Waukesha State Bank Announces Promotions and Transitions
Waukesha State Bank is proud to announce several staff promotions and transitions.
Angela Mierzwinski has been promoted to assistant vice president – treasury management specialist.
“Angela has consistently demonstrated commitment towards enhancing her skillset. This promotion is well deserved and reflective of Angela’s strengths in cultivating business relationships in southeastern Wisconsin,” stated Tony Laszewski, Waukesha State Bank senior vice president – commercial banking manager.
Mierzwinski earned her associate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Waukesha and started her career with Waukesha State Bank in 2008. She has held various positions during her tenure from teller to customer service representative, assistant teller supervisor, teller supervisor, and personal banker before being promoted to bank manager of the Meadowbrook Road office in Waukesha in 2013. She transitioned to bank manager of the Oconomowoc office in 2016 and was promoted to an assistant vice president in 2019. Transitioning into her new position as assistant vice president – treasury management specialist, Mierzwinski will be responsible for helping businesses optimize their cash flow, enhance liquidity, streamline financial operations, and mitigate risk.
Beyond her professional commitments, Mierzwinski is active in Waukesha County non-profit organizations serving on the board of directors for the Oconomowoc Chamber of Commerce and as a volunteer with Junior Achievement and SecureFutures. In October of 2018, she was honored with a Certificate of Excellence from the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation for efforts in advancing financial education in Wisconsin.
Oriana Ovalles has been promoted to the position of bank manager of its Meadowbrook Road office in Waukesha. As such, existing bank managers will be moving to different offices within Waukesha. Gerry Benton, the current bank manager of Meadowbrook Road, will transition to the E. Main Street office; Jose Velez, the current bank manager at E. Main Street, will move to the E. Racine Avenue office; and Mondi Hernandez, the current E. Racine bank manager, will shift to the Downtown Waukesha office.
In their new roles, Ovalles, Benton, Velez, and Hernandez oversee all aspects of daily operations, including business development, personnel management, customer service, lending, relationship management, and community service at their respective offices.
Oriana Ovalles earned her associate degree in human resources administration and her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Instituto Universitario de Tecnología in Venezuela and joined the Waukesha State Bank team in 2018 as a teller at our Downtown Waukesha office. Her positive personality, proficiency in Spanish, and meticulous attention to detail endeared her to the Downtown Waukesha community. In 2019, she transferred to the E. Racine Avenue office in Waukesha and began to grow her knowledge and career. Progressing from handling new accounts to becoming an office mentor, she earned promotions to assistant team supervisor and team supervisor. In March 2023, she took on lending and was promoted to personal banker and in May to assistant bank manager. As Waukesha State Bank’s newest bank manager, Ovalles is looking forward to leading the Meadowbrook Road team.
Gerry Benton started her career with Waukesha State Bank in 2017, supporting various locations as a personal banker, including E. Racine Avenue, E. Main Street and Downtown Waukesha. In 2021, she was promoted to bank manager of the Meadowbrook Road location and now looks forward to transitioning back to her roots to manage E. Main Street. Benton has over 15 years of financial experience and is a 2020 graduate of the Waukesha County Business Alliance’s Leadership Waukesha County program. She is active in the local community volunteering with Poplar Creek Church in New Berlin as a teen leader/mentor.
Jose Velez has nearly 20 years of management and banking experience and started with Waukesha State Bank in 2017 as a personal banker at the Downtown Waukesha office. In 2020, he was promoted to bank manager of the E. Main Steet office in Waukesha and will now transition to manage the E. Racine Avenue location. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico – San German and is active in his community volunteering with Ebenezer Christian Church as their leader of Marriage Ministry and Worship Ministry.
Mondi Hernandez, a Waukesha native with nearly 20 years of industry experience, began her career with Waukesha State Bank in 2005. Over the years, she has held varying positions at the bank including teller, assistant teller supervisor, and personal banker before being promoted to bank manager of the former Silvernail Road office in 2014. She transitioned to bank manager of the W. Sunset Drive, Waukesha office in 2015 and then to the bank manager of E. Racine Avenue, Waukesha office in 2016. She was promoted to assistant vice president in 2019, regional retail banking manager in 2020, and vice president in 2022. In her new role as vice president – central region retail banking manager, Hernandez will transition to manage the Downtown Waukesha location and oversee the central Waukesha State Bank region, which includes the Downtown Waukesha, W. Sunset Drive, and Mukwonago offices. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, is a 2016 graduate of Waukesha County Business Alliance’s Leadership Waukesha County program and is active in the community serving as Board President for the Waukesha Choral Union.