Florida Banking November 2023

The bank commissioned the late George Carey to build a metal sculpture of the bank’s mascot “Moolah the Manatee” for the city of Key West’s Art in Public Places program.

“I’m making sure I have the proper people under me, so that I’ll find my successor within the company and have the time to train that person before I move on,” Carney said. Board succession, however, is somewhat more immediate. “Most of our board members have served for over 20 years. We’re working on bringing in the next generation.” Of course, Carney is only just getting started. “Our board, our shareholders, and our employees are taking to my ideas, and I’m grateful to them for giving me the tools and the latitude to do what I need to do,” Carney said. With a long history at the bank and nearly a year as president under his belt, Carney is excited about First State Bank’s future and to continue its tradition of service to the community he now calls home.

First State Bank, Continued from page 9

every weekend wearing our t-shirts and representing the bank,” Carney said. “Most of our board members are heavily involved in the community, and they love that the bank is out there.” Looking forward, Carney’s goals include technological advancement and succession planning. “One of my goals is to bring us forward digitally. Our head of IT is just a bundle of energy. We have a lot of ideas,” Carney said. “In order to stay relevant, we must digitalize and automate products and processes. We have recently moved to the cloud, which was a big step forward for the bank.” As for succession planning, Carney and his team want to start early to ensure the future success of the bank, investing in rising stars who will carry on the bank’s culture and legacy.

10 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING