“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 fourteen individuals add depth and diversity for the two counties (Santa Rosa and Escambia) that the bank will serve. This group consists of:

Gulf Coast Community Bank officially opened on July 3, 2003 in a beautifully renovated space at 40 North Palafox Street in downtown Pensacoia and within two months a second office opened In Pace, Florida. In June of 2004 Gulf Coast Community Bank opened a third office at the intersection of College Boulevard and 12th Avenue in the Cordova Mall / Airport area. Still growing ... the staff at the Pace office moved into a newly constructed building next door to their temporary facility in the spring of 2005. This beautiful branch includes a Community Room to serve as a meeting place for civic groups in the northern Santa Rosa County area. We began 2006 by opening our fourth location at the intersection of Nine Mile and Stefani Roads. In 2008 we celebrated our fifth year, the opening of our fifth iocation in Guif Breeze and over $280,000,000.00 in total assets. Our newest branch is located at 2871 Gulf Breeze Parkway, right in front of The Breeze Theatre. 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 to offer an expert staff with many years of banking experience to serve you for all of your financial needs. All coupled with a smile, a handshake, and a focus on personal relationships.