Many times, the most deserving award recipient is the one who believes she hasn’t earned the accolade.
Such is true of Evansville native Kathy Schoettlin, Old National Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Community Relations Officer, who was named one of eight women honored at the 2015 Torchbearer Awards held by the Indiana Commission for Women in September. The awards ceremony recognizes women of Indiana who are pioneers and leaders in their community and careers.
“I was completely caught off guard,” says Schoettlin, who attended Mater Dei and graduated from the University of Southern Indiana. “(Former Lt. Gov.) Becky Skillman and (ONB President and CEO) Bob Jones nominated me. Those are two people I admire deeply and for them to even consider nominating me, honestly, and to win the award, I was speechless.”
Schoettlin was a 2010 ATHENA Award winner and also was named Big Sister of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ohio Valley, where she has served as a mentor for years. Her involvement in the community ranges from serving on the board for Indiana Youth Institute, Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana, and Public Education Foundation, to serving on leadership teams for many organizations.
Her modesty can be traced back to her beginnings at the Southwestern Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, where she first joined as an intern and later spent 14 years with the organization.
Out of the blue, she received a cold call from a recruiter from Old National Bank and she candidly responded: “I don’t even balance my checkbook.” Schoettlin decided she had nothing to lose and began a three-month application process, which led her to meeting Bob Jones and eventually accepting the position.
“Bob said, ‘I don’t want you to be a banker. I want you to be the person who thinks about the community each and every day and what we can do for our community, and bring awareness, and help support the image of Old National,’” says Schoettlin, who lives in rural Posey County with her husband Steve and their three children.
At the bank, she says associates are encouraged to lead by example by volunteering on company time. ONB allots two hours a month for employees.
“There is a difference between allowing and encouraging. We are a community bank and in order to strengthen the communities that we serve, we need to be involved and engaged.”
For more information about Old National Bank, visit oldnational.com.
