Florida Banking February/March 2026

L to R: Anchor Bank CFO Brian Cole, President & CEO Nelson Hinojosa, SVP Barbara Moore and Strategy Officer Raul Guzman

But when the merger was finalized nine months later, Cole came aboard to lead Anchor’s core conversion project — a critical technological upgrade. Not long after, Anchor’s new CFO left and Cole stepped naturally into the role. Two years later, the partnership has become foundational to Anchor’s progress.

Coral Gables, establishing operations across three major South Florida counties: Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade. That growth, combined with the bank’s differentiated market approach, began catching the eye of larger institutions. Anchor soon secured strategic partnerships with Bank of America, the MDI Keepers Fund and the Mission Driven Bank Fund, providing capital to accelerate future expansion. The numbers tell a striking story. When Nelson joined Anchor, the bank held roughly $100 million

Growing Across Three Counties – and Attracting National Attention

Following the merger, Anchor entered a new phase of expansion. In 2022, the bank opened a branch in

Anchor Bank, Continued on page 8

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