Bank manager Teresa Shouppe said the main ingredients for success in her field are initiative and attitude. She started as a teller 24 years ago.
"Originally, I took a job in banking for something to do," she said. "But this is a wonderful avenue for people who want to succeed. Banking institutions recognize and promote those with initiative, irrespective of their education.
"They want people with the right attitude," she said. "The rest can be taught."
A manager with Nevada State Bank since December, she said the company offers a lot of in-house training, something not all institutions are willing to do.
"This bank invests money and time in their employees," she said. "It's something I've really come to appreciate."
She said many people feel banks overcharge for services, but most banks are stock-holding companies that need to show a profit. Balancing the need to provide service with the resources at hand is just one of the challenges in the field.
"I can't make everyone happy all the time," she said. "But the biggest challenge is the number of financial institutions in this community. About 12 different banks serve Carson City."
She said Nevada State Bank offers a share-holding program for its employees, giving them a stake in the company.
Shouppe was born in Augusta, Ga., but raised primarily in Arizona. "I'm not an Army brat, but my dad is a nuclear physicist and our family moved around a lot," she said.
After earning an associate degree in behavioral sciences from Cochise College in southern Arizona, Shouppe's banking career started when she was 20. It was a matter of necessity rather than convenience.
"It was during the recession," she said. "I was working part time at a restaurant, but I needed full-time work, so I did telemarketing in the evenings for an insurance agent. He liked me and recommended me for the banking job."
She traveled overseas for the first time with her husband, Robert, when he was in the military. Robert Shouppe now works for CGI Manufacturing, which specializes in motion-control devices and gear boxes. Their daughter, Jessica, 17, is a Carson High School senior, and their son, Robbie, is a fifth-grader and soccer player.
The family enjoys camping and attends Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church in Carson City.
