2024 20 in their Twenties: Jake Engel

Assistant Vice President of Brand Communications and Strategy | Financial Center First Credit Union

Age: 27

Hometown: Seymour

Education: bachelor’s in communications, Indiana University

Family: mom, LouAnn Engel; dad, Rick Engel; sister, Bailey Engel; “and many close friends in Indianapolis who have become like local family”

Years with organization: 1 year and 10 months

First job: “I knew I wanted to work in marketing and communications as a teenager, so I pitched the idea of hiring me as a summer intern at a local marketing agency. … And just like that, I had my first job.”

Favorite musical artist: MGK

Coffee order: Either energy drinks or hot chocolate. “While I want to like coffee, I think it tastes disgusting.”

Jake Engel said his life “has always been a bit of a portfolio—dabbling in this, exploring that and embracing adventure along the way.” So, in addition to his position at Financial Center First Credit Union, Engel is a fitness coach at Orangetheory Fitness and a board member at Home Repairs for Good (formerly NeighborLink Indianapolis), which provides free critical home repairs to the most vulnerable aging adults in the city. At Financial Center, Engel manages internal, external and executive communications, creating messaging and telling stories designed to resonate with the nearly 70,000 credit union members in central Indiana and beyond. He directs the organization’s public relations and media strategy and has been a leader in helping the organization reposition itself as a proactive financial wellness provider. Engel’s interest in credit unions started as an intern for Elements Financial. He spent 6-1/2 years at Elements before joining Financial Center, where his role has been to help the 70-year-old credit union introduce a vibrant look, sound and feel.•

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