U.S. Bank hires Kissler as assistant manager

A new face has joined the staff at U.S. Bank branch in downtown Ritzville. Sarah Kissler, former manager of the Sprague branch, said she is looking forward to providing community members with a positive banking experience as the new assistant manager.

Born and raised on a wheat farm in Odessa, Kissler said she has always appreciated the family-like attribute small town communities provide.

At eight years old her family decided to move to Sprague where they worked with hay and cattle. She enjoyed her time spent in the town and said the people are what make the small community so special.

In her eighth grade year, they moved back to their hometown where she graduated from Odessa High School in 2002.

After graduation, Kissler attended Big Bend Community College on a volleyball scholarship in Moses Lake to receive her associate’s degree and continue playing volleyball before determining the career she wished to pursue.

She decided to move back to Sprague in 2004 where she completed her associate’s degree at Spokane Community College in 2005.

Kissler then worked multiple jobs prior to graduating including waitressing, working at a gas station and moving cattle before becoming a teller at the Sprague branch of U.S. Bank in 2011. She hoped the new job would also allow her to spend additional time with her boyfriend and two children: Ashley, 16, and Alyza, 9.

As soon as she started, Kissler said she immediately loved working in a bank and enjoyed building relationships with the community. With her strong work ethic and positive attitude, she worked her way up from teller to manager in her six years at the branch.

After the Sprague branch closed in September, Kissler said she decided to move to the Ritzville branch because of the close vicinity to her home. She had also worked with several of the current employees at the bank in previous years.

She said the branch closing came as a shock to the community and she grew worried she would no longer see the familiar faces, which always brightened her day.

Her worries subsided after multiple U.S. Bank customers continued to come see her in Ritzville and Kissler began feeling the same type of small town camaraderie as she had in Sprague. She began working in Ritzville on Oct. 1, and said she instantly loved the city and community.

Coming from a town of less than 500 residents, Kissler said the number of businesses and community involvement continues to amaze her and inspires her to support the city’s economy.

Shortly after starting at the branch, she walked around town with the Ritzville U.S. Bank branch manager Kandis Duff, to introduce herself to local business owners and community members.

During her introductions, Kissler said everyone seemed very welcoming and made her excited to begin building relationships with residents. Relationship building is very important to her, as she believes familiarity and trust are the keys to a pleasant banking experience.

Kissler said she understands customers feel more comfortable working with a familiar face and she plans to interact with the community on a professional and personal level in order to strengthen her relationships with them. Knowing her customers names as they walk through the door is also important to her as she feels it makes the relationship more personal and the experience positive.

Growing up in a small town allowed her to realize the importance of supporting local businesses and she plans to help the city’s economy by eating local and taking advantage of the services offered in the area, said Kissler.

By continuing to familiarize herself with the town and support local business, she hopes to take on an active role in the community and be someone residents can trust.

Kissler said as an assistant manager, her duties include keeping the branch operational and making sure everything runs smoothly. She likes to go the extra mile by doing more than expected of her and providing assistance in almost every department of the branch.

One of her favorite parts of being a banker is helping customers explore options that will allow them to save money and prepare for the future, she added. While assisting a new customer, Kissler said she likes to look at where the customer is financially and find out where they would like to be before discussing their options.

The branch staff continues to be an uplifting group of people who always make Kissler feel appreciated, she stated. Due to the fact she lives in Sprague, she enjoys carpooling with co-workers who live nearby and coming to work in a positive and happy atmosphere, she explained.

With a great team behind her, Kissler said she plans on staying at the branch long term and looks forward to contributing to the community in as many ways as possible.

The U.S. Bank branch is located at 101 East Main Avenue in Ritzville and can be reached at 659-0120.