– Jerry Williams, Orion Bank Founder and Former President and CEO
In 1987, on the cusp of his third decade, Texas-bred Jerry Williams moved in for the first time in Florida. He just inherited the mantle of responsibility as the President of the First National Bank of the Florida Keys. The bank had been around for 10 years, was barely surviving with a pair of branches and $30 million in assets, and posed a challenge to the newcomer Williams.
 |
| From Florida Keys Public Libraries |
Young and daring, he turned his flair for the financial industry into a fruitful endeavor. “I didn’t know what to expect,” remarked Williams, now in his 40s. In 1994, he was able to expand the bank’s network across the Keys and along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Jerry Williams saw Orion Bank at this point; he himself had been laying the foundation for his vision.
When the bank’s transition took place, Williams and his team considered renaming the company in an effort to set the bank apart from other financial institutions. The name Orion—which means Hunter—foreshadowed the financial integrity and strength that the bank had become nationally known for.
 |
| From AMagill |
“Our goal has always been to excel in the products and services we provide our customers instead of looking for the latest banking trend or fad that comes along,” Williams said about the company’s steadfast focus on the bank’s mission to specialize on commercial lending and core banking services.
Jerry Williams had been firm in his leadership philosophies. He did not believe in the “all things to all people” approach to banking—and this single-mission principle had kept the bank standing and growing.
 |
| From 416style |
More information about Jerry Williams can be found at linkedin.com/in/jerrywilliams.
