TRAVERSE CITY, MICH., August 11, 2009 - Northwestern Bank, the largest independent community bank in northern Michigan, has announced that Marie Charbonneau has been named assistant manager of the Garfield Avenue office and Rhonda Yeo has been promoted to manager of the Kingsley office.

Marie replaces former Garfield Avenue assistant manager, Shelley Korn, who recently retired. She has been with Northwestern since July of 2005 and brings more than twelve years of customer service experience to her new position. She received her undergraduate degree from Lake Superior State University and an MBA from Davenport University.

Rhonda has been with Northwestern Bank since 2005. Before joining the bank, she was a personal banker at another local financial institution. She has been a personal banker for the bank's Kingsley office since December of 2007. Rhonda is a resident of Kingsley and graduated from Kingsley High School.

In their new positions, Marie and Rhonda will oversee banking operations for the Kingsley and Garfield Avenue offices, respectively, as well as originate consumer loans.

"Northwestern is proud to promote from within." said Art Southerton, vice president and market manager. "Marie and Rhonda have done an excellent job of taking care of our customers and are great examples of our 'I can do that!' approach to banking."

Northwestern Bank was chartered in 1955 and is now the largest independent community bank in northern Michigan. A growing financial institution with over $875 million in assets, the bank is one of the leading mortgage, consumer, and commercial lenders in the region. Based in Traverse City, Northwestern Bank offers complete banking, investment and trust, and employee benefit services from 27 offices throughout northern lower Michigan. Northwestern is well-known for its "I can do that!" approach to service, which empowers its people to make decisions on the spot to meet customer needs and exceed their expectations.

For further information, call (231) 947-5490 or e-mail info@nwbank.com.