Magic Eight-Ball
Not all predictions come true, right?
But in the case of one sixth-grade teacher at Centennial Public School in Utica, NE, their prediction was right on the money!
A young student named Gail—you know her as Gail Dishman—showed an early aptitude for art. In fact, her teacher (correctly) predicted she would one day become a graphic artist. Later, a high school art teacher recognized Gail’s exceptional talent and asked her to paint an entire mural at the school, which is still there to this day.
“I pretty much lived in her classroom. I had a laminated hall pass from her so I could just come and go as I wanted,” Gail remembered fondly.
The SCC Connection
This passion became a career she has done her entire adult life.
After high school, Gail’s love of art translated into a degree in graphic design from SCC in Milford, where she graduated at the top of her class.
Her first job was a stint at News Link, but Gail was always looking for a new opportunity to learn and grow. When an SCC classmate connected her to an open position at Haberfeld, she applied right away and was first hired in July 2008.
Haberfeld: Part One
“I loved the positive environment,” Gail recalled of her first time working at Haberfeld. “It’s not a cutthroat environment; everyone genuinely wants to help everyone!”
Even during the stressful financial market downturn, there was plenty to do. Gail enjoyed working with clients who are with Haberfeld today, such as West Gate Bank (a client she helped kick off) and Katahdin Trust Company (who returned after a long break).
Call of Duty
As much as Gail enjoyed her first tenure at Haberfeld, she had to leave after 18 months due to her husband Dale’s military career taking their family to Alabama. During those years, Dale completed flight school while she became a design freelancer and army wife.
When the Dishmans had a chance to move back to Utica, they leaped at it, and Gail took a remote position with a company called MarketMatch. Using the skills she had learned from her time at Haberfeld, Gail again created marketing pieces for banks and credit unions. She enjoyed the challenge and the fact it allowed her the flexibility to raise her three children, Parker (18), Macy (14), and Miles (12).
As an avid runner, Gail also appreciated that her remote position let her pursue her passion for coaching cross country, and she was able to serve as the junior/senior high assistant coach at Centennial for five years. Coaching was a substantial time commitment, but she found it very rewarding—her runners qualified for state every year!
Gail was working as the Creative Director for MarketMatch when the family moved to Alabama again in 2021 for Dale’s job as a flight instructor. “Being an army wife is demanding, and our specific situation was not conducive to working full-time,” Gail admitted. She left her position at MarketMatch so she could concentrate on being a wife and mother, although she still freelanced whenever she could.
Haberfeld: Part Deux
Coming home to Nebraska a second time, the Dishmans settled in Waco in July 2023. As fate would have it, Gail saw Haberfeld pop up in her job search, and she contacted Tim Karstens about the position.
The rest is history. Literally, it’s Haberfeld history!
“A lot of people who were here in 2008 are still here!” Gail mused. “It was so strange to walk in on my second first day and see them.”
She also observed that the Creative Department had grown in both size and stature. “There is such respect for the design on both print and digital pieces. It’s a science all its own.” Gail also appreciates the collaboration between the creatives. While there is a lot of work and some of it is rushed, Haberfeld has a good sense of priorities and realizes good work takes time.
Not only does Gail make significant contributions to the Creative Department with client marketing pieces, she also contributes to HabWell branding and maintains both the HabWell and Haberfeld websites.
She has further shown skill at her craft by winning the following awards:
- Three CUNA Diamond Awards
- Two Platinum Hermes Awards
- Pinnacle Award
- Gold MarCom Award
- 2017 Lincoln AMA Cropped Competition Champion
- 2023 Lincoln AMA Cropped Competition Runner-Up
Living for the Present
What does Gail do when she’s not running or rocking the art world for FIs around the country?
For one, she is a foodie (Dale is an avid big game hunter and a mean cook), and she can’t live without coffee. She’s also a traveler: the Dishmans just got back from a trip to Oahu to celebrate Dale’s military retirement, and her dream trip is Germany.
When she’s not cheering her kids on in their many school sports and activities, you will find her with her nose in a sci-fi or fantasy book, The Institute by Stephen King being one recent book she particularly enjoyed.
As Gail’s story has shown, you never know where your life and career might take you. But for the time being, she is happy to be (back) at Haberfeld—and we’re grateful to have her.
