Points West Community Bank employee retiring after 44 years

Alex Hargrave
Posted 12/16/20

Rhonda Kern will always remember 2020.

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Points West Community Bank employee retiring after 44 years

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TORRINGTON – Rhonda Kern will always remember 2020. Aside from the pandemic, it’s the year she retired after 44 years with Points West Community Bank (PWCB) in Torrington.

Kern said she is excited for retirement – spending time with her grandkids, gardening and decompressing – but she will miss walking through the doors on Main Street each day.

“I’m used to being around people and knowing what’s going on,” Kern said. “That’ll be tough, not to know what’s going on in their lives because I know everybody’s families. You kind of lose that when you’re not here every day.”

Kern now works as a personal banker at PWCB, doing a little bit of everything but mostly interacting with clients she’s known for years. They drop by her office, usually unannounced, either for advice or just to talk, for a few minutes or sometimes an hour. 

When she started working at the bank part-time while attending Eastern Wyoming College, Kern said she didn’t anticipate she’d spend more than half of her life there.

“You never know what’s gonna happen during the day,” Kern said. “You don’t know who’s gonna walk in and what they need to do. You get to know and learn a lot about people and their families. You watch their kids grow up and get attached to people.”

She’s made connections with PWCB customers, but her coworkers, she said, are “like family.”

PWCB Regional President Cactus Covello estimates he’s worked with Kern for more than 26 years as a member of the board of directors before working at the bank. He said he’s happy for Kern as she now not only can spend time with her grandchildren but also gets to sleep in on weekdays, but her retirement is like “losing a member of the family.”
“When people walk in the bank, they look for her because they’ve known her, and she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Covello said. “She’s always got a positive attitude. She’s always happy, she always says ‘good morning,’ in spite of whatever else is going on.”

Kendra Stienmetz said she’s worked with Kern for roughly 13 years. She’ll miss her smile, though it’s typically hidden behind a mask throughout the day, and her skill and ability to work with customers.

“She’s definitely a pillar of this bank,” Stienmetz said. “She’s someone you can count on to always be at the bank and ready to work, but who will also ask about your personal life and your family.”

Due to COVID-19, PWCB will celebrate Kern’s retirement internally, without the usual fanfare of a celebration open to the community, but Stienmetz said she encourages customers and those who would like to congratulate her to send cards to the bank at P.O. Box 730. 

Kern will retire on Dec. 31, the last day of the turbulent year, and also her birthday. 

“She will be missed on many levels,” Stienmetz said.