Amerant Bank Enters Greater Tampa Bay Market

TAMPA, FL – Amerant Bank, the largest community bank headquartered in Florida, has established a new commercial bank presence in the Greater Tampa Bay market with the opening of an office at One Metro Center located in MetWest International. Amerant will provide a variety of transactional and business-related services.

Industry veteran Jason Russek has been appointed Market President. He will be responsible for the strategic execution of Amerant’s growth strategy in the region.

Russek will be joined by a highly experienced team of commercial banking experts.

The leadership team includes:

• Jason Costello – Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Regional Manager
• Patrick Amoaku – Vice President, Commercial Banking Relationship Manager
• Christopher Comella – Vice President, Commercial Banking Relationship Manager
• Ryan Cuticelli – Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Relationship Manager
• Jorge Martinez – Vice President, Commercial Banking Relationship Manager
• Catalina Agudelo – Lending Assistant, Commercial Banking

The new office will focus on commercial real estate lending, one of the organization’s key areas of expertise, along with other commercial and industrial, specialty finance and treasury management services for clients from Citrus County to Naples, across the state through Lakeland and Orlando. 

“Tampa’s exponential development makes it an ideal location for our ongoing strategic expansion in Florida,” said, Jerry Plush, Chairman, President & CEO of Amerant Bank. “The area’s appeal is broad, offering excellent schools, world-class entertainment, ease of travel, and a strong talent pool of prospective team members. We are very pleased to become a part of this growing business community.”

“Though it maintains a community feel, Tampa certainly provides a favorable business climate and a high quality of life and big-city amenities,” said Jason Russek, Tampa Market President for Amerant Bank. “The area has plentiful opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.”

“Jason’s (Russek) deep roots in the area and strong relationships made him the ideal candidate to support our growth in this the new location,” added Plush.

Russek has extensive experience in commercial banking, for more than two decades. He holds a B.A. in Economics from University of South Florida and is a graduate of Stonier’s Graduate School of Banking, Wharton School of Business – American Bankers Association. He served on the Sunshine State Economic Development Corp as a board of directors since 2010 and is a former chairman. He is also the co-chair and a mentor for the Northeast High School Academy of Finance of St. Petersburg since 2011.

Amerant Bank, N.A., is the largest community bank headquartered in Florida with 17 banking centers in Florida and 7 in Houston, Texas. The bank has been serving clients for more than 40 years, both domestically and abroad, and comprises subsidiaries Amerant Investments and Amerant Mortgage.

For more information about Amerant Bank, visit amerantbank.com and follow on  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn @AmerantBank.

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About Amerant Bank

Amerant Bank, N.A., is the largest community bank headquartered in Florida and the main subsidiary of Amerant Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTB), with a presence across South Florida and in Tampa, FL, and Houston, TX. The bank has been serving clients for over 40 years and comprises subsidiaries Amerant Investments and Amerant Mortgage. Rooted in the communities it serves, Amerant Bank supports numerous non-profit, charitable and arts organizations. For news and updates, visit the Amerant Newsroom.