Bank Director’s Story: How a Community Bank Survived the Financial Crisis and Continues to Thrive

Co-founding two banks in the past 15 years, one right before the financial crisis hit, has taught me many invaluable lessons as a director. The first bank, which opened in 1999, was an incredible success. The second bank, opened in 2005, was one of the few banks that got started in that time frame to survive in Florida. That bank, Alarion Bank, has had two years of positive net income growth and a healthy dose of fee income. First, I will give you a historical picture. I was an advisory board member of SouthTrust Bank in North Central Florida in...