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Residing in Seguin, Natalie (Wood) Jones is part of a community she loves. Aside from raising her family near her alma mater, she’s also chair of the Seguin Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Seguin Rotary Board, the Seguin Main Street Advisory Board, and the �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Athletics Hall of Fame Committee.

That is all in addition to her role as chief operating officer at H-E-B Federal Credit Union—a position where she uses her financial prowess to plan the future of banking. Prior to joining H-E-B FCU, Jones spent five years in community banking as a market president, focusing on how to help the local community with their financial service needs.

Prior to that, she spent 12 years at USAA, where she held positions in insurance operations, analytics, product management, and employee experience, ultimately rising to an executive management position within the Fortune 100 company.

The Mathematics major not only enjoys the unique challenges of her job, but she is also committed to serving the people of Seguin.

“�������ϲ���ʷ������¼ taught me that community matters and if you want the community, local organizations, schools, and businesses around you to be the best they can be, then you must be active and helpful,” she said. “Each organization exists to add value, and each person’s unique skill set can help move the world around us forward. In the financial services industry, no two days are the same. I’m honored to serve in an influential position within an amazing organization that allows me to engage in both a strategic and operational capacity. With data at my fingertips and an amazing team, planning for the future of banking is very exciting and rewarding.”

Jones said her math degree set the stage for her career.

“My experience at �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ not only taught me skills for my job, but it also taught me analytical skills focused on problem solving,” she said. “I graduated knowing how to search for solutions, instead of just identifying problems and waiting for someone to tell me how to fix it. My analytical mindset has enabled me to run businesses differently than most, and is what propelled my career into executive management so quickly.”

That preparation and outlook led her to major accomplishments very young in her career, including reinventing the management techniques of a $1.8 billion product line and implementing an experience strategy for over 7,000 employees. According to her, that type of success happens when leaders focus on two key areas: relationships and time management.

“Today, 75% of my job is building relationships with employees, vendors, and customers,” she said. “At �������ϲ���ʷ������¼, I learned how to take care of others and the importance of making sure that decisions create value for all stakeholders. It’s also a necessity to juggle multiple assignments and aspects of life at the same time, and complete all of them with excellence. As a track and field student-athlete, I learned how to balance many hours of practice, traveling, and team time with classes and homework. Now, I do the same thing as a COO, wife, mom, Chamber of Commerce chair, and member of many nonprofit boards.”

Just as she has invested in her career and the many employees she leads, Jones wants to pay it forward by investing in the city and people of Seguin.

“As the community grows at an astronomical rate, it’s important the opportunities and amenities grow with the population,” she said. “Seguin has a unique culture and rich history that we need to ensure is not lost in the growth, while encouraging progress within the community and infrastructure that will advance diversity and inclusion as new experiences and cultures enter the community. This is where my kids will grow up and ultimately live, work, and play. I want it to be the best community it can be for them and their generation. My experience at �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ not only taught me skills for my job, but it also taught me analytical skills focused on problem solving. I graduated knowing how to search for solutions instead of just identifying problems and waiting for someone to tell me how to fix it.”