Q and a with ... Angela Truluck.

• Position: First National Bank of Steeleville - Interview

Angela Truluck

Marketing Officer

First National Bank of Steeleville, Steeleville, III.

Asset Size: $170 million

Number of branches (locations): Three

Get to know one of your fellow Marketing Network members.

Q. What led you to bank marketing?

When the U.S. Air Force transferred my husband to Alaska in 2001, I was just finishing my degree in business. I already had an associate degree in marketing management. My desire was to work in marketing.

In Anchorage, there was an opening at Northrim Bank in the marketing department as public relations specialist. I applied and got the job.

At Northrim I fell in love with bank marketing. Lori Philo-Cook, marketing director at that time, took a chance when hiring me because I had no bank marketing experience. Her knowledge of bank marketing and caring leadership brought the job to life for me. I was eager to seek the same position in Illinois when we retired from the military in 2007.

Q. What do you consider to be your area of greatest marketing expertise?

Public relations (employee, customer, and community), including event management, are my strongest areas due to my experience and specialized training.

Q. What was one of your biggest marketing successes?

It would have to be in creating a marketing department in a community bank where none had ever existed before. It was a challenge to create and execute a marketing plan and it has been rewarding to see the positive results in our community.

Q. What was one of your biggest marketing mistakes?

My background in bank marketing was as part of a marketing team where there were several marketers working on projects together. My biggest mistake in my current position was in tackling projects that were too much for one person to handle. For example, our New Accounts Survey was a great idea and our customer service representatives...