President
Jake Crews
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
Rob Roberts
Executive Vice President & Senior Loan Officer
Rob joined the Wauchula State Bank family in 1996 after serving 10 years as an officer and Apache attack-helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. He was born and raised in Hardee County with strong family ties to Florida’s Heartland for generations. Rob serves as Executive Vice President and Senior Loan Officer. He is proud to have helped begin the first Sebring branch of Wauchula State Bank in 2000 . A graduate of South Florida State College (SFSC), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Florida School of Banking, Rob has served in several nonprofit organizations over the years and currently serves on the SFSC Foundation Board. He enjoys flying, fishing, hunting and spending time with friends and family. He looks forward to working with you to “Grow Your Business” and meet your financial needs with honesty and integrity.
Contact: 863-386-6211Executive Vice President & Senior Loan Officer
Vice President & Controller
Chief Experience Officer
Mark Delaney
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Mark is a fourth-generation Floridian with strong ties to Florida’s Heartland. He began his banking career in 1998 and joined Wauchula State Bank in 2005. He has served in leadership positions on many civic and nonprofit boards, including President and Vice President of the Kiwanis Club, Chairman and Vice Chairman of Keep Highlands County Beautiful and Vice Chairman and Treasurer of Highlands County YMCA. He is driven by helping his customers succeed in their business by offering solution-minded ideas. He is an active outdoorsman who enjoys duck hunting, hiking and photography.
Contact: 863-386-6210Vice President and Commercial Banker
Andrew Foreman
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Andrew, a native Floridian who was born and raised in Hardee County, joined Wauchula State Bank in 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from South Florida State College and is a graduate of the Florida School of Banking. Andrew’s focus is on helping his customers grow their business and partnering with them on their commercial needs. He loves spending time with his wife, son and other family. He enjoys outdoor activities, including fishing and being out on the water.
Contact: 863-773-4151Vice President and Commercial Banker
Scott Katz
Commercial Banker
Scott garnered a wealth of banking and financial experience at banks in Lakeland and Riverview prior to joining Wauchula State Bank in February of 2019. He served as a Branch Manager, Finance Center Manager, Vice President and Business Banker for various institutions. He proved adept at cross-training staff, increasing deposits, creating and monitoring loan programs, improving service and demonstrating high levels of community involvement. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Canarsie High School, Scott moved to Florida in 1981. His extensive community involvement includes participating in the “Paint Your Heart Out” with the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, delivering food to seniors through Viste (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly), supplying dictionaries to low-income schools through the Rotary Club of Lakeland North and providing belts, underwear, shoes and socks to students in those schools through the Rotary’s BUSS program. Scott is a former Rotary president who earned Paul Harris Fellow recognition from the Rotary Foundation. He and his wife of more than 30 years, Lori, are the parents of two adult daughters, Stephanie and Victoria. Scott enjoys hiking in Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, cruising, Fantasy Football and photography (taking pictures wildlife and waterfalls). Most of all, he likes spending time with his family.
Contact: 863-448-2280NMLS #877173
Commercial Banker
John Laurent
Commercial Banker
John has been an integral part of gaining new business customers and expanding services to our existing customers since joining the bank in January 2017. He became a Commercial Banker in October of 2019 and continues the Polk County market, working along with the Winter Haven and Lakeland teams to support our growth goals for this region. A sixth-generation Floridian born in Lakeland, John attended Bartow Senior High School and earned a Business Administration Degree in finance from the University of South Florida. He is a member of the Winter Haven and Bartow Chamber of Commerce, and he enjoys hunting, fishing, college football, planting trees, improving wildlife habitats and spending time with his family.
Contact: 863-559-3048Commercial Banker
Christy Page
VP Commercial Banker
NMLS #803383
Christy is a fifth-generation Floridian who has remained in the Heartland area. She began her banking career with Wauchula State Bank in 1990. Christy was an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Sebring for many years, serving as Treasurer. She is currently on the Bartow Board of Realtors and involved with the Fort Meade Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys the outdoors, including hunting and fishing, and spending time with her family.
NMLS #803383
VP Commercial Banker
Joanne Webb
Commercial Banker
Joanne joined the Wauchula State Bank family in 2018 in the Credit Risk department, where she proved an invaluable asset. In the fall of 2020, she entered a training period to transition into a commercial banker for the bank’s Highlands County market. She spent time in both credit analysis and loan operations to expand her knowledge before beginning her lending and business development duties full time.
Joanne earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Miami a year after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and management from Florida State University. Her career of executive and management positions began with the Motorola Corp. in Boynton Beach, Fla., where she spent six years as a market research analyst, project manager, and quality control manager.
She also served as a bookkeeper and commercial property manager for numerous family-owned businesses. She spent 20 years as a self-described “family manager,” which involved raising and mentoring her five children, working with a parent teacher organization and school advisory committee, and volunteering in classrooms and for various youth sports teams. Joanne’s husband, Jim, was her high school sweetheart, and in addition to their children, they have a “beautiful and perfect” granddaughter.
In 2019, Joanne signed on as a mentor for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and she became a community board member of the organization in 2020. She moved to Sebring from South Florida about 15 years ago. She enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.
Commercial Banker
Eduardo Maldonado
Residential/Consumer Lender
NMLS #803382
Eduardo was born and raised in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, and is fluent in English and Spanish. He started his career in banking in 1993 before moving to Florida in 1997. Eduardo joined Wauchula State Bank in 2005. He can assist all customers with their consumer, residential or commercial borrowing needs. He has served on civic and nonprofit boards, his positions including Commissioner of the Avon Park Housing Authority and Secretary of the Lake Placid Noon Rotary Club. He loves helping his customers through the process of buying or building their dream home.
NMLS #803382
Residential/Consumer Lender
Julie Whitmire
Residential/Consumer Lender
NMLS #803388
Julie is a lifelong resident of Lake Placid who started her banking career with Wauchula State Bank in 1989. She relishes her role as a Residential Lender in her community because she “loves helping make dreams come true and being part of life’s most important decisions.” Julie is a graduate of Leadership Highlands. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.
NMLS #803388
Residential/Consumer Lender
Nettie Blum
Business Relationship Banker
NMSL #803380
Business Relationship Banker
Patty Harrison
Business Relationship Banker
NMLS# 1960172
A Florida native and lifelong resident of Winter Haven, Patty began her career in banking as soon as she graduated from Winter Haven High School joining Wauchula State Bank in 1994, after working for Barnett Bank for several years. She started out at Wauchula State Bank as a loan secretary before moving into retail banking and serving as Branch Manager of the former Zolfo Springs office. She returned to the Wauchula office in late 2019 as a Consumer Lender, while also continuing to serve as a Personal Banker and working with the bank’s Loan Profit Centers. She is heavily involved with the Wauchula Lions Club, helping her fellow club members in fighting blindness, caring for the environment, feeding the hungry, aiding seniors and the disabled, and other community projects. She and her husband, Roger, have two daughters and three grandchildren. When not at work, she enjoys reading and spending time with the grandkids.
NMLS# 1960172
Business Relationship Banker
Ben Wyatt
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Ben started his career in the Navy as a cryptologist with Naval Intelligence during the Afghan and Iraq Wars. He held a Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance and served aboard two amphibious assault ships (USS Ponce and Nashville), a Destroyer (USS Cole), and a Los Angeles-class submarine (USS Annapolis).
After the Navy, Ben served as Operations Manager for a boat manufacturing plant while getting his MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Western Governors University. He entered banking in 2008 and served as a Senior Credit Analyst with Wauchula State Bank from 2014 to 2021, specializing in multiple industries, including investment real estate, agriculture, and owner-operated businesses across Central Florida. He transitioned to a Commercial Banker in 2021 and is passionate about meeting his customers’ commercial needs.
In his spare time, Ben is an avid painter, astronomer, and family man with his wife and three children.
Contact: 863-767-5068Vice President and Commercial Banker
Robin Carr
Commercial Banker
When Robin joined Wauchula State Bank in November of 2019, he brought more than 30 years of banking experience, including proficiencies in lending, underwriting and loan management. Robin grew up in Orlando and has lived in Central Florida for 15 years. He has a strong understanding of the business community and is committed to providing business owners the service they deserve. Robin graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) degree in finance and has been involved with various Central Florida Chambers of Commerce. He has a son who is a lieutenant in the U.S. Army and a daughter in nursing school.
Contact: 407-897-9267Commercial Banker
Vladimir Mendez
Commercial Banker
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Vladimir has been a Florida resident since 1991. Being fluent in English and Spanish enables him to communicate with a diverse array of customers.
Vladimir, who resides in Lakeland, began his banking career in 2000. He holds a Certificate in Banking Operations from Miami Lakes Education Center and has experience in sales, bank operations, management and customer service. He joined Wauchula State Bank in March 2022.
Married for almost 25 years, Vladimir and his wife have three children. When not at the office, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking and dancing.
Contact: 863-368-0932
Commercial Banker
Matt Butz
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Born in Avon Park and raised in Winter Haven, Matt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with a minor in psychology form Emory University in Atlanta, where he was a dean’s list student. He and his family have resided in Lakeland since 1990. Before joining Wauchula State Bank in March 2022, Matt had more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry in Polk County, serving as a commercial lender, business banker, and portfolio manager.
Matt and his wife of 34 years have two adult sons. He is a former council member for the Give Well Foundation, served 16 years on the Community Investment Team for United Way of Central Florida, was a booster for Harrison Performing Arts School guitar department and a volunteer for youth baseball. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, travel, sports, and spending time with family.
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Andrew Calderon
Residential Lender
NMLS # 1638769
Andrew has joined Wauchula State Bank, part of the Crews Banking family, as a Residential Lender. Born in New York and raised in Connecticut, Andrew received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology from Central Connecticut State University in 2017. He joins the bank with five years of experience at another financial institution. In his new position, Andrew will assist customers in the Polk County community with every step of the loan process.
Loans that Andrew can assist with include:
- Conventional loans to purchase your next home.
- FHA loans with flexible guidelines and down payment requirements.
- VA loans exclusively for veterans and military personnel.
- Refinance loans for home improvement projects and/or debt consolidation that can package high-interest debts like credit cards and medical bills into a single loan with a lower interest rate.
- Construction-to-permanent mortgage loans with a single closing.
In his spare time, he enjoys visiting the local theme parks and sharing his love of soccer with his son.
NMLS # 1638769
Residential Lender
Brad Rhoden
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Vice President and Commercial Banker
Jennifer Flores
Retail Banking Officer - Bowling Green
Contact: 863-767-5041
Retail Banking Officer - Bowling Green
Shawanna Duncan
Retail Banking Officer - Sebring and Lake Placid
Contact: 863-386-6201
Retail Banking Officer - Sebring and Lake Placid
Amy Thompson
Business Banking Officer - Winter Haven and Lakeland
NMLS#1170956
Contact: 863-733-7012NMLS#1170956
Business Banking Officer - Winter Haven and Lakeland
Christine Davis
Director of Commercial Banking Services
NMLS #1513225
A familiar figure in financial and community circles in Southwest Florida, Christine joined Crews Bank & Trust in 2019 as a vice president and relationship manager heading up the bank’s Sarasota office. She then served as senior vice president of retail banking before being promoted to her current position. Christine began her banking career in 1998. She has experience in retail banking, treasury management and residential lending. As a sales manager and loan officer, she has used her skills to guide, manage and influence successful sales operations, identify and mitigate risk, empower management teams, manage strategic visions, deliver product enhancement and build strong client relationships in both the corporate and community banking environments. In her current position, Christine responsible for the Treasury Cash management program fand related commercial business services, including merchant services and MSBs.
Christine immersed herself in the business and nonprofit communities. She has been involved with Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota County since 2002, serving as board chair, vice chair, treasurer and secretary. She is also a founding board member secretary of the Sarasota Athletic Association, a nonprofit focused on creating and managing athletic events to raise funds for local charities, and she spent two years on the board of the Ave Maria School for Special Needs Children.
NMLS #1513225
Director of Commercial Banking Services
Elizabeth Hernandez
Director of Retail & Business Banking
Elizabeth joined the Crews Banking Family in 2003, starting as a Teller, then steadily climbing the ladder to her current position. She is responsible for setting the retail operational strategy to support the growth and service for the bank’s retail business line.
Originally from West Hartford, Conn., Elizabeth served as a customer service representative in that state for American Airlines, the Hartford Courant newspaper and other companies prior to moving to Florida in 2001.
Elizabeth went from Teller to Head Teller in four months. She became a Personal Banker in 2004 and moved into bookkeeping a year later. She spent time as a Bookkeeping Specialist and Supervisor for eight years before entering retail operations and becoming a vice president and branch administration manager. She was promoted to her current position in 2023.
Contact: 941-235-5147Director of Retail & Business Banking
Michelle Potter
Regional Retail Administrator
Regional Retail Administrator
Clara Laurent
Registered Representative - Wauchula State Financial Services Investments Offered through Infinex Investments Inc.
Clara, a fifth-generation Hardee county resident, has been a member of the Wauchula State Bank family since April of 2013. She joined the bank shortly after graduating from Florida Southern College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree. She minored in biology at FSC and was selected to Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and Beta Beta Beta-Biology Honor Society.
At the bank, Clara served as a Real Estate Valuation Specialist for three years, and in 2016 she became a vital part of the Wauchula State Financial Services team. Clara is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative, and currently holds a FINRA Series 7 & 66 license, as well as the Florida Life, Health, & Annuity registration. She understands the needs of the communities served by Wauchula State Financial Services and is dedicated to continuing her education while serving her clients through financial planning and needs assessment.
Registered Representative - Wauchula State Financial Services Investments Offered through Infinex Investments Inc.
Joy Delaney
Sales Assistant - Wauchula State Financial Services Investments Offered through Infinex Investments Inc.
Joy joined the Wauchula State Financial Services team as sales assistant after over 17 years with Wauchula State Bank. She began her career in banking in 1985 and has served in a variety of leadership and customer service roles.
“I’m pleased to have Joy as part of our team” said Clara Laurent, principal financial advisor. “Her banking experience and dedication to serving our clients are valued assets.”
Born and raised in Hardee County, Joy enjoys spending time with her family and being involved in her church.
Sales Assistant - Wauchula State Financial Services Investments Offered through Infinex Investments Inc.
