Florida Banking September 2023

the end of June (in just a nine-month period), the bank had seen a 26 percent increase in loans. “The growth started pre-storm, and would have continued, but it has definitely compounded because of the storm,” said CFO John Wright. “We have had very rapid loan growth, and we want to continue to service our community.” Wright encourages banks who may be looking for loans to reach out, as the team at Sanibel Captiva Community Bank is “willing and more than able to help you grow your loan portfolio with some loan participations.” In the short-term future, the bank’s priority is to continue helping those affected by the storm rebuild. “There’s plenty of work to be done right here. We will continue to help get our community back on its feet,” DeCicco said. The bank will have a big event in the fall to celebrate its 20th anniversary,“done in Sanibel Captiva Community Bank style,” which is to say that it will be a casual, family-friendly occasion. The team looks forward to celebrating with its customers and employees. “We’ve all gone through ups and downs in our careers. The big picture is that we will continue to face challenges, but we’ll do it together as a local community bank for another 20 years, and beyond,” DeCicco said. “That’s my commitment to Craig, to the board, and to our shareholders and employees. It’s a good feeling.”

found housing for some of those employees and made a financial commitment to help cover rental costs. It was the bank’s first priority to make sure that everyone was okay. The team credits its alert notification software, AlertMedia, for quickly assessing the safety of employees during and after the storm. Sanibel Captiva Community Bank employees were among the 114 recipients who received direct aid from the FBA and ICBA’s Hurricane Fund. As a result of this program, the FBA provided more than $222,000 directly to those whose homes or vehicles were damaged or destroyed in the storm. “I want to thank the FBA for what they did to help our employees,” DeCicco said.“The contribution from the FBA and ICBA went directly into our employees’ pockets to help them rebuild.” In early 2023, the bank raised $6.6 million in capital from its existing shareholders to support rebuilding efforts. “We made the decision to raise the capital, so we’d have the backing to do what we knew needed to be done. Without that capital raise, we couldn’t process these additional loans, and we couldn’t help our community the way we are today,” DeCicco said. Since the storm, the bank has processed more than $75 million in loans directly related to Hurricane Ian, and continues to lend to HOAs, contractors, business owners and homeowners to help them rebuild. As of Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Continued from page 9

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

10 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING