Patty Steelman to Lead New Initiative - Rachel French Named SVP / Marketing Director

Jeff Austin III, Chairman of the Board, 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.

Patty Steelman, Executive Vice President, joined Austin Bank in October 1999 in the role of the bank’s first Director of Marketing and has remained in that position throughout her 24 years.  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,” shared Jeff Austin III. “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 SMU and is a Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP).  Active in the community, she has served on numerous boards and committees.  Steelman currently serves on the Hospice of East Texas Board; the University of Texas Soules College of Business Advisory Council; Literacy Council of Tyler Ex-Officio, and is a member of Women’s Fund of Smith County.  A longtime resident of Tyler, Steelman is a member of Green Acres Baptist Church. 

“I have loved building the marketing department to what it is today and am excited to welcome Rachel.  She brings an energy and wealth of experience that will continue to elevate the bank’s brand,” states Patty Steelman.  “I now have the opportunity to prioritize developing relationships across all of the bank’s market areas.”

Rachel French brings over 15 years of public relations, communications, advertising and marketing experience to her role as Director of Marketing with Austin Bank.

“Rachel has a passion for cultivating relationships.  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,” commented Russ Gideon.  “We are fortunate to have Rachel’s leadership as we continue to implement our new branding and marketing strategies.”

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, WA where she helped launch the first retail location in the Pacific Northwest. After almost a decade with Neiman Marcus, French returned to Dallas where she led all retail marketing efforts for NorthPark Center and then to California as head of marketing with Simon Property Group in Silicon Valley.

Most recently, French has worked in the healthcare and academic industry, serving as the Executive Director of Marketing for The University of Texas at Tyler.

French and her husband, Robert, live in Longview with their four children.  She will office out of the bank’s Longview Oak Forest location at 911 NW Loop 281. 

Austin Bank, a community bank headquartered in Jacksonville, Texas, has been voted one of the “Best Companies to Work for in Texas” for the fourteenth consecutive year. With assets in excess of $2.7 billion, bank offices are located in 36 East Texas locations within 26 cities and fourteen counties. Austin Bank is locally owned and operated by the Austin Family who is celebrating 114 years of service in the Texas banking industry.