Leslie James, Liz Jessen, and Ashley Kurtz have been selected winners of the 2023 Bill Brown Award!
The Bill Brown Award Winners have been selected for 2023! This is the highest honor a Forward employee can receive, and our winners are very deserving.
To be nominated, an employee must deliver a high standard of customer service or service support, go above and beyond the call of duty to take care of the customer and build relationships, and/or do something that demonstrates leadership, teamwork, or dedication to their community or the Bank Forward organization.
Please join us in congratulating Leslie James, Liz Jessen, and Ashley Kurtz on being selected winners of the 2023 Bill Brown Award! Each exemplifies the Bill Brown Way in being an example of excellence in character and service to their customers, co-workers, and community!
Leslie James serves as AVP, Personal Banking Supervisor in Walker and has been with Bank Forward since 2012. Per nominations received, Leslie’s peers had this to say about her:
Leslie greets every customer by name and with a huge smile. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard a customer ask her how she can remember their name, even if they only come in once a year. She is patient, helpful, and goes the extra mile with customer service in every transaction. Leslie’s smile and positive energy are contagious. She truly makes our Walker customers’ transactions personal and goes above and beyond every day. Leslie is very deserving of the Bill Brown Award.
Liz Jessen serves as AVP, Governance/Risk Officer at Bank Forward. She works out of the Fargo Admin office and has been with Bank Forward since 2015. Liz’s peers had this to say about her per their nominations:
Liz is a joy to work with. She must be one of the most efficient and hardest-working employees Bank Forward is blessed to have. Her quiet professionalism and ability to dig into any project make her the perfect candidate for the Bill Brown Award. Liz can be counted on to get the job done timely and effectively. She has a positive attitude and diligently works hard keeping the company’s best interests at heart. She keeps everyone in line with FIDICIA, CECL, audits, risk management recommendations, policies, and procedures. We are lucky to have Liz looking out for us, our customers, and the company. Her dedication is top-notch and something to strive for!
Ashley Kurtz serves as AVP, Sr. Loan Technician / Executive Support at Bank Forward. She works out of the Grand Forks office and has been with Bank Forward since 2012. Ashley’s peers had this to say about her per their nominations:
Ashley is just an all-around great person, coworker, and employee. She wears many hats at our branch – she’s on top of her game as a SR loan tech and executive assistant, a champion for our local wellness program, and always ensuring our branch is organized and enjoyable! Ashley is one of the hardest-working people I have ever met. The number of responsibilities and positions that she takes on is impressive because she does efficient and outstanding work. Ashley prioritizes great customer relationships and is always willing to take more on her plate to help others. She is a great team player and goes above and beyond to help her coworkers and borrowers she works with. She bleeds Bank Forward Blue, both in our branch and in our community. And she’s a fun colleague to be around, to boot!
Congratulations, Leslie, Liz, and Ashley on this much-deserved honor!
