My Journey to Credit Union Leadership: Jessie Swendig of Neighborhood Credit Union

Name: Jessie Swendig

Credit Union: Neighborhood Credit Union ($1 billion, Dallas, Texas)

Title: SVP of Marketing and Community Impact

Age: 35

Number of years at current credit union: 10 years, six months

Educational background: Bachelor of Science, Agribusiness from Texas A&M University; MBA, Strategic Management from the University of North Texas (currently in progress)

CU Times: What are your key responsibilities in your current role?

Swendig: In my role as SVP of Marketing and Community Impact, my responsibilities include managing and leading multiple areas of the business. Currently, I am responsible for managing vendor contracts and leading the credit card program. I also oversee multiple departments including business development and marketing communications, which is responsible for all of the marketing, PR, branding and social media needs of the organization. Additionally, I am one of the founders and the current president of the Neighborhood Credit Union Foundation, an organization that provides free financial education to members and non-members as well as student scholarships that total more than $40,000 annually.

CU Times: What drew you to the credit union industry?

Swendig: Initially, I was not on a career path to be in the financial or credit union industry. I went to school to work in the food logistics industry, hoping to work for a grocery retailer like H-E-B. Fast forward to after college, I was working as a recruiter and was introduced to Neighborhood Credit Union by my mom during an emerging artist’s event in Richardson, Texas. After learning about the organization and hearing about its mission to financially empower members, I realized that a career in helping people really resonated with me. Soon after, I switched careers and started working at Neighborhood Credit Union, and I have been here ever since. Being able to help financially empower our members and make a significant impact in the communities where members live is what keeps me here and is what drew me to the credit union industry in the first place.

CU Times: What unique skills, experience and attributes do you bring to the senior leadership team?

Swendig: Having worked at Neighborhood Credit Union for over 10 years now, I bring a depth of experience with the organization and the way it functions from top to bottom that helps me advise on processes and strategy from a unique perspective. Also, as one of the youngest members of the senior leadership team, I can provide a fresh perspective on the best ways to engage with and reach the next generation of young adults in addition to other age groups. My deep passion for serving our communities and my commitment to being an advocate for the credit union industry in government affords me a mixture of knowledge and drive that helps me affect important changes within the credit union that benefit our members and protect the organization.

CU Times: Which person (or people) do you credit the most for helping and supporting you along your career journey?

Swendig: I would credit our Chief Growth Officer, Carolyn Jordan, as the person who has supported and inspired me the most during my career journey at Neighborhood Credit Union. Her knowledge, mentorship, constant encouragement and deep dedication to the industry and our members has been extremely influential for me. She’s an inspirational role model for me, in more ways than I can count, and I would not be the leader I am today without her.

CU Times: What are some of the biggest differences between working in your current executive level role and your previous, non-executive roles?

Swendig: The main difference between my current executive role and my previous roles are the number of responsibilities that I have and the number of people and departments that I manage. When I first started as a marketing specialist, and then marketing director, my job was more directly tied to marketing work. I still managed a team and the marketing department but was mainly focused on marketing initiatives such as branding, developing communications plans and growing the department. Now, as an SVP, I manage multiple departments and teams including business development, vendor contracts and credit cards, as well as marketing. I also am more involved in the overall planning and strategy development process for the organization and have a seat at the table when discussing important business decisions that could impact our members or the industry with my specific knowledge and expertise.

CU Times: What’s a challenge you faced when you first joined your executive team, and how did you overcome it?

Swendig: When I first joined the executive team, I was definitely one of the youngest team members to join the senior leadership team. At the beginning, it was hard to see them as my peers. Although it took a while, I was eventually able to shift my own mindset, recognizing that these people are my peers now and not just my bosses and mentors.

CU Times: How would you describe your current leadership style?

Swendig: I am not always great at self-evaluating but according to my colleagues, my leadership style is efficient and decisive. As of late, I have been in an era of reflecting back on our current processes and making sure we are sound foundationally. Forward thinking is important as well, but as a leader I always want to make sure that the present foundation is sound.

CU Times: Do you approach your job any differently now compared to how you did pre-pandemic? If yes, how so?

Swendig: Of course! We were all forced to look at how we approached our job after the pandemic. Managing a hybrid team in general comes with its own challenges, ones that I had to learn to navigate. Also, the way people communicate and collaborate has evolved quicker than we all expected it to. Ultimately, this impacts how we’re able to create awareness in the marketplace to consumers who are moving quicker than ever before. It is something I make sure to account for so that we can reach the most people in the most efficient way.

CU Times: What’s next for you on your executive career journey? Do you have any specific career goals you’re working toward?

Swendig: I am extremely passionate about my work and want to continue making an impact on peoples’ lives through the credit union industry, I aspire to be a CEO of a credit union, but until then, my near-term career plans include continuing to grow as a leader in my position and running the Neighborhood Credit Union Foundation. I am working to expand its reach by partnering with additional organizations in North Texas to spread the word about its mission and provide scholarships and funds to those in need.

CU Times: What big-picture impact do you hope to make within your credit union, as well as for your members and community?

Swendig: As a whole, I hope to impact Neighborhood Credit Union and the people I lead by equipping them with the skills and passion for helping others that leads to personal growth and the best possible support for our members. Within the community, I aspire to financially empower as many people as possible by continuing to promote financial well-being and making sure credit union membership is available to everyone, no matter the circumstances. Through tactful, passionate leadership, I hope to help my team grow personally and professionally, allowing us to leave a positive impact on each other, our members and the community.

CU Times: What career advice would you give your younger self?

Swendig: I would tell my younger self to always keep learning! Read about new things from all different points of view and take the time to seek out new information and new ways of doing things. It will make you a better employee and a better leader no matter your position within the organization.

Would you or someone you know like to share your journey to credit union leadership? Please reach out to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com. To qualify, you must have been placed or promoted into a new senior-level leadership role within the last three years at a credit union.