Jeff Austin III, chairman of the board of Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, recently announced that Patty Steelman has assumed the new position of community engagement officer and Rachel French has been named senior vice president and marketing director.
Steelman, executive vice president, joined Austin Bank in 1999 as the bank’s first director of marketing and has remained in that position throughout her 24 years at the bank. During her tenure, the bank has experienced significant growth in both assets and physical locations.
“With the market expansion of the bank, it has been a strategic goal to strengthen the level of our community outreach,” Austin says. “Building upon the number of relationships Patty has nurtured in our Smith County market, her new role will allow that same level of attention to be extended to all the communities we serve.”
Steelman is a graduate of the American Bankers Association School of Marketing and Management at Southern Methodist University and is a certified financial marketing professional. Active in the community, she has served on numerous boards and committees. She currently serves on the Hospice of East Texas board, University of Texas Soules College of Business advisory council and the literacy council of Tyler Ex-Officio. She is also a member of Women’s Fund of Smith County.
“I have loved building the marketing department to what it is today and am excited to welcome Rachel,” Steelman says. “She brings an energy and wealth of experience that will continue to elevate the bank’s brand. I now have the opportunity to prioritize developing relationships across all of the bank’s market areas.”
French brings more than 15 years of public relations, communications, advertising and marketing experience to her new role as director of marketing. She will office out of the bank’s Longview Oak Forest location.
“Rachel has a passion for cultivating relationships,” notes Russ Gideon, president and CEO. “Her ability to listen and understand the needs of the customer, as well as her strategic thinking and communication skills, have been instrumental in her success.”
French holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. She began her career in advertising sales with a Condé Nast publication firm in Dallas. A few years later, she launched her public relations career with Neiman Marcus Group, which led her to Seattle, Washington, where she helped launch the first retail location in the Pacific Northwest. After almost a decade with Neiman Marcus, French returned to Dallas to lead all retail marketing efforts for NorthPark Center and then moved to California to serve as head of marketing with Simon Property Group in Silicon Valley. More recently, French has worked in the healthcare and academic industries, most recently serving as the executive director of marketing for the University of Texas–Tyler.
Established in 1900, Austin Bank operates in 36 East Texas locations within 26 cities and 14 counties. It is locally owned and operated by the Austin family, which is celebrating 114 years of service in the Texas banking industry.
