. We were smaller at the time but I found it exciting. I wasn’t scared, I was curious and excited for what was ahead.”
That’s typical of Brenda whose approach to life seems to be saying YES to the opportunities and the mysteries of life.
Brenda has done a little of everything in the world of banking. She was a head teller, loan processor, construction lender and mortgage lender, regional retail manager and finally the VCNB Head of Retail.
It was during her tenure as Head of Retail that the bank embraced universal banking. She was familiar with this model from her previous bank where retail employees are trained in a range of bank services. “Now we empower employees to take care of all aspects of a customer’s needs. People rise to their strengths in that environment and many have thrived.”
Brenda said being part of VCNB’s substantial growth since she came here has been an exciting privilege. She noted that this time brought new employees, new products, more services, and even physical changes to the bank branches. “We’re not cookie cutter. We embrace new concepts but we always make it our own. We are enthusiastic to grow but not at the cost of our core values and I find that incredibly exciting. “
Some things haven’t changed though. “There are intangibles that come with working here. We are larger now but have stayed employee and community focused. When your employees are happy, they take better care of your customers. That’s why we work with employees when their family member is sick and schedule folks so they can see their kid’s game. For those of us who have needed that flexibility, it means a lot,” she said.
Of course, there have been bumps along the way. Perhaps the biggest challenge during her career was the Covid 19 Pandemic. “There was no instruction book. We knew we needed to keep our customers and employees safe and that every day was a fresh challenge.”
She described keeping employees working safely and how every day started with an assessment of each branch’s staffing issues. She mentioned changes in society and how customers embraced new tools. “We had customers who were trying new things, learning different ways to do their business online. For those who did need a person, we found ways to keep people safe through Zoom meetings, serving them in the parking lot and helping them in whatever way we could. Of course, our customers were so wonderful. They were flexible and grateful for what we could do to help them,” she remarked. “Our employees rose to the challenge too and a lot of them realized they were knowledgeable in ways no one knew.”
Speaking of employees rising to the occasion, there have been some recent changes at the bank including the promotion of longtime Regional Retail Manager Jodi Motta to take Brenda’s position as Head of Retail. President/CEO Mark Erslan now focuses his attentions as CEO since Tom Oyer took over as President in January. “I am so proud I got to work with these individuals and am excited for the bank’s future with Tom, Mark and Jodi in their new roles.”
What advice does Brenda have for young bankers? “Don’t be afraid to make informed decisions. Your ability to look at the facts and make an informed decision is promising,” she said. She also advises women in banking to try lending. “Don’t be afraid of lending. We need more women in lending. That’s the best place for advancement,” she explained.
You might say that what brought Brenda to VCNB in 2008 is the same thing that’s causing her to leave. That boundless curiosity for what’s around the next bend is too much to resist as she refuses to make plans for her free time. Instead, she enters the future with eyes wide open and a desire to see, learn and experience all she can. “Life is about timing. It’s about confidence in yourself and living every minute of your life because you can’t get them back. Live each day you have. Never live for the weekend or for the vacation or for anything other than this day you have now. The journey has to be fun.”
Brenda is grateful for the friends she has made at VCNB and hopes to maintain these friendships. She looks forward to spending more time gardening and having more time with friends and family. May 1 will be her last day at the bank and she will celebrate with an open house the following day for her friends, family and colleagues.