Port Charlotte, Fla., April 1 ,2024 – Craig DeYoung, well-known in the Charlotte County community, marks a significant milestone as he celebrates 30 years at Crews Bank & Trust. DeYoung, whose journey from the lumber yard to the banking sector reflects resilience and adaptability, shares insights into his remarkable career.
After graduating from Charlotte High School in 1980, DeYoung spent 14 years working at two local financial institutions prior to joining Charlotte State Bank & Trust, one of Crews Bank’s legacy banks. In 1994, he joined the Bank as a commercial real estate lender and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer before becoming president of Charlotte State Bank & Trust in 2006. His current role is Market President for Southwest Florida.
DeYoung revealed the motivations behind his initial foray into banking. "I applied for my first banking position after hearing about it from a teacher," he stated. "Working in an office sounded like a great deal after working in a lumber yard and for a cabinet company in the Florida heat."
Recalling his first day, DeYoung admitted to feeling uncertain about his ability to grasp the complexities of banking. "What I remember about my first day is being completely intimidated and wondering if I was really going to be able to learn everything I needed to know to be a banker," he remarked.
During his tenure as president, DeYoung has overseen expansion of the bank: the opening of a full-service branch in North Port in 2017, in addition to opening a satellite office at South Port Square in Port Charlotte in 2016 and loan-production offices in Lee and Collier counties in 2015 and 2016, respectively. He also supervised numerous advances in products and services designed to make banking more convenient and rewarding to customers, including a home-based, locally staffed Trust and Wealth division.
“The Bank’s Purpose is to build relationships that span generations,” stated M.W. ”Larry” McLaren IV, Chief Banking Officer. “In 30 years, Craig has built relationships across Southwest Florida. He grew up in this community, raised his family here and has stayed involved in many civic organizations to ensure this area thrives. We have many customers with two, and sometimes three, generations of a family choosing to bank with us because of him.
When asked what he felt was his greatest achievement at the Bank, DeYoung identified his ability to adapt to change. "Rolling with an understanding of the need to change and adapt to the ever-changing world we live in," he explained, "has allowed me to deliver banking services to generations at this point."
An example of his adaptability was his involvement with the unification of all of Crews Banks’ legacy banks - Charlotte State Bank & Trust, Englewood Bank & Trust, Wauchula State Bank and Crews Bank & Trust – in September 2023. “Marrying four banners, although they were always part of the Crews family of banks, was a huge undertaking. Each banner was unique and very tied into their communities,” DeYoung said. “Our goal was to ensure our customers experienced minimal disruption in their day-to-day banking but recognized the advantages of the name change, such as the ability to bank at 19 different locations across Central and Southwest Florida and access to expanded services. It presented a challenge unlike any other in my career, and as a team, we executed it seamlessly."
Among his most memorable moments, DeYoung recounted the challenges posed by two major hurricanes, Charley in 2004 and Ian in 2022. "Those times certainly represent some of the darkest times for my family, friends, and coworkers," he recalled. "However, in both cases, I saw my co-workers, as well as the community, pull together and do tremendous things."
Despite the adversity, DeYoung expressed pride in witnessing the resilience and unity of his colleagues. "We had staff who lost their homes and still, within a matter of days, were back at their job trying to help our customers with their banking needs so they could get back on their feet. I have never experienced prouder moments as a banker, both personally and professionally," he remarked, "than to see the spirit of our staff stepping up to help each other, our clients, as well as the community.”
Eric DeYoung, the Bank’s Chief Credit Officer, affectionately calls his dad “Chief” at work. Reflecting on working alongside his father, said “I am so proud to follow in my father’s footsteps. I feel like my father taught me how to be a responsible adult, a decent person, and hopefully a 'pretty decent' banker, too. I have a bit of a reputation as a 'Mini-Craig', and I wear it like a badge of honor.”
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