Challenges are just another way to find solutions

For most, working at a bank for 50 years and through three different mergers, is quite the career and generally signals time for retirement.

However, in the case of Barb McCormick, branch operations service supervisor for Tier One Bank, retirement is not even on the proverbial radar.

McCormick, who was born and raised in Lexington, has no plans of retiring because there is always a challenge and always something to be done that could make her job, and those working with her, run more smoothly.

McCormick wouldn’t change anything in her 50 years continuing service.

“I guess when I first started I was very fortunate because I got started with people that were dedicated and they encouraged me and challenged me,” she said. “And a challenge is what I like.”

Challenges are something McCormick has seen her share of since starting at the then Lexington State Bank in 1959.

“Technology has been one of the big ones,” she said. “When I first started 50 years ago you did everything by hand. You filed by hand, checks were recorded and posted by hand, just a change in what computers do today is a major change.”

Computer technology is an advancement most people don’t think about in their daily lives, but McCormick knows just how fast computers have made even the simplest of tasks.

“You could count on checks clearing between 10 days to two weeks,” she said. “Today they can clear between 24 to 48 hours.”

Another change occurred when McCormick was given the task of tackling the then new computer system.

“I guess one of my highlights is when we first went into computer, and I was given the task of setting up the networking and running that, and keeping it going,” she said. “I never thought I would be doing that, because back in school we never had it. That was one of those things I felt really good about, because I can do something like that.”

To her co-workers, McCormick is seen as a dependable calming influence. For Dallas Zimbelman, retail banking representative, McCormick was her first boss when she started working at Tier One four years ago.

“She doesn’t get overly worked up about anything,” Zimbelman said. “You can ask her about anything. She takes you in and makes sure you are comfortable.”

McCormick has built up many memories in her 50 years, but the one thing that sticks out is her commitment to service.

“Memories to me are what are built by people, and the people I’ve worked with over the years, the customers I’ve dealt with over the years, they all bring back memories of some sort, and most are generally good.”

Although, McCormick has and still is a determined worker, she does have plans for the future, like seeing the southern and eastern parts of the country, just not anytime soon.

“In the future I’d like to see travel and spend more time with family,” she said, “but right now it’s here.”

McCormick’s drive comes from her constant need to challenge herself and find solutions to an ever-changing banking world.

“I like looking for solutions to problems, solutions that will make things run more smooth and be better to help the business as a whole,” she said. “I have to have a challenge.

“I’m a person that if I can be challenged, given a task, it’s very gratifying to me to see the outcome. I guess that’s what keeps me going,” she continued. “I’m someone that likes to see things run smoothly, and still be a service to the customers, being upbeat and doing your best to give that customer the service that they want. With all the changes in banking today, I guess there is always a challenge to figure something out. There is always something new coming down that has to be changed.”

Tier One will be honoring McCormick’s dedication to banking with an open house Tuesday from 2 – 4 p.m. at their Lexington downtown office located at 110 W. 7th Street.

For 50 years McCormick has been an ever-present force of what it takes to do the job the right way, and she is not looking to be any different.

“So far, it’s been a fulfilling career for me,” she said. “You know you get out of your career what you put into it.”

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