About Us

 

Our History

The decision to start Evermore Bank was made by the Executive team’s customers. With the acquisition of most community Banks by Regional Banks, in the Tri County Area, community bank customers had no where to go to other than to the large regional banks which do not meet the needs of many local businesses and community members. As a result, these customers reached out to the members of the Executive team seeking advice on where to go. Mr. Sanzone then decided to organize Evermore Bank to meet the community needs. He reached out to his executive team as well as members in the community to join his Evermore Board. The Executive Team and Directors then raised over $26 million dollars primarily from the local community and Evermore Bank was born. The Executive team members all either worked together in the past or knew each other for many years. Steve Sanzone & Kris Barnhart worked together since 2003. Evermore Bank is a High-Tech Bank with cutting-edge technology focusing on total banking relationship with a human touch.

Founding Team

Steve Sanzone

Steven Sanzone, CEO

Steven Sanzone is CEO of Evermore Bank. Steve has been in the commercial lending industry for over 40 years. In 2004, Steve was one of the founders of Stonegate Bank located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As Executive Vice President and Senior Lender, Steve was instrumental in the initial capital raise of $45 million and Stonegate Bank’s growth to $3 billion in assets. Subsequent to the sale of Stonegate Bank in 2017, Steve opened the Broward County operation of Marquis Bank which assisted in the sale of Marquis Bank to Professional Bank.

Steve grew up in Broward County and has a proven history of success in the Tri-County area of South Florida.

Filip Feller

Filip Feller, EVP & CFO

Filip Feller has over 35 years of banking experience and is Evermore Bank's Chief Financial Officer. Filip was previously with Marquis Bank as the EVP, CFO, and was responsible for overseeing the accounting, retail deposit and loan operations, HR, internet banking solutions, facilities, consumer compliance, BSA/AML, and IT for asset growth projections of > $1 billion within 3 years. Filip successfully managed a $10 million subordinated debt raise, to support growth from $300 million to over $700 million in assets at the time of sale in June of 2020. Filip served as CFO at several other community banks throughout Florida and Maryland where he led accounting, finance, ALCO, IT and operating divisions. Filip successfully led several successful acquisitions of banks from the FDIC and several debt and equity capital raises.

Filip is a native of South Florida, is a graduate of the University of Miami, and lives in Davie with his wife.

Kris Barnhart

Kris Barnhart, President & CLO

Kris Barnhart is President and Chief Lending Officer. Kris has 25+ years of banking experience concentrated in commercial lending and management. Most recently, Kris was EVP of a community bank in Jupiter Florida, focused on commercial lending and deposit generation. On average, Kris and his team produce $51 million in new commercial loans and $15 million annually. Kris was one of the founding officers of De Novo Stonegate Bank of Broward County, in 2004. Kris assisted with raising the initial $40MM of capital, creating the credit policy, organizational structure and new business development. In 2006, Kris opened Stonegate’s Jupiter, Florida branch, and grew assets in the county from zero to $350MM in 12 years which included three full-service branches, attaining profitability in year two of operations and increasing profits each year (>$4MM by 2018). Kris managed a team of five commercial lenders, was a member of the executive management team, and a voting member of the loan committee. He also completed loan due diligence and post-acquisition operations of ten banks in ten years.

In 1993 Kris graduated from Canisius College, Buffalo New York and started his career as an analyst for Largo Capital, Buffalo New York.

Lee Frankhouser

Lee Frankhouser, EVP, Market President Palm Beach County

Lee Frankhouser is Executive Vice President and Palm Beach County Market President.

Lee has been a banker for 40+ years including ten years (2008-2018) as President and Director of the former Floridian Community Bank (now Synovus). During those ten years Floridian Community Bank grew assets from $65 million to $650 million. Lee’s recent duties and responsibilities have included opening new markets, staff development, brand awareness and business development initiatives to achieve new deposit and loan goals. As President of Floridian Community Bank Lee was responsible for all retail and commercial banking, sales, branch openings, staffing and new market development as well as retail mortgage, merchant services, cash management services and wealth management services. Lee is currently a board member and treasurer of Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, board member of Wellington Cares and has held numerous board positions with other non-profit organizations such as the Broward County Sheriff’s Foundation, the Nova Southeastern University Ambassador Board, Ignatianum America and the Ambassadors of the Honda Classic.

Lee, his wife, Christine, and three daughters moved to South Florida from Pittsburgh, PA in 2003 and now reside in Jupiter.

Mark Huard

Mark Huard, EVP Market President Broward County

Mark L. Huard is Executive Vice President and Broward County Market President. Mr. Huard is a 30-year veteran of the South Florida Banking Industry. Mr. Huard helped create a Small Business Banking line of business at two institutions, was responsible for opening a Ft. Lauderdale location for another and was one of the original Commercial Lenders at a denovostate-chartered institution. As a Senior Officer at Marquis Bank, Mark was responsible for opening Marquis Bank’s first Broward location, which was completed successfully and located in Ft. Lauderdale. Mark was formerly with Stonegate Bank as SVP Commercial Real Estate Manager in the Broward Market. During that time, he originated in excess of $120MM in new CRE loan commitments. Mark had joined Stonegate when they acquired Community Bank of Broward (CBB) in 2014. He began at CBB in 2002 as one of the original Officers of the de novo bank. Mark was responsible for developing client relationships, which allowed the Bank grow to over $500MM in assets before being acquired by Stonegate.

A native of Hollywood, FL., Mark is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Weston, where he has lived with his Wife Julia and their daughter Emily for over 25 years.