On February 14, Rhonda Decker and her husband Jack officially worked their last day at their respective jobs.

It was a Valentine’s Day gift they both were looking forward to. 

Rhonda was stepping down after 41 years at Jeff Bank and Jack was ending his 26-year career at the Sullivan County Dept. of Public Works as a Maintenance Assistant.

But it was also a day when Rhonda had a chance to take a deep breath and look back at what she had done during the past several decades.

“I tell people I married the bank before I married Jack,” Rhonda laughed as the Jeffersonville couple has 38 years of marriage to celebrate along with a grown son, Evan.

Rhonda Decker has put a lot of hours, days, weeks, and yes – 41 years – into making Jeff Bank the best community bank she possibly could.

“It’s defined me,” she said of her long tenure at the bank. “I’m excited to retire, but it’s a weird feeling. Going to work at the bank is all I’ve ever known.”

Rhonda ended her career as the Retail Banking Administrator and Senior Vice President with Sullivan County’s oldest – and largest – community bank.

When Rhonda started her career on August 27, 1983, the bank had but two branches, one in Jeffersonville and one in Eldred.

Today, the bank has 10 branches, including one in Orange County.

Rhonda also remembers the “good old days” when many of the bank’s everyday tasks were done by hand.

“I started as a teller,” she said.

She remembers, maybe not so fondly, that the bank would close at 3 p.m. so the staff could go up to bookkeeping and count checks and fold statements.

“We also kept track of the Christmas Club accounts manually by stamping the cards,” she laughed. “We also proofed manually.

“It’s unbelievable how automation has changed things,” she said. “Expectations are now different. We now look at how we can do things better.”

George Kinne, President and CEO of Jeff Bank, said, “In March 2025, Senior Vice President and Retail Banking Administrator, Rhonda Decker is retiring from Jeff Bank.  During her 41-year career with the bank, she worked in many retail capacities, ably serving the needs of our customers, employees and shareholders.  

“I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Rhonda for 19 of those years, and as a member of our executive management team for the past 9 years,” Kinne said. “She has been a friend and trusted colleague.  Rhonda has been responsible for building a customer service focused culture at Jeff Bank which we are very proud of.  

“She was also the bank’s physical security officer and an ardent supporter of the need for increased consumer education on various types of financial fraud and elder financial abuse,” Kinne said. “Rhonda will be sorely missed.  Her succession was well-planned with Vice President Margaret Blaut assuming the role of Retail Banking Administrator.  Thank you, Rhonda, for your many years of service to all of Jeff Bank’s stakeholders.”

While Rhonda’s history with the bank goes back to when Frederick W.V. Schadt Sr. was President and Arthur Keesler was Senior Vice President/Director of Personnel, she said today’s culture is one she deeply embraces.

She credits retired Bank President Wayne Zanetti with instilling new values to the employees.

“He spear-headed the change in culture,” she said. “I’m very proud whenever people say nice things about our staff. Great customer service is now a consistent part of our culture.”

Rhonda also pointed to fellow long-timer Tanya Hahn, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer, as a confidant and long-time friend who weathered many storms together.

“Tanya started part-time and we started hanging out together,” Rhonda remembered. “She went to manage our Eldred branch and taught me a lot about lending.”

Rhonda went to Liberty and in 1989 she was promoted to Branch Manager there. In 2006, Rhonda was named Assistant Vice President. She became Vice President/Retail Banking Administrator in 2008 and in 2015, was promoted to Senior Vice President/Retail Banking Administrator. Rhonda has also served as the Bank’s Security Officer since 2009.

“The bank’s been good to me, providing me with a lot of great opportunities,” she said. “We have a lot of depth here at the bank. Once you get hooked… it’s a good local employer.”

And Rhonda repeated her advice to the many employees who are just starting their careers.

“I always encourage them to give it time,” she said. “Have a good work ethic dedicated to your employer.”

And as employees walked by Rhonda’s office wishing her the best on her retirement and telling her how much she will be missed, she reassured them, “I’m not going anywhere. Jack and I are just going to have six-day weekends – and then Sunday.

“I’m going to miss them, too,” she said.