Relationship Banking Assistant
Roseburg Branch

Leslie Olson began her banking career at a small bank in Glide, near Roseburg where she grew up. She was a natural in the position, and she knew a lot of the customers in the tight-knit community.

“It was a great experience,” she says. “Most of the customers were parents of kids I had known my whole life.”

Leslie’s time at her first job in many ways shaped her view of what banking should be: getting to know your customers and putting their needs first. She’s now a Relationship Banking Specialist at Oregon Pacific Bank.

Customers are very important to Oregon Pacific Bank,” she says. “We’re more accessible. Customers can actually pick up a phone and call and talk to a person when they need to.”

Leslie followed her mother in her choice of career. Her mom spent more than two decades in the industry and especially enjoyed serving customers.

The banking industry has allowed Leslie the opportunity to move and work in different roles, including branch manager.

She laughs a bit recalling how eager she was at one time to move away from the Roseburg area. Having grown up there, sometimes it seemed a little too small.

After 10-15 years away, however, she decided it was time to come home. To her delight, she found that some of her best friends had made the same decision—they grew to miss life at this special place. “We all decided to come back home,” she says.

She accepted a job at OPB in December 2014. Today, she works with commercial lending clients and in merchant services, which includes helping customers manage cash and credit payments. One day she’ll be in the office, and the next she’ll be on-site meeting with clients where they work.

“One of my favorite things about my job is the variety,” she says. “I get to do a little bit of everything.”

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, participating in church activities, and her dog.

She also likes to go camping—as long as it’s in a trailer. She enjoys traveling, her favorite excursions being to Hawaii and New Zealand and Australia.

She was able to join friends who live in Australia, so she had a personal tour guide, and her trip included spending a week on Tasmanian Island. One thing she remembers well is seeing Tasmanian Devils up close, though they initially didn’t seem to live up to their fearsome moniker.

“They’re the cutest little things, just little mini-Teddy bears—until it’s feeding time,” she says. “They turn into lunatics when there’s food.”

Leslie is happy to be back in Roseburg, and she appreciates her work at Oregon Pacific Bank. She says her experience here, in some ways, takes her back to the days when she was just starting out in banking. OPB has grown a lot, but one thing hasn’t changed, Leslie says, adding, “Oregon Pacific Bank still cares about their clients.”

To find out how we can help you and your nonprofit or business succeed, give us a call at 541-677-9454.