There are some constants when it comes to bank transactions -- account numbers, receipts, signatures -- and when Glacier Bank’s Kristen Deltenre is the teller, there is the confidence and competence that comes with eight years of experience.  

Her upbeat friendliness is a bonus. 

Deltenre’s first task each morning at the Whitefish branch is to navigate the computer system’s multiple layers of security — a job she said is a process but is also user-friendly. 

“I do work mostly on the drive-up side, but then, of course, if our lobby gets full, then we tend to crisscross,” she said. “I also am a vault teller. We order and sell from the Federal Reserve. If there's going to be a large event or something, we need to make sure that we have enough for the vendors who come in and need smaller amounts of money.” 

Deltenre wants customers to feel comfortable. She said the bank staff is constantly learning so they can better serve customers. 

Glacier Bank provides training to keep staff informed of the newest scams, from wire fraud to love-related scams, so tellers can alert customers to a deal that is likely too good to be true. 

Bank Manager LeAnne Donovan said Deltenre is dependable and reliable, and she brings something equally important to work each day. 

“No matter what, she always comes to work with a smile on her face and a positive attitude,” Donovan added. “She's a very valuable member of the team and she represents the bank very well.” 

Her ability to make a customer feel comfortable, no matter the transaction type or amount of money involved, is something many in the community have noticed. 

“People flock to her because they feel comfortable with her,” said Donovan. 

WITH ALL THE safety measures at the bank, it’s hard to imagine something as wild West as a shot ringing out, but that happened, and it ranks as Deltenre’s craziest work story. 

There was a time when most folks would empty their pockets into a bowl or jar at the end of each day. Once that container was full of change, a quick trip to the bank would transform the coins into paper money. Sometimes random bits of flotsam were included among the pennies. 

"It's frustrating -- you get a big bucket of money, and there's grass and buttons and Tums,” Deltenre said. “We had a bullet before, and the bullet actually went off in the machine.  

“It didn't project, you know, it didn't shoot, but it did bang, and the smell -- we thought the machine blew up,” she recalled. “We just make sure that it's nice and clean before we put it through now.” 

Deltenre was raised in Spokane, Washington. 

“I spread my wings a little bit when I was younger, moved to Vegas, tried California, and I was like, these are not my places. Then we moved here, and it felt like home.” 

Deltenre, her husband, Richard, and their daughter moved to Whitefish in 2008. Today, she walks to work at the bank and on the weekends, she brings her happy nature to work at the bakery in Super 1 Foods. 

“Happiness is a choice. You take the good and the bad, and you always look for the silver lining, always smell the roses,” she said. “I've always had that, because even though something bad could be happening, there's always something good as well.” 

Her social nature is another reason she excels at her job. 

“If I was stuck at home not doing anything, I would go mad,” she said. “I need the communication. I need the people to talk to, because everybody's great.” 

Deltenre’s wish is that people in town could slow down — from customers seeking faster services like tap pay and larger bills in the ATM, to motorists on U.S. 93 zipping past her. She has been in Whitefish long enough to recall a calmer, less busy time.  

“Everybody is just ... super focused on themselves and speed and time,” she said. “Sit back, enjoy the beauty. It doesn't have to be so crazy.  

“We’re in a beautiful valley. Just give yourself the time,” she said. “I just think everybody would be better if they just take a deep breath.”