FineMark Chairman and CEO Joseph R. Catti, Habitat Lee and Hendry CEO Becky Lucas, and Habitat Board Chairman and FineMark Executive Vice President/Chief Credit Officer Robert Arnall celebrate FineMark’s $1 million pledge to affordable housing.
How FineMark’s indelible support of Habitat’s mission reflects its own philosophy of service
Both Habitat and FineMark National Bank & Trust find themselves celebrating milestones this year. Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry County turns 40, while FineMark opened its doors in Fort Myers 15 years ago. Both organizations make it their mission to serve the community. When we came together in 2010, the partnership not only made sense, but flourished.
The Habitat family has seen the growth of FineMark’s contributions over the years. As current Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties Board Chairman and FineMark’s Chief Credit Officer Robert Arnall prepares to retire in June, he helped direct FineMark in one of its biggest commitments to Habitat: a $1 million pledge to affordable housing.
“We are humbled by the overwhelming challenges that face many residents of Lee County on a daily basis,” explained Robert. “Habitat for Humanity has proven to be a force of change in our community, and we cannot think of a better partner as we seek to impact the lives of those in need. Habitat changes lives, not just for a day, a year, or a lifetime, but for generations.”
With this generous pledge, the bank is committed to supporting Habitat’s mission of providing decent and affordable housing to those in need. In fact, the need has only grown in recent years. Current data shows 79,309 households in Lee County spend more than 30-percent of their income on housing. The monumental gift enables Habitat to serve more of these families through affordable homeownership, addressing one of the most critical needs our county has ever faced.
“When joining forces with a corporation whose core commitment is making a positive impact on individuals, families and communities, the possibilities to partner for good are limitless,” remarked Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties CEO Becky Lucas.
As a local bank that went from a group of ten, to 230 employees today, FineMark prides itself on staying true to its core mission of making an impact.
“We are very pleased to be in the position to help Habitat for Humanity provide safe and affordable housing for hard working families in our community,” said FineMark Chairman and CEO Joseph R. Catti. “Homeownership has always been the cornerstone of the American Dream and it is rewarding for all of us at FineMark to be a part of the process that helps families transform their lives by making that dream a reality.”
The reality is however, that Habitat can only make the American Dream happen with the continuous and generous support of those in our community, including the extraordinary support of FineMark. For 12 years, FineMark and Habitat have worked shoulder-to-shoulder making those goals and dreams come true for people in need of decent and affordable housing.
“Their philanthropic nature and commitment to doing the right thing means they lift up nonprofit organizations to share in their success.” Becky emphasized. “When they see a need, they take a thoughtful approach to address it. It’s much more than making a donation—it’s about making a difference.”
Looking Back and Moving Forward
Since 2010, FineMark has given back to the community in a number of ways through its partnership with Habitat, including philanthropic donations and encouraging its staff to put in volunteer hours.
“It means so much that they would see a need affecting so many Lee County residents like the lack of affordable housing and take transformational steps to impact that need,” said Habitat CEO Becky Lucas. “It is a perfect example of corporate philanthropy.”
Best Memories
