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Thank you Bernie!
After 13 years on our board, Bernie Lloyd's final 'official' meeting will be the 2024 Annual General Meeting.
Bernie has had a long relationship with Bank First. More than 30 years ago Bernie was an English teacher in the Victorian town of Lake Bolac. Preparing to head to Minneapolis, Minnesota as an international teaching fellow, Bernie moved her banking to the Victorian Teachers Credit Union. Without realising it at the time, the switch to a 'bank for teachers' provide to be a relationship that would last beyond just banking. This bank would go on to play a major role in Bernie's professional career.
Years later, while considering directorships in not-for-profit, social justice of education organisations, Bernie saw a notice inviting customers to apply for an internship position on the Victoria Teachers Credit Union Board. The internship program was created to engage 'young principals who have the capacity to become a director'.
Bernie took her seat at the board table as its inaugural intern in 2010, was elected a director a year later, and Chair in 2015, a position she held until her retirement.
A message from Bernie
What an honour it has been for me to serve Bank First as both a Director and Chair. When I began as an intern in 2011 I could not have imagined that, all these years later, I would still be part of our Bank and that it would be such an integral part of my life: personal as well as professional.
To cope with the leave-taking I'm taking heart from a wonderful Leonard Cohen song called Alexandra Leaving. It has its genesis in classical Greek poetry but its main message is that, when something is over, focus on the joy it brought you not the loss of it. So forgive me for this sentimental message which I know is not the usual tenor for banking missives.