To the editor:

It is a somber moment as we push the Riverside ship out to sea for its final voyage. As most know by now Riverside Bank is no longer, the FDIC took it over and sold it deposits to TIB. It is surely an uncertain time for the Riverside Team as they contemplate their future in this volatile industry sector. While they have fought a valiant fight trying to rise above this difficult business environment that encumbered them, throughout they maintained their commitment to community. That’s the culture instilled in the survivors. Riverside was a large part of our community and community was part of Riverside.

The Riverside Team operated as a community bank for 11 years, focused on providing the best service to the community. Riverside represented everyday people, blue collar, white collar, small business, and families. They flipped burgers and rotated hot dogs at bank branches and community events throughout Southwest Florida. They sponsored community events like the Coconut Festival, Special Pops Games and Celebrate Cape Coral, not only giving treasure but time and talent. They supported Leadership Cape Coral by sending several team members through the program and had the distinguished honor of having the most Corporate Leadership Cape Coral graduates on their team. They sponsored youth athletic programs, spiritual programs, intervention programs with their time, treasure and talent.

The silver lining for our community is that these Riverside survivors will spread how they have lived for the past 11 years to other organizations that employee them. It is my hope and anticipation that these survivors will be like a virus infecting companies throughout our region with the culture of community. I write this with the utmost respect for those team members of Riverside, for forever have they been imprinted with the culture that values the importance of community. I look forward to working with them and their new employers. Please remember to keep them in your prayers and to thank them for their commitment to community. Good bye old friend thank you for making a difference in our community!

Mike Quaintance

President

Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral