Florida Banking October 2023

STEVEN SANZONE Steven Sanzone is CEO of Evermore Bank. Sanzone has been in the commercial lending industry for over 40 years. In 2004, he was one of the founders of Stonegate Bank located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. As Executive Vice President and Senior Lender, Sanzone was instrumental in the initial capital raise of $45 million and Stonegate Bank’s growth to $3 billion in assets. Subsequent to the sale of Stonegate Bank in 2017, Sanzone opened the Broward County operation of Marquis Bank, which assisted in the sale of Marquis Bank to Professional Bank. Sanzone grew up in Broward County and has a proven history of success in the Tri-County area of South Florida.

FILIP FELLER Filip Feller has over 35 years of banking experience and is Evermore Bank’s chief financial officer. Feller was previously with Marquis Bank as the EVP, CFO, and was responsible for overseeing the accounting, retail deposit and loan operations, HR, internet banking solutions, facilities, consumer compliance, BSA/AML, and IT for asset growth projections of more than $1 billion within three years. Feller successfully managed a $10 million subordinated debt raise, to support growth from $300 million to over $700 million in assets at the time of sale in June of 2020. Feller served as CFO at several other community banks throughout Florida and Maryland where he led accounting, finance, ALCO, IT and operating divisions. Feller successfully led several successful acquisitions of banks from the FDIC and several debt and equity capital raises. Feller is a native of South Florida, is a graduate of the University of Miami, and lives in Davie with his wife.

KRIS BARNHART Kris Barnhart has more than 25 years of banking experience concentrated in commercial lending and management. Most recently, Barnhart was EVP of a community bank in Jupiter, Fla., focused on commercial lending and deposit generation. On average, Barnhart and his team produce $51 million in new commercial loans and $15 million annually. Barnhart was one of the founding officers of de novo Stonegate Bank of Broward County in 2004. He assisted with raising the initial $40 million in capital, creating the credit policy, organizational structure and new business development. In 2006, Barnhart opened Stonegate’s Jupiter, Fla., branch, and grew assets in the county from zero to $350 million in 12 years, which included three full-service branches, attaining profitability in year two of operations, and increasing profits each year (more than $4 million by 2018). In 1993, Barnhart graduated from Canisius College, Buffalo, N.Y.

WWW.FLORIDABANKERS.COM OCTOBER 2023 — 11