Recognition of an employee who has significantly contributed to the overall success of Astra Bank…that is the mission of the Shining Star program. This award is given out on a quarterly basis to an employee who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in their day-to-day work. They are also nominated by their fellow peers.  Astra Bank is pleased to announce the three recipients of the “Shining Star” award for the 3^rd quarter of 2017 are Hillary Penrod, Crystal Rey, and Nikki Pfaff!

Hillary has been with Astra Bank for eight years and a Loan Officer for two years. During that time, Hillary has continued to grow in her position and assist others when needed. There are additional reasons why Hillary was nominated (and chosen) as a recipient for the award. These include:

• Hillary goes out of her way to help others;
• She’s always willing to step in and help out when others are absent or when we are short staffed;
• Hillary has spent a lot of time in Plainville assisting with the acquisition of Midwest Community Bank;
• She has proven to handle difficult situations very well and continues to work hard and help others when needed;
• She works every day to pass on the Core Values of Astra Bank to our customers and shareholders. 

Pictured is Hillary Penrod with President & CEO Kyle Campbell

Crystal has been a part of Astra Bank for over four years. She has continued to grow in her role as a Supervisor over the years and is a great asset to the Astra team. Other reasons Crystal was nominated (and chosen) for the award is:

• Crystal is always willing to help anyone and everyone she can;
• Crystal is strong-willed, smart and understanding;
• She is extremely flexible and understanding when situations arise, which helps with our personal lives;
• Every day we see Crystal grow more into her role as a Supervisor;
• Crystal is there to let us know of changes that are being made or help correct changes that need to be made;
• Recently, Crystal helped with a large wire that we received.  She used her resources and years of experience to figure out where the money should go and then passed the information on to the correct employees;
• Crystal is always willing to go above and beyond to help us grow;
• Overall, Crystal is a wonderful Supervisor.
• She makes sure our customers get the service they deserve and is not afraid to go the extra mile.

Pictured is Crystal Rey with President & CEO Kyle Campbell

Nikki has been a part of Astra Bank for over four years. Her willingness to always help her fellow employees out is just one of the many reasons she is an asset to the Astra Bank team. Other reasons Nikki was nominated (and chosen) for the award is:

• Nikki is always willing to help everyone;
• She is willing to step in and help with whatever is asked of her no matter how busy she is;
• She takes the time to teach you instead of just doing it herself, which is sometimes tough considering how busy we get at this location;
• Nikki loves to laugh but stay committed and is willing to accept all of us as we are;
• Nikki makes you feel comfortable when she is teaching you, which makes our job enjoyable;
• We are very lucky to work with Nikki, as we believe she is a Shining Star. 

Pictured is Nikki Pfaff with President & CEO Kyle Campbell

Congratulations on receiving the 3^rd Quarter 2017 Shining Star award!