Spotlight On Southwestern Illinois Women In Banking And Finance

By ROBERTA CODEMO    Susan Davis grew up on the family dairy farm in Oakdale. She credits her family with where she is today.     “My parents were wonderful people,” she said. They placed a lot of emphasis on education, and they taught her to always do her best.    She has always enjoyed analytics and computers…

By RITA DUCKWORTH    Tracy Session wasn’t sure what she wanted to do after graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in marketing. She had a friend and mentor in banking who thought she’d be a good fit for the industry. Sixteen years later, Session oversees 50 employees as vice president and market manager of…

By ROBERTA CODEMO    Cynthia Whorley always wanted to be a nurse so she could help people. One day a friend was raving about her new bank and told her to apply.     “I told her, ‘I don’t know anything about banking’,” she said.     Regions Bank was located across the street from the Family Dollar…

By RITA DUCKWORTH    Lisa Hock, ChFC has spent her entire career in the banking industry. She started as a teller in 1980, worked her way up to new accounts and moved up the ranks, ultimately becoming a financial advisor.    After years of helping clients in her various roles, she developed an interest in the investment…

By ROBERTA CODEMO    A friend suggested that Jodi Clinton apply for a position at Commerce Bank. She knew the local bank president through school connections and arranged a meeting with him.    She started out as a part-time personal banker at the Fenton location and has been with the bank since 1998.     “I’ve been working…

By ROBERT CODEMO    Kim Weishaupt has worked in the banking industry for 21 years. She attended Lewis and Clark Community College, and after her children were born stayed home and ran an at-home daycare. Once they were in school, she wanted to get out of the house and talk with adults for a change.    She…