Centier Bank celebrates Marsha Plesac and Kat Da Silva’s R.I.S.E. Award Recognition

Centier Bank’s Kat da Silva (L), R.I.S.E. Award finalist, and Marsha Plesac (R), R.I.S.E. Award winner, attend Along the South Shore Indiana’s R.I.S.E. and R.O.S.E. Awards ceremony.

Centier Bank is proud to celebrate Marsha Plesac, Manager of the Hobart Downtown branch, and Kat da Silva, Manager of the Highland Martha branch, on their R.I.S.E. Awards recognition from the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. Plesac walked away as one of the R.I.S.E. Awards winners, and da Silva was recognized as one of the finalists for the same award. Both Plesac and da Silva were the only honorees for this customer service and hospitality award representing a bank, while all other honorees fell within more traditional hospitality industries, including hotels and restaurants.

The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority’s R.I.S.E. Awards (Recognition of Industry Success and Excellence) is a prestigious honor designed to celebrate the achievements of individuals in leadership positions who consistently go above and beyond in their interactions with their guests. More specifically, finalists demonstrate unwavering dedication to enriching their guests’ experiences, ensuring that every interaction is memorable and enjoyable. South Shore Tourism recognizes these individuals as those that epitomize the core values of Northwest Indiana’s hospitality industry, setting a high standard for service excellence.

“Receiving this R.I.S.E. Award has been very surreal, as the relationships built with our Centier clients are genuine and the ways we help and care for them are real and comes very naturally,” said Plesac. “The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority team has really made us feel incredible with red-carpet treatment, and it is very humbling to have been recognized.”

Plesac has worked for Centier Bank for the past 16 years and has become known for her “hallmark of hospitality.” She routinely takes extra steps to make banking easier and more comfortable for clients, especially those who may be facing health challenges, mobility limitations, or difficult life circumstances. Her approach reflects a simple but powerful belief: clients deserve to be treated with dignity, kindness, and flexibility. Plesac has made a home visit to a client who suffered a stroke, allowing the client to sign a signature page to add her kids to her account. She has also helped clients manage their monthly bills and has even gone to clients’ homes to do this when they can no longer drive. Additionally, Plesac arranged Meals on Wheels and adult social services for an elderly client with no family and has even assisted with picking up groceries and prescriptions for some of her elderly clients and helping them find rides to doctor appointments.

Kat da Silva was recognized as a R.I.S.E. Award finalist at the event hosted by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. She has consistently gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional service to every client she encounters at Centier Bank. Whether she is helping a young client cash in coins from their piggy bank and locate their savings account or assisting a family through the process of securing a home loan, da Silva approaches every interaction with the same level of care, dedication, and professionalism. When clients are upset or frustrated, she takes the time to understand their concerns, acknowledge their emotions, and meet them where they are. She works to resolve issues while making clients feel heard, valued, and at ease throughout the process. Building meaningful relationships has earned da Silva the trust and loyalty of countless clients.

“I have the pleasure of serving clients during many of life’s big moments, as well as some of the most difficult ones,” da silva said. “My goal is always to treat clients with not only a level of professionalism, but also the utmost care and compassion.”

Both Plesac and da Silva attended an awards ceremony on September 23^rd where the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority highlighted finalists and their examples of outstanding customer service and how they go above and beyond to serve their clients and community. Finalists were also treated to well-deserved fun and pampering experiences and a generous gift basket valued at more than $1,400, all courtesy of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.

For more information about the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority’s R.I.S.E. and R.O.S.E. Awards, visit R.O.S.E Awards | Recognition for Exceptional Customer Service.

To connect with Marsha Plesac, email her at mplesac@centier.com

To connect with Kat da Silva, email her at kdasilva@centier.com

About Centier Bank

Centier Bank is Indiana’s largest private, family-owned and operated bank, having served hometown banking across communities since 1895. With a purpose of enriching lives through financial guidance and caring relationships for an even better tomorrow, Centier Bank currently has more than $10B in assets, more than 64 offices, serving in 35 communities across 12 counties with over 1,100 associates. Centier has a long heritage of putting people first, and the company’s fifth-generation ownership remains committed to its Not For Sale promise ensuring that Centier remains a family-owned and operated bank for generations to come. Centier Bank has appeared on Forbes’ list of Best-in-State-Banks annually from 2018-2025. Additionally, Centier Bank has been among the top “Best Places to Work in Indiana” by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and received national attention by American Banker magazine as the Top Best Bank to Work For in Indiana and #5 in the U.S.A. Locally, Centier Bank was just recognized as the best bank in Northwest Indiana for business and customer service in Northwest Indiana Business Magazine’s 2026 awards. For more information on Centier products and services, visit centier.com. Member FDIC.