Commerce Bank & Trust could be considered a second-generation bank. When Guy Colado, President and CEO of Commerce Bank & Trust, started his banking career in the late 1960s all financial institutions in Florida were community banks. The inception of inter-state banking and state-wide branching brought changes.

Colado, a native of Winter Park, realized a climb up the corporate ladder could potentially involve two changes he was unwilling to make. First was the possibility of relocation and second was the likelihood of less customer contact. His commitment to community banking and to his hometown of Winter Park led to the formation of the Bank of Commerce (NBC) in 1986. The main office and three branches served Central Floridians until 2000 when it was acquired by Wachovia.

Ray Colado, representing the second generation, had joined National Bank of Commerce and continued with Wachovia following the sale. Subsequent to the merger of Wachovia and First Union it was decided all the Bank of Commerce offices would be closed. At the urging of Ray, investors were sought and in 2002 an application for a national bank charter was submitted to the Comptroller of the Currency for a Sub-chapter “S” National Bank. Commerce Bank of Florida opened in February of 2003 at 1201 South Orlando Avenue in the same office that housed the first community bank Colado had organized in 1986. Customers were welcomed by many familiar faces that had been part of the former NBC staff.

On January 1, 2006 the bank was granted trust powers resulting in a name change to Commerce National Bank & Trust.

Effective January 1, 2008 the board of directors of Commerce National Bank & Trust named Ray D. Colado President. Colado, a 1993 graduate of Furman University, began his banking career as a trainee at the National Bank of Commerce in 1998. He became a loan officer and when the bank sold he remained with Wachovia through their merger with First Union. As a result of his banking experiences, he developed a preference for community banking and was instrumental in chartering the current bank. He has served as a director of CNB&T since it opened in 2003 and now, as President, will have the responsibility for overseeing the day to day operation of the bank. Guy Colado turned over the CEO role to Ray Colado and took an active role as president of Commerce National Bank Shares of Florida, the holding company of both CNBT and Trivergent Trust. Guy remains the President and CEO of the banking holding company CNB and the director of CNBT.

The expertise of the first generation in conjunction with the energy and forward-thinking of the second generation provides Commerce Bank & Trust the ingredients necessary to carry on the community bank tradition of exemplary attention to meeting customers’ needs while providing innovative banking products and services.