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“We know this community well and we want to make certain that those who grew accustomed to a handshake and a personal face on a transaction can get that kind of service again.”

Banking was once done on a handshake. Personal relationships between banker and customer were melded on baseball fields, church pews, and at potluck suppers. But the demands for faster growth and larger profits forced ever larger but less personal banks to meet those demands. Coupled with deregulation and mergers, the personal touch was missing in most situations.

A return to community bank service is the cornerstone of the development of Gulf Coast Community Bank. Under direction of local business leader and former State representative Buzz Ritchie, Gulf Coast Community Bank offers Escambia and Santa Rosa County residents and business owners another choice in banking.

Buzz is joined by a team of experienced bankers who are long time residents of Northwest Florida and have made exceptional contributions to a host of community activities.

Serving with Buzz on the Board of Directors are ten other successful business owners and community givers. They are:

Bob Harbour, Eric Gleaton	Jan Miller, Dick Baker & Diane Appleyard
Jack Williams, Susan O'Connor & Lewis Bear, Jr.	Scott Bell, Doug Halford

In addition, an outstanding Community Advisory Board has been assembled. These eighteen individuals add depth and diversity for the two counties (Santa Rosa and Escambia) that the bank will serve. This group consists of:

Laverne Baker
Bill Boesch
Sandy Burkhead
Zane Burkhead
Pam Caddell

Rick Caroll
Mark & Cindy Cotton
Brian DeMaria
Bill Gibson
Ken Jernigan
Phyllis Johnson

Steve Mack
Gary Michaels
Rob Montgomery
Ron Miller
Harry Moore
John Thomas

Gulf Coast Community Bank officially opened on July 3, 2003 in a beautifully renovated space at 40 North Palafox Street in downtown Pensacoia. By 2008, we had five locations with a footprint covering northern and southern Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Today, we have $225,000,000.00 in total assets and continue to open accounts daily and are lending to qualified borrowers throughout the community. All of our offices offer a complete line of banking services; which include mortgages as well as our own in-house brokerage service, offered through Raymond James Financial Services. We are proud of our team of banking professionals who understand that customer service and satisfaction comes first! All coupled with a smile, a handshake, and a focus on personal relationships.

Gulf Coast Community Bank is participating in FDIC’s Transaction Account Guarantee Program. Under this program, through December 31, 2012, all non-interest bearing transaction accounts are fully guaranteed by FDIC for the entire amount in the account. Coverage under the Transaction Account Guarantee Program is in addition to and separate from the coverage available under the FDIC’s general deposit insurance.

The term “non-interest bearing transaction account” includes a traditional checking account or demand deposit account on which the insured depository institution pays no interest. Under Bill 6398, interest bearing IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts) are also fully insured under the TAG Program until December 31, 2012. It does NOT include traditional checking accounts, NOW accounts or demand deposit accounts that earn interest. To inquire about the TAGP insured accounts, contact a Gulf Coast Community Bank customer service representative.