banking

► Sarasota-based LifeStar Living closed on a 5.25-acre property at 4595 34th Street South for $9 million and will build a The Manhattan, an active senior living community. (Pictured above) ► St. Petersburg College President Tonjua Williams was elected to serve as a representative on the board of directors for the American Association of Community

Angel Gonzalez is the Hillsborough market president for SouthState Bank. He has been with CenterState, now SouthState, since 2007, when he began his career as a management trainee. He was responsible for the successful launch of the banks’ current underwriting and approval software. He has served as the Hillsborough market president since April 2017. In

► Vernon Ellinger was honored at a Tampa Bay Lightning game as the latest Lightning Community Hero. (Pictured above)  ► Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) launched its professional practice group with Tampa Bay attorney Diane Morton serving as executive vice president.  ► The Port Tampa Bay board of commissioners approved an agreement with Celadon Development Corp.

By Susan Mauer, Tampa Bay Market President for Axiom Bank A year ago, phones in Axiom Bank’s commercial lending department started ringing off the hook – and they haven’t stopped. On the other end are business owners, and entrepreneurs, hoping to talk to someone – anyone – who can help them with pandemic-induced concerns, and

► Sarasota Architectural Foundation and Center for Architecture Sarasota will merge as a single entity to be called Architecture Sarasota and will be led by Anne-Marie Russell as executive director. ► Certified Collectibles Group purchased a 20,809-square-foot standalone office building at 6802 Energy Court, Sarasota, for $4.4 million. ► PGT Innovations, a window and door

► The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence awarded Polk County’s Fleet Management Division with its highest honor, the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence. ► The Miller Planetarium, the final building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College, in Lakeland, is undergoing a massive restoration on the exterior and, upon completion, will be

► Buddy Brew Coffee opened a new café, at Armature Works, 1910 N. Ola Ave., in the Heights Public Market. ► The University of South Florida board of trustees voted unanimously to elect Will Weatherford as its new vice chair.    ► Franklin Street arranged the sale of Georgetown Apartments and Cynthia Gardens, two adjacent

Rita Lowman, president of Pilot Bank, received the 2021 Dottie Berger MacKinnon Woman of Influence Award by the Tampa Bay Chamber. The Woman of Influence Award recognizes a woman whose leadership has made a positive impact in Hillsborough County. It pays tribute to an individual who exemplifies outstanding professional values; demonstrates the ability to go

By Susan Mauer, Tampa Bay president, Axiom Bank We are in unprecedented times with how consumers interact with businesses. During 2020, many businesses and offices were required to shut down for an extended time. This forced most businesses to rethink how to serve their customers so as not to lose them to mega online providers.

► Burlington Stores is opening a retail location at the Tri City Plaza at 5280 East Bay Drive, Largo. ► Peter Kennedy, chief operating officer of Northside Hospital and Tampa Bay Heart Institute was installed as the 2021 President of the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. ► Suncoast Hospice, a member

► Haiku, a Japanese fusion restaurant, opened at 808 N Franklin Street, Tampa. (Pictured above)  ► ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NASDAQ: SFBS), promoted Jonathan Zunz to senior vice president, commercial banking. ► Following the 2019 acquisition of Impluse, OPSWAT retained its leadership team, and its office space, at 5650 Breckenridge Park Drive,

By Roxanne Chance-Chin, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Officer and Fraud Investigations Manager, The Bank of Tampa Unfortunately, fraud is on the rise. In addition to existing schemes, fraudsters are using the health and economic uncertainties presented by COVID-19 to perpetrate fraud. As a consumer and/or business owner it’s important to be mindful of fraud trends