Connecting for success

Jason McPhee takes a decidedly hands-on approach to strengthen the bond between Aggieland Credit Union and the people it serves.

“Instead of handing out brochures and freebies, Jason creates experiences that connect with people,” says Rachel Bond, assistant vice president of community engagement and public relations at $970 million asset Greater Texas Federal Credit Union in Austin. Aggieland is a subsidiary of Greater Texas Federal.

As assistant vice president of strategic partnerships and university relations at the credit union, which serves the Texas A&M University community (Aggies), McPhee invests in relationships that allow members and the credit union to succeed.

“Community first is always our plan,” says McPhee, who joined the credit union in 2021 after more than 20 years in promotional marketing for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. “I saw that we needed to expand our investment in the community by creating new and lasting partnerships.”

McPhee forged a formal partnership with Aggie Moms, an influential group of mothers of Texas A&M students that has thousands of members in more than 100 chapters nationwide. That has resulted in deposits of at least $500,000 to date.

“That one partnership gave us the chance to further the credit union here and across the country,” he says.

Aggieland also engineered a productive alliance with the Texas A&M Police Department, which has an active community relations program that hosts campuswide events monthly.

“They do a lot of events, and we wanted to have a presence with them because they help us stay safe on and off campus,” McPhee says. “That gives us a chance to inform the community about financial issues and the credit union’s services.”

Another part of the job is connecting with the university’s 50,000 students. McPhee tapped into the university’s Ice Cream Carnival and set up a popular duck pond, where students vie to catch rubber ducks that offer prizes.

“It’s a fun event that really engages students. It’s a big draw,” he says. “I want to create experiences that connect with people and get them to understand the brand and what we have to offer.”

McPhee, whose wife is a tenured professor at Texas A&M, enjoys global travel and has a special fondness for Paris. “My life is one big Monopoly game. I love traveling.”

His experience in corporate promotions has elevated Aggieland’s university relations.

“Jason has shown us that we can do what big brands do on a smaller scale and still be very effective,” Bond says.