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New Bank Reaches Out

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By STEPHEN HAMMILL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2007

KEYSTONE - For Karina Thompson, branch manager of the newest Fifth Third Bank, making new customers means gaining the trust of the neighbors.

'It's really about the community, getting to know everyone and what they want and need,' she said.

Thompson welcomed the public and invited guests Monday to the grand opening of the bank, at 17751 Gunn Highway.

Present were representatives from the YMCA, the Keystone Civic Association and the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

'Getting involved with these people was important because we want to be the bank in their community,' Thompson said.

During the ceremony more than $17,000 was donated to various organizations.

Thompson presented a $5,000 check to Sandy Murman, board chair of the Children's Museum of Tampa, courtesy of the Jacob G. Schmidlapp trust. Judith Lombana from the Museum of Science & Industry accepted a $7,500 check.
Susan Friedman of FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), a local nonprofit organization dedicated to ovarian and breast cancer awareness, accepted a $5,000 donation from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp trust.

Jacob Schmidlapp, former president of Fifth Third Bank, established his trust more than 100 years ago. Another in his daughter's name, aimed at strengthening the lives of young women, was established in 1919.

Thompson said the opening was a chance 'to let people know we're here in the community, that we're open and ready to help them.'

Tom Aderhold, president of the Keystone Civic Association, spoke at the ceremony.

'Karina attends our meetings,' he said. 'She goes out and picks up trash in our adopt-a-road program. If every other branch manager participates in the community as much as she does, you'll be extremely successful in the area.'

She learned quickly that Keystone residents do not take kindly to commercial development left unchecked.

Weeks before construction, representatives of the bank met with Keystone residents to discuss design plans. There they agreed to keep the parking lot's light poles at a maximum of 16 feet, matching the height of the poles in the Sweetbay Supermarket's parking lot across Van Dyke Road.

When, during the construction, resident Steve Morris noticed 25-foot light poles going up, he alerted the KCA, who in turn went to Thompson.

'We told her, 'If you want to be good neighbors, this is not a good way to start,'' Morris said. Within three weeks, the poles were brought down and replaced by shorter ones.
FIFTH THIRD BANK
LOCATION: 17751 Gunn Highway
CONTACT: (813) 852-2070

LOBBY HOURS: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-noon Saturday

DRIVE THROUGH HOURS: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-noon Saturday

Reporter Stephen Hammill can be reached at (813) 865-1523 or at shammill@tampatrib.com.

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