Wendy Merlo was born and bred in Maldon and when the opportunity came up 16 years ago to work at the Maldon & District Community Bank, she jumped at it.
“It’s great to be able to get employment in your home town and to be helping the community at the same time,” Wendy said.
Wendy and her co-worker Jan Brain celebrated significant work anniversaries – 16 and 21 years respectively - earlier this year.
Wendy was employed when the Newstead Branch of the bank opened in 2004.
“I was working part-time at the Maldon Post Office and someone from the bank came in and said they had a full-time position if I was interested in applying for it. I did and I got it.”
So what have the highlights been over the past 16 years?
“There have been so many,” Wendy said. “I guess it’s all our grants and sponsorships that have been given out in that time. It’s pretty unreal when you think we’re just a small branch and what we do for the community.”
Wendy, who is a Customer Service Supervisor at the Maldon Branch, said she remembers when all the banks left Maldon years ago and traders had to go out of town to do their banking.
“You’ve got to take your hat off to the people on the (Maldon & District Community Bank) steering committee who started it all 21 years ago and got the ball rolling a few years before that.
“And you wonder what the schools, sporting clubs and kinders in Maldon, Dunolly and Newstead would do if we weren’t here.”
She says Maldon is a very caring community and that the bank’s staff are just like a supportive family.
“We’re all different but everyone supports each other.”
Wendy said the Board is also very supportive of the staff and the community.
“All the hours that they put into community events, it’s a credit to them. They’ve got families and they’re doing it in their own time – they really put in.”
Customer Service Officer Jan Brain has been with the Maldon & District Community Bank since it opened 21 years ago.
“Yes, I’m an original from when we opened,” she said.
Jan said the highlight for her was the fact that the bank has been successful from day one.
“Everyone has been so committed and our first contribution back to the community was huge and the fact that it’s ongoing is testament to the dedication that everyone puts in.
“We have been able to show what community banking is all about and we’ve been able to do that quite quickly.”
Jan said another highlight was moving out of the bank’s original office at the old Shire Offices in Maldon in to the branch’s new building just down the road.
“It just shows the commitment and how successful we’ve been.”
She said the continual change of new people who come onto the bank’s Board brings new ideas which is ‘great’.
“We’ve always had great staff too. I just love working here. I love the people, talking to them and helping them with what they need.”
