Happy Retirement: Sue Ross Will Start New Chapter Soon
Sue Ross’ job as a VCNB Commercial Lender is winding down. After a lifetime in banking, she says it’s time to move on to her next act and is set to retire later this month. While Sue says that her next act will be drastically different, it’s clear that one thing will stay the same: she will still be helping people.
Sue began her career in community banking and has spent the last eleven years here at VCNB but there was a large portion of her career in the middle where she worked for large regional banks. She said in those jobs, customers were treated like numbers, goals were constantly changing, and the priority was on hours worked rather than community impact.
At VCNB she found an environment where work-life balance and community involvement are encouraged. “I suddenly had free time and a chance to breathe when I came here. I have been encouraged to be out in the community, looking for ways to be involved and ways for the bank to help too,” she said. “Giving all that up is bittersweet but it was always my goal to retire at this age. It has taken some soul searching but I’m ready now.”
Part of the reason Sue is ready is that she’s had a few months to train and support her replacement, Brie Riffle. “Not many companies would hire a replacement three months in advance so I could be comfortable knowing she’s ready to go when I’m not here to support her. This has given me a lot of peace of mind and has been good for her and for our customers as they’ve had time to get to know each other.”
The other reason Sue is ready now is that she will be embracing her passion project, helping to connect elderly and chronically ill patients with resources that will help them in the Grove City community. She actually began this years ago when she and her husband started accumulating gently used medical equipment and supplies at auctions and at thrift stores. From canes and walkers to hospital beds and lift chairs, they buy, clean and store the items until they find the right person to give them to.
Now she works with Adam Gatten, Community Paramedic with the Jackson Township Fire Department in Grove City. His job is to look for hazards and circumstances that might prevent people from staying in their homes. Sue volunteers her time, often listening to caregivers who are struggling to find or don’t know there are resources that might aid them in getting help they need. “Most people have never had to help a loved one stay at home with dementia or needed to cope with cancer treatment or life at home with a traumatic brain injury patient. When you’re in the throes of just trying to survive every day, it’s nice to have someone to advocate for you. I know that first hand and I know what a relief it is.”
At VCNB, we never let retirees leave without giving advice to the next generation of bankers. What advice does Sue have? “Take the time to get to know people. The foundation of every good banker is the relationships they build with people. The biggest complement I’ve ever gotten was from a customer who said ‘No one has ever treated me the way you have’ and it felt so good.”
They say the best way to help yourself is to be kind to another. Sue’s coworkers have seen her in action and know that serving others is all she has ever wanted to do. At work, her purpose has been helping business owners grow a dream or even save the day when things have gone badly. She is simply trading one version of kindness for another and her VCNB Family couldn’t be prouder to see her grow as she enters this next stage of life. Congratulations Sue!