An artist's soul, a marketer's instincts

The credit union movement often attracts people with an artist’s soul, and Lauren Davis is living proof.

Upon graduating in 2013 from college—where she studied public relations as well as design, writing, and photography—Davis had a short stint as a teller at Lafayette (La.) Schools Credit Union.

That was before her artistic abilities and instincts surfaced, landing her a role in the marketing department.

Almost immediately, the $198 million asset credit union enjoyed the benefits of Davis’s “perfect storm” of useful skills.

One memorable project she created arose from CEO Connie S. Roy’s desire to create a buzz around refinancing.

Davis soon rolled out a “Hate Your Rate?” campaign to members via mail and in-branch ads.

“We told members who were paying high interest on certain loans they could refinance through us at a significantly lower rate,” Davis says. “It was cool that we were able to come up with a catchy campaign name that rhymed!

“Every project is different,” she adds. “I draw inspiration from a variety of sources: films, my photography of mainly family shots and weddings, and people I meet.

“Many people have told me they sort of fell into the credit union world. That’s definitely true for me,” Davis adds. “I didn’t know what I was getting into at first. Now I’m doing things I love.”

Davis has set her sights on the pending name change and rebranding of Lafayette Schools.

That comes as the credit union expands to a community charter and serves five parishes, the equivalent of counties.

Outside of the office, Davis spreads the principles of responsible financial management to millennials at her church.

In this instance, her passion stems from personal experience.

“I tell them about my own success in the program,” she says.