Age: 39
AVP of Brand + Design, Community First Credit Union
Jordan Destree’s passion for creative branding and storytelling transcends his professional roles as AVP of brand and design at Community First Credit Union and owner of Three Would Be Creative Co., as well as his 15-year tenure with Verve, a Credit Union during which he oversaw a major merger and rebrand.
“For me, creativity is not just a career,” Destree says. “It’s how I make sense of the world.”
Destree says his keys to success are being bold and leading with solutions.
“Find problems and solve them,” Destree says. “Build a reputation for contributing, not just completing. Invest in relationships. Do hard things. And here’s the liberating truth nobody tells you: Nobody has it entirely figured out. So go for it anyway.”
I wish I’d known: Careers are not ladders; they’re jungle gyms.
Can’t live without: Coffee, or more honestly, caffeine. It is less of a preference and more of a non-negotiable.
The region’s biggest challenge: This region quietly punches above its weight in innovation, community, opportunity and quality of life — but that story isn’t told loudly or often enough. The result is a perception gap. Talented people can overlook what’s here. The opportunity is to lean into the region’s strengths with the same boldness, creativity and intention that any great brand would.
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