Florida Banking July 2023

PETER E. BATTY

Peter E. Batty is chairman and co-founder of Gulf Atlantic Bank. He is also the president and co-owner of United Atlantic Insurance Group, a local insurance agency, and president and co-owner of Southernmost Processing Company, Inc., an ATM/ACH processing company. Batty received a master’s degree in Political Science from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Florida International University College of Business. He is a lifelong resident of the Florida Keys and Key West, and lives on the island with his wife Jessica and their four children.

CASEY H. COMPTON

Casey H. Compton is vice-chairman of Gulf Atlantic Bank. Compton was previously a director of Community Southern Bank and Community Southern Bancorp, where he served as chairman of the Loan Committee, chairman of the Compensation Committee, and as a member of the Audit Committee and Asset and Liability Committee. Upon the sale of Community Southern Bank to Sunshine Bancorp, Compton was chosen as the sole director to join the successor Sunshine Bank and Sunshine Bancorp boards, where he was named the Sarbanes Oxley Financial expert. Subsequent to the sale of Sunshine Bancorp, Compton joined, and concurrently serves on, the board of Prime Meridian Bank and Prime Meridian Holding Company, where he is chairman of the Compensation Committee and serves on the Audit Committee.

BRYAN ROBINSON

Bryan Robinson is the chief executive officer and president of Gulf Atlantic Bank. Prior to joining the bank, he served as the chief financial officer of Citizens State Bank in Perry, Fla., before its sale to VyStar Credit Union. Robinson has more than 40 years of executive officer experience. He served as chief financial officer of Community Southern Bank in Lakeland, Fla., from 2012 to 2015, and before that as CEO and president of ProBank in Tallahassee, Fla.

Jeff Searcy is a co-founder of Gulf Atlantic Bank. He is also co-owner of United Atlantic Insurance Group Inc. and Cosgrove Realty. Searcy is a USCG licensed charter captain and a veteran of the United States Air Force. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1995. Searcy and his brother-in-law Peter Batty began the process of opening Gulf Atlantic Bank after a friend suggested the idea in January 2018. They found and improved the location, recruited a CEO, CFO and SLO, created a board, developed a business plan with Pearlman and Igler Law Firm, led the capital raise, and after two years and three months received FDIC approval to open on April 13, 2020. JEFFREY DAVID SEARCY

WWW.FLORIDABANKERS.COM JULY 2023 — 11