From a young age, Alysse Hewell’s parents instilled in her the importance of supporting local, whether shopping at small businesses or dining at locally owned restaurants.
That local-first mindset makes Alysse a perfect fit for her new role as INB’s Director of Marketing and Communications.
“I love working for a local company versus a big corporation. I wanted a role at a bigger company but still rooted in the community,” she says. “I’m super excited to grow a brand that has been around but has plans to expand.”
While Alysse hasn’t always lived in Springfield, her time away only deepened her appreciation for central Illinois.
After high school, Alysse attended Indiana University, earning a degree in marketing and journalism with a focus on public relations. The first six years of her career were spent in Chicago, working for Nickelodeon’s Kids & Family digital advertising division. She became well-versed in digital strategy and consumer targeting while managing national campaigns for brands like LEGO and McDonald’s.
Her husband Steve is originally from the Chicago area. He now laughs that it only took as long as the flight home from their honeymoon for Alysse to ask him to move back to Springfield.
“I wanted to raise my kids here and be closer to family,” she says. Now the couple has two kids – Leighton is 8 and Graham is 6 – who keep their parents chasing them around to many different activities.
In her spare time, Alysse also enjoys Pilates and playing in a weekly women’s golf league. She gives time to community efforts, like serving as an Ambassador for Hope School, and loves traveling with her family, especially Kiawah Island and Florida.
For the past 11 years, Alysse served as Chief Experience Officer and Marketing Director at Troxell Insurance Agency. When she saw a blog post from INB’s longtime marketing director Marilyn Titone Schaefer encouraging applicants for the position as Marilyn prepared to retire, Alysse decided to take the leap.
“I felt like the position would give me the new challenge that I was looking for,” she shares. “I’m excited to focus on growth marketing and branding. That was a big selling point for me.”
During her interview process, Alysse appreciated that INB’s leadership team was open to new ideas and seem invigorated to have a fresh perspective from outside of the banking industry. She’s already delving into exciting new ideas and strategies.
“INB has a strong reputation in Springfield, and I’m eager to help extend that brand recognition to the other communities we serve—particularly our newer markets in Missouri and Florida,” Alysse says. “The people here genuinely care and are excited about what they do; I can’t wait to tell their stories.”
Welcome to INB, Alysse!