Florida Banking April 2024

Committed to service and stewardship Millennium Bank:

M illennium Bank celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, taking pride in its commitment to being good stewards and serving both the Tennessee and North Florida markets. The Tennessee-headquartered community bank was founded in 1999 by a group of investors to benefit the citizens of the Chattanooga area. In 2020, the bank expanded into Florida with its acquisition of century-old Columbia Bank based in Lake City. Millennium Bank has since thrived in the North Florida market despite the challenges of navigating a merger during the global

on the Board of Directors. “Being on the board was important to me because I wanted to be part of the decision-making process not only at the executive level but at the board level to help chart the course for the bank,” Norris said. When she visited Chattanooga and met the bank leadership, especially CEO Mike Haskew, she “just knew it was going to be a special place.” Norris joined the team in 2020 and was instrumental in integrating the bank’s recently acquired Florida branches. It helped that the

Chattanooga and North Florida communities were so well aligned; Norris was also grateful to work with a team she knew well, as many of her employees had worked for her at previous institutions. “I have a fantastic team. I’m proud of how they have embraced the new challenges I’ve put in front of them. Each one of the people on my team have taken on some different

“AT MILLENNIUM BANK, WE ALL

pandemic. Today, the bank has nine offices and more than $500 million in deposits. Last year, the bank experienced record earnings of $6.8 million and loan growth of 12 percent. “2020 was a big year for the bank. Anyone who has ever been part of a merger process will acknowledge how challenging a merger can be under the best of circumstances;

UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE CHARGED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US. WE TELL EMPLOYEES EVERY DAY TO ‘DO THE RIGHT THING.’”

- SUZANNE NORRIS

we accomplished this during a pandemic, which required a change in the way we did business with customers and interacted with employees,” said Suzanne Norris, Millennium Bank Florida regional president. “We also provided almost $50 million in Paycheck Protection Loans to customers while in the process of integrating the banks. That program was critical to the survival of our customers.” Norris manages the strategic operations of the bank’s four locations in Lake City, Gainesville and Ocala. She is also

responsibilities than they had previously,” Norris said. “This is a culture that recognizes excellence. We provide a rewarding work environment where employees can achieve their professional and personal goals. When they succeed, their communities succeed.” In those early days of the merger, Norris’ strategy was about “leading through the storm,” overcommunicating with her team and setting clear expectations. “I think that went a long way toward Millennium Bank, Continued on page 10

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