Gulf Cove Branch

Joe graduated from Venice High School and later pursued an associate degree in business management from Manatee Community College, now named State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. Joe’s banking career includes experience in residential and commercial lending and branch management. Directly before joining the Bank, he worked to build relationships as a Commercial Banker with another financial institution in the Venice area.

A Charlotte County resident, Joe is involved in the community as a member of the Lemon Bay Sunrise Rotary Club and the Englewood YMCA community board, as well as the Finance and Audit Committee for the Charlotte Community Foundation. Joe also dedicates time serving on the board of Englewood Area Youth Baseball (EAYB), an organization that supports local youth to grow in both sportsmanship and baseball skills.

When not at the bank, Joe spends time with his three children and wife of over 15 years exploring the natural beauty of Florida while golfing, boating, fishing, and hunting.

Originally from Hartford, Connecticut, James Jerome is no stranger to Southwest Florida, having moved to the area in 1993. A graduate of Venice High School, he holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Phoenix.

James began his banking career in 2001 and held a variety of positions including branch manager, business banker, and mortgage lender prior to joining Crews Bank & Trust. He also served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps where he developed leadership and discipline that continue to influence his professional success.

Active in the community, James serves as a board member of the Veterans Organization Operations Warrior Resolution and Grand Knight of his local Knights of Columbus council. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, volunteering, and watching his favorite sports teams.

NMLS #546468

Originally from Hatboro, Pennsylvania, Karen is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC with a degree in business. She has lived in the Charlotte County area since 2001 and is heavily involved in the community. She brings over 40 years of experience to her role with the Bank.

She is a recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year and the President’s Award from the Englewood on the Gulf Women’s Council of Realtors. Additionally, she received Affiliate Member of the Year and Community Service Member of the Year from the Englewood Area Board of Realtors (EABOR).

In addition to being involved in EABOR and the Women's Council of Realtors, Karen participates in the Charlotte DeSoto Building Industry Association (CDBIA) and serves on the board of The Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte County and Kids Needs of Greater Englewood. She is a past president of both the Rotary Club of Englewood and the Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of work, she spends time with her husband, Alfred, while kayaking, shelling, gardening and completing crossword puzzles.

NMLS #795306

Kristina joined the Bank in January 2004, bringing 17 years of general merchandising, service management and training experience from her home state of Vermont. She earned an American Institute of General Banking degree in 2010.

Kristina assists the bank’s business customers with a variety of financial solutions, ranging from small business loans and commercial real estate loans to merchant services and convenience banking. Her availability and willingness to help business owners and nonprofits earned her the sobriquet “Watts on Demand.”

A longtime member of the Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce, Kristina is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Englewood. She chaired the chamber’s Leadership Committee in 2017 and served as Leadership board liaison.

Kristina serves on the board of directors of both the Chamber and the Englewood Rotary, which awarded her the Leo “Pete” Cypher Service Above Self Award and President’s Award and named her a Paul Harris Fellow +1 for her contributions to the Rotary Foundation. A graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute, she currently serves as club treasurer.

She also serves on the board of directors of Boca Cares, a philanthropic organization comprised of residents, friends, and business partners of the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club. Since its formation in late 2018, Boca Cares has awarded over $170,000 in grants to more than 25 local charities in the Englewood and Venice area.

NMLS #2384891

Originally from Alaska, Lindsey began her banking career after high school at a community bank. She continued working in banking part-time and during summer breaks while studying marketing and communication at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Washington State University. She later became a full-time teller and personal banker before spending time working in insurance, budget management, contract management and as an event coordinator. Lindsey joined our Bank as a personal banker in 2021 at the Boca Grande location. In this position, she provided a full range of banking services to customers while maintaining a friendly, professional and caring attitude. In her free time, Lindsey enjoys the Florida sunshine by fishing, boating, golfing and lounging by the pool or at the beach. Lindsey and her husband have three well-loved cats.