Florida Banking August 2022

KUDOS

Banesco USA Closes $250 Million Investment from U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Capital Investment Program

B anesco USA announced it has closed on $250 million investment from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Emergency Capi tal Investment Program (ECIP). Banesco USA is the only bank recipient of ECIP located in Florida or Puerto Rico, and the investment amount is greater than the $237.5 million it was initially approved for under ECIP. The capital will enable Banesco USA to increase lending and provide financial impact to the local target communities it serves in South Florida and Puerto Rico, particularly minority borrowers, minority-owned businesses, small businesses, and borrowers located in underserved or minority communities. The economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation and a lack of support have left communities struggling, especially those disproportionately impacted, and the investment of more than $8.7 billion by the U.S. Department of Treasury through ECIP enables mission-motivated community A nchor Bank opened its first full-service banking center in Miami-Dade County on Tuesday, June 21, located in Penthouse 1 at 2100 Ponce de Leon Boulevard in the Alhambra Plaza in the center of downtown Coral Gables. Elena Hernandez has been hired as vice president and branch manager. With more than 35 years of banking experience, Hernandez will be responsible for the daily operation of the banking center, developing relationships in the community, and implementing strategies to achieve the financial goals of the banking center. She was previously with Eastern National Bank where she was a branch manager. The bank will share the space with Anchor Securities, a wealth management and investment firm which opened in February of 2020. “This banking center will allow us to better serve the businesses of Miami-Dade County as well as improve our ability to provide our concierge

financial institutions to help those communities. As a minority-led MDI (Minority Depository Institution), Banesco USA will use the capital to further support minority borrowers, small businesses and projects which deliver significant community economic benefits in the predominantly minority communities it serves. “Having access to even more ECIP capital than expected means Banesco USA is able to further expand our lending capabilities to our South Florida and Puerto Rico communities,” said Calixto (Cali) Garcia-Velez, president and CEO of Banesco USA. “The ECIP funding enables us to leave a lasting impact that will be seen for years to come.” “The investment enables Banesco USA to support locally-owned businesses which have always been crucial to success in the communities we serve. It’s an opportunity to invest even more in the relationships and customers we’ve established,” said Kenneth Schoeni, chief financial and risk officer of Banesco USA.

Anchor Bank Opens Coral Gables Banking Center

banking services to our international c l i e n t s , ” s a i d A n c h o r B a n k president and CEO Nelson Hinojosa. “The entire Anchor B a n k t e am i s looking forward to this opportunity. When our Miami Dade full-service bank i ng cent e r opens , we wi l l have achieved our goal of providing

Elena Hernandez

Anchor Bank’s banking services to the residents and businesses of the South Florida tri-county area for a more personable banking experience.”

WWW.FLORIDABANKERS.COM AUGUST 2022 — 29