Doughnuts and talking `dough' make tour popular.

Byline: Haley Nelson; Bethanie Johnson

CLINTON - "Typically the largest loan from this bank ranges around 3.5 million dollars," Mike Bovenzi, vice president of commercial lending at the Clinton Savings Bank, told a group of Tahanto students during Job Shadow Day Feb. 1.

Through thick vault doors and hundreds of locks at Clinton Savings Bank headquarters on Church Street in Clinton, those students discovered what happens behind the bank doors.

Tahanto Regional Middle School seventh-grade students piled into a bus and headed to the bank, while classmates headed to Clinton Hospital.

With high hopes, Stephen Manning, Bethanie Johnson, Stephen Baker, and Haley Nelson headed to the Banner office to take action on this story about Job Shadowing Day students visiting the headquarters of their potential future jobs.

Bovenzi and Joan Moran, another vice president of loaning, led the savings bank shadow group through the process and pros and cons of lending.

According to Bovenzi, commercial lending is when loans are given to companies for business expenses. During the process, the bank takes applications from businesses. Depending on what the loan will be used to for, the bank usually approves a loan, he said.

Before businesses receive the money, however, a bank associate has to make sure it will pay the loan back. To make sure of this, the associate looks at credit history and previous bank records.

Loans are also given to regular people. The process is similar, but requires special qualities in the borrower's lives - money management of course. Applications, once finished, are sent to attorneys, who approve them and send them back with an OK. The bank claims to approve about 90 percent of the loans requested.

Protection is another service the bank can offer. Loan files and other important information can be kept at the bank in a fire proof vault. Another vault is so confidential that students reporting on the tour couldn't even take a picture of it.

Bill Keyles, the bank's training and development manager, always strives to keep the service great and friendly around the clock. As part of his job, Keyles trains bank employees and organizes important information. He trained for three years in college, and previously was an elementary school teacher.

At Keyles and other employees assistance is Danielle McCarter, the human resources manager. Part of her job is to advertise job openings and to see that bank employees are paid.

Sixteen students went to the bank, and all agreed that the bank tour was not just great because of the doughnuts served to the students, but because of the whole experience.

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE; (1) Gabby Wilsker and Ryan Lindsay get a tour of the Clinton Savings Bank vault with Clinton Branch Manager Majlinda Haxhiaj during the school's job shadow day Friday, Feb. 1. (2) Job Shadow Day reporters for The Banner Bethanie Johnson and Stephen Baker cover the Tahanto tour of Clinton Savings Bank's Clinton office Friday, Feb. 1.

PHOTOG: (1) Banner photo/STEPHEN MANNING (2) Banner photo/MICHAEL KANE