{"id":5778,"date":"2026-06-17T02:51:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T02:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/ofinterest\/?p=5778"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:22:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:22:34","slug":"building-relationships-a-community-focused-approach-to-banking-in-tampa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/ofinterest\/building-relationships-a-community-focused-approach-to-banking-in-tampa\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Relationships in Tampa Bay: A Community-Focused Approach to Banking in Tampa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As Tampa Bay continues to grow, businesses and individuals alike are looking for financial partners that understand the local market and are committed to the communities they serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a recent interview with Inside South Florida, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/meloe-b-2a9a887b\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Meloe Barfield, EVP\u00a0and Tampa Market Executive at Amerant Bank,<\/a> shared her perspective on relationship banking, Amerant\u2019s expanding presence in the Tampa Bay area, and the importance of staying connected with the people and businesses that help communities thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Amerant Bank&amp;apos;s Growth in Tampa Bay | Meloe Barfield on Tampa Bay&amp;apos;s Morning Blend\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RzUqa84eH0w?start=1&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-growing-alongside-the-tampa-bay-community\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Growing Alongside the Tampa Bay Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Expanding into a new market starts by building relationships. Early connections within the community help shape a foundation for future growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Tampa Market Executive, Meloe\u2019s role focuses on helping Amerant grow across the region while building relationships with local businesses, community leaders, and residents. Those relationships help create opportunities to better understand market needs and support the people who live and work there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cMy primary role is building relationships and helping the bank grow its market share. As much as I can, I try to be out in the community just getting the word out about how great we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2014 Meloe Barfield, EVP<\/strong>, <strong>Tampa Market Executive<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Amerant\u2019s continued investment in Tampa reflects its commitment to becoming an active part of the community and supporting the region\u2019s long-term growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-a-banking-experience-with-a-personal-touch\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Banking Experience with a Personal Touch<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As banking continues to evolve, many clients still value accessibility, responsiveness, and the ability to work directly with people who understand their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meloe believes one of Amerant\u2019s strengths is its ability to combine the capabilities of a larger institution with the personalized approach often associated with a community bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a strong presence across Florida and approximately $10 billion in assets, Amerant offers a broad range of banking solutions while maintaining a relationship-focused approach to serving clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe can service the client and give them as much as they need, but give it to them in a hometown feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2014 Meloe Barfield, EVP<\/strong>, <strong>Tampa Market Executive<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That balance allows clients to access the resources they need while working with a team that takes the time to understand their unique circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-banking-the-whole-relationship\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Banking the Whole Relationship<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Business owners often have financial goals that extend beyond their companies. Decisions made for a business can influence personal plans and priorities, and long-term objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Meloe, Amerant\u2019s approach is centered on understanding the full relationship rather than focusing on a single need or transaction. By getting to know the client and their goals, the bank can help connect them with the appropriate resources as those needs evolve over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This relationship-based philosophy helps create a more seamless banking experience and encourages conversations that extend beyond day-to-day banking activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-staying-connected-through-community-involvement\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Staying Connected Through Community Involvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Being part of a community means showing up and supporting the organizations that bring people together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One example is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/about-us\/sports-partnerships\/\">Amerant\u2019s partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays<\/a>, which reflects the bank\u2019s commitment to the region and its residents. Through partnerships and community engagement efforts, Amerant continues to strengthen its presence throughout Tampa Bay while creating opportunities to connect with clients outside of the banking center. This partnership further <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/ofinterest\/amerant-bank-launches-official-tampa-bay-rays-debit-card\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4484\">includes custom Rays debit cards for Tampa <\/a>residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These relationships help reinforce the local connections that remain an important part of Amerant\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-looking-ahead\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With banking centers in Tampa and plans for an additional location in St. Petersburg, Amerant continues to expand its presence across the Tampa Bay area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Meloe, growth is ultimately about building lasting relationships and remaining engaged in the communities the bank serves. As Amerant continues to invest in the region, the focus remains on understanding clients\u2019 goals and supporting their success<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-learn-more\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn More<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Amerant\u2019s commitment to Tampa Bay continues to grow alongside the businesses and communities that make the region unique. As the bank expands its presence across the market, building relationships remains at the heart of that growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/tampa\/\">learn more about Amerant Bank and its Tampa Bay locations<\/a>, visit<a href=\"http:\/\/amerantbank.com\"> <\/a>our site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Tampa Bay continues to grow, businesses and individuals alike are looking for financial partners that understand the local market and are committed to the communities they serve. During a recent interview with Inside South Florida, Meloe Barfield, EVP\u00a0and Tampa Market Executive at Amerant Bank, shared her perspective on relationship banking, Amerant\u2019s expanding presence in &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_block_theme_hide_title":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[351,25,1842,2409,2393,2405,77,2399,882,2431,2407,2411],"wizard-purpose":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5778","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-community","8":"category-personal-finances","9":"tag-amerant-bank","10":"tag-business-banking","11":"tag-commercial-banking","12":"tag-community-banking","13":"tag-financial-services","14":"tag-florida-banking","15":"tag-personal-banking","16":"tag-relationship-banking","17":"tag-tampa-banking","18":"tag-tampa-bay","19":"tag-tampa-bay-banking","20":"tag-tampa-businesses","22":"with-featured-image"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 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